Global Competency Integration in STEAM Fields in Higher Education

Abstract

The concept of Global Competency (GC) has a growing presence in many collegiate mission statements in the United States. This interconnected, multidisciplinary approach coincides with that of the concept of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. The focus of this study was to identify what extent GC is present in the classrooms and curriculums, as well as the implementation methods higher education instructors observe and / or utilize in their STEAM field programs. The participants in this study were STEAM-field instructors at higher education institutions in the United States in which GC or an equivalent term is located in their mission or strategic plan. Seventy-six instructors from the midwestern United States completed a survey to generate a GC integration score, and 13 of those also participated in an interview. The quantitative analysis identified a statistically significant difference between the integration scores of Arts and Science instructors and Arts and Engineering instructors. Qualitative analysis identified curriculum and instruction-based strategies of successful integration, common barriers to integration, and the sentiment that integration varies greatly from a regional and sometimes institution-wide setting. The findings of this study can help standardize the concept and integration of GC in higher education as well as provide curriculum developers and administrators with a look at how GC is represented in the current climate of higher education.