A Framework for STEAM-ESD Instructional Design Integrating Design Thinking and Project-Based Learning

In the 21st century, integrating STEAM education with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a key orientation to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). However, a pedagogical framework is still missing in the educational practice, cohesive and linking the problem-solving process of Design Thinking with the workflows of Project-Based Learning (PBL) to address complex environmental and social challenges. The study develops an integrated STEAM-ESD instructional design framework through three iterative phases of Design Based Research (DBR) and systematic literature review of international publications from 2016 to 2026. The results show three main structural axes. The Pedagogical Axis, which is composed of the 5 stages of Design Thinking in PBL projects. The Sustainability Axis that links the learning activities with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Competency Axis, which is focused on the assessment of critical thinking, systems thinking and design creativity. Based on this, the study proposes an iterative 5-stage instructional design workflow: (1) Empathize and Contextualize, (2) Define Challenge and Objectives, (3) Ideate and Project Planning, (4) Prototype and EdTech/VR Integration and (5) Test, Reflect and Social Impact. The discussion highlights the pedagogical relevance of the framework in terms of balancing divergent and convergent thinking while pointing to major implementation challenges, such as technical bias, high teacher workload, and data ethics risks. The study suggests the adoption of interdisciplinary cooperative teaching models and the creation of ethical codes of conduct for the application of educational technologies to overcome these limitations. The conclusion suggests that the instructional design framework may be used as a practical instrument for teaching delivery and educational management and as theoretical foundation for future large-scale empirical validation studies. The findings provide a practical pedagogical orientation for secondary school educators and teacher training institutions, contributing to the advancement of Education for Sustainable Development in schools.