Characterization of ETHNOSTEAM: Regarding the concept from the Huellas de Calloto Indigenous Reserve Perspective

Abstract

Abstract In the context of the indigenous communities of Cauca, Colombia, the importance of promoting pedagogical approaches that value and respect culture and traditional practices has been recognized by policymakers. In this respect, the integration of various key concepts is considered to be essential, namely sustainability, science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in indigenous cultures (ETHNOSTEAM). Through observation and interviews with elders of the community of the Huellas de Caloto reserve, the terms science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics from the ethno perspective are analyzed in the elaboration of some artifacts. The ETHNOSTEAM approach arises from the motivation to promote the learning of STEAM subjects through the integration of the culture of differentiated minority. This implies integrating traditional knowledge related to cosmovision, nature, architecture, and other areas, as a potentially useful starting point to teach in the classroom in a contextualized manner. The article presents, develops, and characterizes the notion of ETHNOSTEAM as a nascent pedagogical proposal. The goal is to explore how the integration of culture and STEAM approaches in indigenous communities can enhance mathematical thinking, teaching, and learning of mathematics and other sciences in problem solving, especially in diverse cultural contexts, such as the indigenous communities of Cauca, Colombia. The article addresses the way in which science, technology, art, and mathematics are made visible in indigenous practices.