In early childhood education, the integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are advocated as contemporary educational goals. However, integration of STEAM is not defined in the early childhood context. We claim to ‘integrate’ and ‘devise integration pedagogies’, but there is still no clear-cut message on what integration means and how to do it. This paper presents an integrative literature review to conceptualize the integration of STEAM practices in early childhood education. The review highlighted key factors and challenges relating to STEAM integration. The paper concludes with the development of the integrating and navigating STEAM (inSTEAM) conceptual framework derived from the concepts, empirical research, and theories explored in the integrative review of the 17 articles.

It is critical that teachers are equipped with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills and knowledge as we move into a digital future. By integrating STEM into early childhood education, we can provide young children with invaluable opportunities to build their scientific knowledge from the very start, setting them up for success in their later STEM educational journeys. However, many educators within early childhood settings find it challenging to create engaging STEM-based activities for young children. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of information on how teacher educators can support preservice teachers in developing their STEM competence. This study examined the perspectives of early childhood preservice teachers (PSTs) regarding their confidence and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in integrating STEM into their teaching practice. Utilising a qualitative multi-case study approach, semi-structured interviews with 11 PSTs and a document analysis of their assignment tasks and teaching artefacts were conducted to deepen our understanding of PCK skills. Data were analysed using Bryman’s thematic analysis, revealing key themes through a narrative analysis of PSTs’ responses. Several crucial themes emerged, with PSTs acknowledging that embedding STEM content into both theoretical classwork and practical placement significantly enhanced their content knowledge and confidence when teaching STEM in early childhood settings. It is essential for future research to explore and expand university–preschool partnerships to create immersive STEM experiences that benefit preservice teachers and future in-service teachers in this field.

This study investigate the Malaysian early childhood practitioners’ science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) integrating understanding and practices. Several research studies continuously report that the learners’ interest and motivation in STEAM are declining worldwide, and this reflects the current reality of the shortage of STEAM leaders and experts in the workforce. One of the primary purposes of STEAM learning in the classroom is to enhance the learning process and outcomes to prepare young children for a future STEAM-focused career. A qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews and classroom observations was employed to deeply understand the participants’ practices on Malaysian early childhood STEAM integration. This study adopted the ground-up approach of the constructivist paradigm. This study interviewed 15 early childhood practitioners (including one center director) in several small groups from early childhood centers in the Metropolitan area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The findings showed how practitioners utilize their understanding and translate this into an integrated STEAM enactment. This study focused on practice-based inputs, where the practitioners also attempted to teach a makerspace lesson that focused on designing and constructing STEAM solutions. Using thematic analysis and coding of the practitioners’ inputs and discussions, five themes arose from the analysis of the interviews. ‘Character building STEAM educators’, ‘locus of control’, ‘risk-taking as part of STEAM learning’, ‘differentiating in STEAM lesson’ and ‘where interest-based learning fit in the local Malaysian curriculum’ were factors that impacted the participants’ drive and actions to integrate STEAM and makerspace. The findings informs other early childhood practitioners understanding and STEAM integration practices. Future study may include a continuous investigation to support early childhood practitioners to facilitate and deliver STEAM integration both inclusively and sustainably.

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) resources and robotics tools in education is considered vital for interdisciplinary fields to enhance the quality of the teaching and learning process. It also helps transform assessment techniques and revolutionize the whole pedagogical setting of science teacher education, in particular, AI and robotics integration in the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects’ courses at the primary level. In this study, a scoping review was conducted involving seventeen peer-reviewed research papers published from 2021 to 2025. Efforts are being made to find the current perceptions and practices of preservice teachers (PSTs) at the primary level (Years 1–6; ages 6–12 in the Australian context) regarding the use of AI and robotics resources, for example, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), foundational robotics and AI-driven robotics in teaching STEM subjects. Findings indicate that there was a significant gap in primary PSTs’ perspectives regarding their pedagogical practices to integrate STEM. As such, this influences future teachers’ knowledge, understanding, AI acceptance, and attitude toward the integration of smart AI and robotics resources in STEM classrooms. Policymakers and teachers’ education providers should align advanced technological AI resources and robotics applications with STEM curriculum guidelines and preservice teachers’ professional training programs within primary school education.