Fostering Intercultural Competence in Early Childhood Education through STEAM-based Learning

Abstract

This paper explores how STEAM-based learning can foster intercultural competence in early childhood education. It presents a qualitative descriptive analysis of the “Traveler in Europe” educational project, implemented between April and May 2026 with 25 children aged three to six in a mixed-age preschool group in Romania. Through culturally contextualized activities inspired by several European countries, children engaged in observation, experimentation, construction, artistic expression, storytelling, music, movement, and collaborative problem-solving. Systematic classroom observation focused on children’s curiosity towards cultural diversity, willingness to communicate, cooperation, recognition of cultural symbols, openness to unfamiliar practices, and connections between European cultures and their own cultural identity. The observations indicated that integrating cultural content into meaningful STEAM experiences created opportunities for active participation, dialogue, comparison, and respectful engagement with diversity. The paper argues that developmentally appropriate STEAM projects can provide a valuable educational context for initiating intercultural learning in the preschool years, without separating cultural education from children’s everyday play and exploration.