Meeting the challenges first year engineering graphic design pre-service teachers encounter when they read and interpret assembly drawing

Abstract

In this qualitative study, we explored the challenges first year engineering graphics and design (EGD) pre-service teachers (PSTs) encounter when they read and interpret assembly drawings (ADs). Vygotsky's zone of proximal development framed this study. Purposive sampling was used to generate data from twenty-one first year EGD PSTs using a think-aloud task and individual semi-structured interviews. We subjected the data to content analysis. The findings reveal that first year EGD PSTs, when they attempt to read and interpret ADs, encounter five challenges that have implications for the teaching of EGD with regard to scaffolding the development of spatial visual ability in first year EGD PSTs.