Impacts of maker technologies on classroom learning outcomes: A mixed methods explanatory study

Abstract

The integration of making activities in classrooms provides a crucial opportunity for all students to gain equitable participation access to learning activities. However, for making to be incorporated into more classrooms, teachers must be adequately prepared with relevant knowledge and skills. This study is the first to compare the science learning outcomes associated with making to those stemming from standard learning curricula and experiences within a classroom setting. We examine the learning outcomes of 219 students across multiple sections of one teacher’s 9th-grade science classes. While five sections of students were taught using the school’s standard learning curriculum, four sections of students engaged in an integrated maker curriculum. A mixed methods approach offers a comprehensive look at the affordances and limitations of maker-based classroom science instruction by coupling student science learning outcomes with student and teacher reflections on instruction and learning. Findings indicate that students had better learning outcomes in science class when learning occurred through maker technologies than the school’s standard learning curriculum.