DCU STEAM family learning reaches 300 families with hubs across country
Over eight weeks, the evidence-backed Doodle STEAM programme takes schools and parents through the exciting topics of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths in a way that’s fun and engaging. The programme has so far reached over 300 families with plans to establish Doodle STEAM hubs across the country.
An independent evaluation of the programme found that:
- At the start of the programme, 71% of parents agreed that they were knowledgeable about STEAM, and this rose to 92% after the parents completed the programme.
- Among parents with lower secondary education, only 50% agreed at the start of the programme that they were knowledgeable about STEAM, and this rose to 100% post-programme, showing the value of Doodle STEAM for families with a history of low educational achievement.
- 6 months post programme, 53% of parents reported increasing the amount of STEAM activities they do at home with their children, and 53% of parents also reported using the Doodle STEAM parent handbook, mainly to review how to do activities taught during the programme.
Neil Haran who conducted the evaluation (2024) wrote:
"It is a difficult task to offer recommendations on the future direction of a programme which, to date, has demonstrated such positive outcomes and about which core stakeholders - parents/carers, children and Home School Completion Liaison officers – speak so glowingly. Simply put, evaluation evidence to date indicates that Doodle STEAM works in delivering its projected outcomes and in a manner that is both engaging and fun for all involved." (Neil Haran, 2024)
Dr Sinéad McNally who led the team of early childhood STEAM researchers at DCU Institute of Education commented on the findings from the evaluation:
‘Young children are naturally curious about the world around them and hands-on learning is hugely important for their future STEAM engagement. Children’s motivation to engage in science learning is an important predictor of attainment in science subjects, and parents play a central role in this as children’s first role models. It is really wonderful to see the positive experiences of parents who took part in the programme given their incredibly important role in young children’s early learning experiences outside of school.’
Nicola O’Reilly and Córa Gillic, both researchers at the DCU Institute of Education who specialise in early childhood STEAM learning and who collaborated to design the 8-week programme, were thrilled with the positive outcomes of the programme:
‘Knowing that families are directly benefitting from our work is so fulfilling, particularly where Doodle STEAM is reaching families and communities who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM school subjects and careers. Doodle STEAM’s national rollout is a testament to the programme’s quality and CDI’s commitment to improving educational opportunities for all children.’
‘To witness parental engagement with the programme guided by committed staff in DEIS schools was amazing and showed how such a programme can facilitate schools and communities to come together to enhance parents' and children’s understanding of STEAM subjects and relevant STEAM activity in the home learning environment. The proposed national roll-out of Doodle STEAM will ensure that more families and schools can collaboratively support young children’s engagement with STEAM activities, therefore supporting their future participation in STEAM education.’
Read the evidence underpinning the programme here.
Read the full evaluation here.