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STEAM Education for an Innovative Approach to Sustainability

search centres on the views and experiences of in-service teachers, leaving
a notable gap in our understanding of how pre-service educators conceptu-
alise STEAM, evaluate their own readiness, and perceive the practical chal-
lenges associated with its implementation. This study aims to examine how
pre-service teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina understand and evaluate the
STEAM approach and their readiness to implement it in future teaching prac-
tice. It explores their awareness of STEAM, attitudes toward its applicability,
and self-assessed competence. The research also investigates perceived bar-
riers to practical implementation, including curricular limitations and institu-
tional constraints. By analysing these dimensions, the study seeks to identify
key factors that influence successful integration of STEAM in teacher educa-
tion. The findings aim to inform future curriculum development and support
strategies for STEAM-oriented pedagogy.

Research Methodology
Research Design
This study was conducted within a qualitative research framework, aiming
to gain deeper insight into student teachers’ perceptions of the STEAM ap-
proach across various disciplines, including the arts, natural sciences, and so-
cialsciences.Theprimaryobjectivewasto explorehowstudentsperceivethe
integration of the STEAM model into higher education, the potential benefits
and challenges they identify, and the extent to which they consider this ap-
proach applicable in their future professional contexts. The focus was placed
on analysing attitudes, levels of awareness, and expectations related to the
integration of a transdisciplinary model into the educational system. Data
were collected through focus groups in order to obtain rich, contextually
grounded insights. The findings are intended to serve as a basis for future
educational reforms and to inform the development of teaching strategies
at the University of Banja Luka, with the aim of facilitating a more effective
integration of the STEAM approach into higher education.
The research was designed as an interplay between theoretical analysis
and empirical inquiry grounded in a qualitative paradigm. The method of
theoretical analysis and synthesis was employed to define the conceptual
foundationsofthestudyandto reviewexistingknowledgerelevant to there-
search problem, thereby providing the analytical framework for interpreting
the results. Empirical data were gathered through focus group discussions,
a method chosen for its suitability in illuminating complex issues related to
educational approaches and collective perception-building within academic
programmes. Focus groups were considered the most appropriate data col-

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