Pre-service Teacher Conceptions of Integrated STEM Using the Engineering Design Approach

In this study, we sought to examine the influence of a 12 week design-based elective Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) course on pre-service chemistry teachers’ content knowledge, STEM conceptions, and engineering and engineering design views. To attain the goals determined, we utilized five STEM activities starting with a daily-life problem and an iterative engineering design process to solve the problem. A chemistry test with 11 two-tier items, and interviews focusing on STEM and engineering conceptions were administered at the beginning and at the end of the course. Moreover, a reflection paper was collected after each activity. Eight junior pre-service chemistry teachers participated in the study voluntarily. Deductive and inductive data analyses were used to investigate the influence of the course on participants’ content knowledge, STEM conceptions, and engineering and engineering design views. The results revealed that the design-based STEM course helped pre-service teachers deepen their content knowledge. Additionally, most of the participants defined integrated STEM education as an acronym (n= 6) and very few mentioned the interdisciplinary dimension of STEM education superficially at the beginning (n= 3). At the end, they mentioned interdisciplinary nature as connecting at least two dimensions of STEM, and they emphasized engaging in real-world problems, designing a product or process and inquiry-based and/or problem-based learning. Regarding engineering and engineering design views, a similar development was observed. Although their views were undeveloped or underdeveloped at the beginning, they enriched their views and mentioned defining criteria, creativity and integration to science and mathematics that are characteristics of engineering and design processes. Implications for including STEM courses in pre-service teacher education programs were provided.

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The Influence of Physical Examples on Originality and Fixation in Engineering Design

Volume 7: 30th International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology ◽

10.1115/detc2018-85396 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christopher C. Simmons ◽

Trina C. Kershaw ◽

Alexander LeGendre ◽

Sankha Bhowmick

Keyword(s):

Engineering Design ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Mechanical Engineering ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Garbage Collection ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Design Approach ◽

Engineering Program ◽

The Relationship

Improving creativity in engineering design continues to be a challenge. The relationship between fixation and creativity within engineering is mixed, as engineers desire to be innovative, yet are usually working from their existing knowledge to redesign existing products. In the current study, we wanted to examine the influence of physical examples on originality and fixation at the freshmen and senior level in a Mechanical Engineering program. We compared concepts for garbage collection systems generated by two groups — one provided with an example product (Example group), and another who did not receive an example product (No Example group). Using metrics established in prior publications, we found that seniors had higher levels of originality than freshmen whether an example product was received or not, reinforcing our previous findings. Fixation scores were higher for the group that did have an example. Receiving an example product was not a predictor of originality on its own, but did interact with curriculum and fixation level. Within the group that received an example product, there was a negative relationship between fixation and originality, particularly for the seniors. Within the group that did not receive an example product, there was no significant relationship between fixation and originality. Further analysis of our results are required to delineate how not receiving an example product influences design approach in freshmen and senior engineering students.

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An engineering design approach to systems biology

Integrative Biology ◽

10.1039/c7ib00014f ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 574-583 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Kevin A. Janes ◽

Preethi L. Chandran ◽

Roseanne M. Ford ◽

Matthew J. Lazzara ◽

Jason A. Papin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systems Biology ◽

Engineering Design ◽

Predictive Models ◽

Educational Philosophy ◽

Design Approach ◽

Engineering Approach

An engineering approach to systems biology applies educational philosophy, engineering design, and predictive models to solve contemporary problems in biomedicine.

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Reducing Fragmentation in University Pre-Service Teacher Education

EDeR. Educational Design Research ◽

10.15460/eder.5.2.1613 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Erik Hanke ◽

Stefanie Hehner ◽

Angelika Bikner-Ahsbahs

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Subject Matter ◽

Design Principle ◽

Design Research ◽

Teaching Practice ◽

Design Approach ◽

Boundary Crossing ◽

Pre Service Teacher Education ◽

Subject Matter Didactics ◽

Pre Service Teacher

We report insights from a design research study in higher education that aims at overcoming pre-service teachers’ experiences of fragmentation in their educational programmes. The design approach started from the assumption that fragmentation could be reduced by initiating and conducting boundary crossing between practices in subject matter and subject matter didactics courses at university. Following this assumption, the design principle of boundary crossing by design(ing) for interlinking subject matter and subject matter didactics (domain-specific pedagogy) was implemented in two subjects in pre-service teacher education at university, one in mathematics and one in English language teaching. The linking between subject matter and subject matter didactics we strive for is two-fold: On the one hand, it requires curricular and organisational dovetailing of the courses involved (boundary crossing by design); on the other hand, it requires a study space where students are urged to try to interlink the courses’ contents in their thinking and acting (boundary crossing by designing). Following this design principle, a nested design approach is developed in which students’ designs of teaching practice is interlocked with the design of courses at university level. In this paper, we illustrate two kinds of findings by empirical examples: a conditional model for the intertwined realisation of the two types of linking, and interlinking strategies as heuristics for the pre-service teachers’ thinking and acting.

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Intersections of Integrated STEM and Socio-Scientific Issues

Socioscientific Issues-Based Instruction for Scientific Literacy Development - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4558-4.ch009 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 256-278

Author(s):

Gillian Roehrig ◽

Khomson Keratithamkul ◽

Benny Mart R. Hiwatig

Keyword(s):

Engineering Design ◽

Poverty Reduction ◽

Policy Documents ◽

Social Thinking ◽

Integrated Stem ◽

Stem Instruction ◽

Stem Literacy ◽

Stem Workforce ◽

Primary Focus ◽

K 12

Current policy documents across the world call for changes in K-12 science teaching to use integrated STEM strategies to provide a more authentic learning environment for students. Though the importance of integrated STEM education is established through national and international policy documents, there remains disagreement on focus, models, and effective approaches for integrated STEM instruction. A primary focus of STEM policies is addressing STEM workforce issues. However, other important foci for global STEM initiatives are more equitable education, poverty reduction, and increased STEM literacy and awareness. This chapter critiques current implementations of STEM as focused only on technical aspects of engineering design which will not meet any of the goals of integrated STEM. Rather, the authors propose that integration of SSI into STEM lessons will promote the social thinking necessary in engineering design and enhance work toward achieving not only STEM workforce preparation, but also increased STEM literacy and equity within STEM.

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