Playing with Systems: Operative Learning Structures in STEM Education

This paper presents an educational framework for STEM learning based on structured interaction with physical objects. Rather than treating games and toys solely as tools for illustrating scientific concepts, the framework emphasizes their role in shaping learners’ actions, perceptions, and decision-making processes. Students engage in the design, construction, exploration, and testing of systems, examining how material constraints, rules, and feedback mechanisms influence behavior and problem solving. The concept of Operative Learning Structures is introduced to describe how objects organize sequences of action that generate learning through use and interaction. The paper outlines the theoretical foundations of the framework and presents a classroom implementation designed for lower secondary education. Particular attention is given to the relationship between play, embodied experience, reflection, and STEM learning.