Abstract
There is a demand for more STEM professionals. Early elementary students’ conceptions about engineering can influence whether or not they explore STEM career paths and ultimately select an engineering career. This study examined the conceptions elementary students have regarding the work that engineers perform. The research questions were the following: (1) what images do early elementary students associate with engineering and engineers, (2) do these associations vary from grade to grade, (3) are there gendered differences in these associations, and (4) how do the associations from this sample compare with the associations from the broader (grades one–five) Cunningham, Lachapelle, and Lindgren-Steider (2005) sample? Survey data from 1811 students in grades one–three were analyzed by comparison analysis and cluster analysis and then compared to the initial Cunningham et al. (2005) study. The results indicate two ways elementary students envision engineering: (a) creating designs or collecting and analyzing data, and (b) utilizing equipment to build and improve things. Comparison with the Cunningham et al. (2005) study suggests that there may be shifts in the way elementary students perceive engineering. Since these shifts could be attributed to a variety of factors, future work that determines what learning experiences might be contributing to students’ conceptions about engineering is recommended.
Highlights
In order to meet the demands of a growing STEM workforce in the United States the National Research Council [1] has called for improvements in K–12 STEM education
Four research questions guided the work: (1) what images do early elementary students associate with engineering and engineers, (2) do these associations vary from grade to grade, (3) are there gendered differences in these associations, and (4) how do the associations from this sample compare with the associations from the broader Cunningham et al [29] sample?
To answer the first research question regarding which images early elementary students associate with engineering and engineers, the survey data from the entire sample were analyzed via two methods: comparison analysis and cluster analysis
Summary
In order to meet the demands of a growing STEM workforce in the United States the National Research Council [1] has called for improvements in K–12 STEM education. Many students do not consider engineering a possibility because they have had little to no exposure to the subject in their K–12 education [3]. The literature indicates that oftentimes students have a limited understanding of engineering and the work that engineers do [4]. Many students believe that work done by engineers is sedentary, computer-based, and done in isolation [7], which is not always accurate. Some researchers argue that a child’s early attitudes towards engineering are critical in developing a propensity toward engineering education [8]. A child’s conception of engineering and the type of work that engineers do are believed to play a critical role in the decision to pursue or not pursue an engineering career [8]
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