Engineering in early education provides the foundation for the future of innovation.
Reinforcing learning and engineering habits of mind (HoM) at an early age is crucial for
expanding students’ higher order thinking, potential for lifelong learning, and sense of agency in their learning experiences. HoM is defined as a set of learned or internalized dispositions that inform an individual's behaviors when confronted with challenges. This study addressed two research questions: (1) Which HoM were articulated by children as they reflected upon their participation in a home-based engineering program? (2) What patterns of the children’s
vocabulary align with the HoM framework? Observational methods were used to examine young children’s reflections upon the process of completing low-stakes engineering projects in their home. The participants were 23 children ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. After they engaged in the ill-structured engineering tasks with family members at home, children joined an online show-and-tell meeting to show their prototype to others while answering various questions about their processes, frustrations, and successes. Findings revealed
“Resourcefulness,” “Adapting/Improving,” and “Systems Thinking” as the most common HoM
expressed by children through the show-and-tell meetings. Additional analysis also highlighted how children's articulation of learning and engineering habits of mind were logical (i.e.,
analytical), confident (i.e., clout), and impersonal. Moreover, children’s words were product oriented, predominantly focusing on the materials and tools utilized to create their prototype. The significance of this study highlights how engaging in hands-on engineering projects in the home has the potential to develop children’s dispositions and ways of thinking common to engineers.
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Children’s identity conception in engineering activities in the home environment.
The purpose of this study was to examine identity formation in young learners through
engineering education. This was sought by means of understanding children’s perception of their identity as an engineer after engaging in engineering design processes and practices in their home environments. The methodology for data collection was through post-program participation interviews with children. The interviews were conducted with thirteen children between the ages of five and ten, who completed at least four researcher-developed engineering tasks in their home environments with a member of their family, typically a caregiver. The time engaged in each kit ranged from approximately 30 minutes to 3 hours. The interview questions revolved around how these children viewed engineers, and engineering, as well as how they viewed themselves and how the program changed their views and interests. The results suggest that participation in an engineering program in home environments has changed these children’s sense of identity in a variety of ways; how they viewed their ability to carry out engineering activities, their potential career trajectories, how they viewed engineering as a field, and how the program affected their interactions with their family. The significance of this study points to the benefits of introducing engineering tasks with children at a young age.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1759314
- PAR ID:
- 10441046
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- American Society for Engineering Education
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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