Integration of Maker Education in STEAM: A Systematic Literature Review

Background/purpose. There is increasing interest in incorporating maker culture into primary and secondary education to foster student competencies beyond academic achievement and prepare students for 21st-century challenges. This systematic literature review examines the implementation of maker education in formal educational contexts, focusing on its benefits for students. The study addresses three objectives: (1) to analyze the terminology used to describe maker-based interventions; (2) to identify the variables, assessment instruments, and results reported; and (3) to synthesize best practices for implementation in formal education.

Materials/methods. Following PRISMA guidelines, 25 articles published between 2013 and 2023 were selected from the Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and Dialnet databases.

Results. The most frequently reported outcomes include increases in student motivation, self-efficacy, and socioemotional development. A variety of instruments are used to assess these interventions, though few studies explicitly evaluate content knowledge. “Maker education” is the most used term to describe these practices, although terminology across studies remains diverse. The review also highlights a range of best practices, including collaborative learning, hands-on activities, inclusive materials, pedagogical integration, and formative feedback.

Conclusion. Overall, the findings suggest that maker education has strong potential to enrich STEAM-based, student-centered learning in formal education. By fostering creativity, critical thinking, and active participation, it provides teachers with innovative pedagogical strategies to design meaningful, inclusive, and motivating learning experiences.

Keywords: Maker education, literature review, STEAM, Educational innovation, formal education

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