Examining Grade 11 students’ existing ideas of engineering design process of fluid and Bernoulli’s principle through Predict-Observe-Explain (POE)

Abstract

This study aimed to examine Grade 11 students’ existing ideas of the engineering design process on the problem based on fluid and Bernoulli’s principle unit through predict-observe-explain (POE). To promote high school students’ engineering literacy. Participants included 36 Grade 11 students who were studying in Khon Kaen University Demonstration Secondary School (suksasart), organized into 7 groups. Methodology regarded interpretive paradigm. The Hynes et.al. (2011) framework of the engineering design process (EDP) was applied as the reference of students’ existing ideas of the engineering design process (EDP) consists of 9 steps including 1) identify need or problem, 2) research need or problem, 3) develop possible solutions, 4) select the best possible solution, 5) construct a prototype, 6) test and evaluate solution, 7) communicate the solution, 8) redesign and 9) completion decision. The question to start with “how the airplane can fly in the air” was the main problem, provided students to design possible solutions. The findings indicated that students cooperative learning to apply Bernoulli’s principles to solve the problem was interpreted to clarify students’ existing ideas of the engineering design process. The paper may have implications for STEM education teaching and learning.