The Impact of Engineering Design-based Activities on Eighth-Grade Students' Environmental Awareness and Entrepreneurial Perceptions and Skills

Abstract

This study examined the impact of engineering design-based, thematic activities on 8th-grade students’ environmental awareness and entrepreneurial perceptions and skills. The engineering activities were designed to introduce topics and issues that are tied to energy conversion and environmental science. Thirty-seven students (21 girls, 16 boys) completed the activities and participated in the one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The data were gathered using the Environmental Awareness Scale (EAS), Entrepreneurial Perception Scale (EPS), and student worksheets and artifacts. Entrepreneurial skills were assessed using the Entrepreneurial Skills Checklist (ESC). Descriptive statistics and paired-samples T-test were conducted for data analyses. Results showed a significant difference between students’ pre-test and post-test scores of the EAS and EPS which indicated that the engineering design-based activities greatly impacted the eighth-grade students' environmental awareness and entrepreneurship perceptions. These activities also contributed to the development of students' entrepreneurship skills such creativity, critical thinking, self-confidence, social skills and group work, leadership, decision-making, and risk-taking. This study offers insight into engineering design-based activities and promotes the development of students’ environmental awareness and entrepreneurial perceptions and skills in the middle school science classroom.