Historical Foundations of STEM/STEAM Technologies in Education: A Semiotic Perspective

STEM technologies have emerged as one of the most widely discussed topics in contemporary educational discourse, valued for their interdisciplinarity, emphasis on innovation, and encouragement of creativity.STEM and its expanded version, STEAM, are increasingly recognized as central to 21st-century educational innovation.This paper analyzes the historical foundations of these approaches through the lens of semiotics-a methodological framework that transcends disciplinary boundaries.By comparing the development of STEM/STEAM with the historical evolution of European educational systems, the study demonstrates that these modern educational models are deeply rooted in philosophical and scientific traditions.Drawing from semiotic and comparativehistorical methodologies, the analysis highlights mathematics as a central and historically privileged element, tracing its conceptual origins from ancient philosophy to modern science.The paper concludes with a forward-looking perspective, suggesting the likely incorporation of psychological and social sciences into the STEAM framework, following patterns observed in its historical development.