‘‘Can I drop it this time?’’ Gender and Collaborative Group Dynamics in an Engineering Design-Based Afterschool Program

Abstract

The 21st century has brought an increasing demand for expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although strides have been made towards increasing gender diversity in several of these disciplines, engineering remains primarily male dominated. In response, the U.S. educational system has attempted to make engineering curriculum more engaging, informative, and welcoming to girls. Specifically, project-based and design-based learning pedagogies promise to make engineering interesting and accessible for girls while enculturating them into the world of engineering and scientific inquiry. Outcomes for girls learning in these contexts have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to explore how cultural gender norms are navigated within informal K-12 engineering contexts. We analyzed video of single-and mixed-gender collaborative groups participating in Studio STEM, a design-based, environmentally themed afterschool program that took place in a rural community. Discourse analysis was used to interpret interactional styles within and across groups. Discrepancies were found regarding functional and cultural characteristics of groups based on gender composition. Singlegender groups adhered more closely to social gender norms. For example, the boys group was characterized by overt hierarchies, whereas the girls group outwardly displayed solidarity and collaboration. In contrast, characteristics of interactional styles within mixed gender groups strayed from social gender norms, and stylistic differences across group types were greater for girls than for boys. Learning outcomes indicated that girls learned more in mixed-gender groups. Our results support the use of mixed-gender collaborative learning groups in engineering education yet uncover several challenges. We close with a discussion of implications for practitioners.

“I just do what the boys tell me”: Exploring small group student interactions in an integrated STEM unit

“…For example, in a study of student behaviors in science classrooms, Jovanovic and King () found that boys were significantly more likely to engage in active leadership and manipulation of materials, doing things like directing others, explaining, and manipulating materials; in contrast, girls' participation often focuses on passive assistance and note taking (Jovanovic & King, ; Mewborn, ) or building relationships with others and following directions (Jones et al, ). These patterns result in girls participating to a lesser degree in small group activities (e.g., Hansen, Walker, & Flom, ), while boys actively lead the group (Jovanovic & King, ; Mewborn, ), control the activities and materials (Kahle, Parker, Rennie, & Riley, ; Patrick & Yoon, ), and dominate conversation (Schnittka & Schnittka, ; Smith‐Lovin & Brody, ). Similar findings of male domination of conversation and activity are also seen in undergraduate engineering group activities.…”

Research Evidence of the Impact of Engineering Design on Technology and Engineering Education Students

“…Wilson-Lopez et al found that the students' "familial, community, and recreational funds of knowledge" were connected to their understanding and approach to engineering design (p. 278). Schnittka and Schnittka's (2016) study explored "how cultural gender norms are navigated within informal K-12 engineering contexts . .…”

Participation in Small Group Engineering Design Activities at the Middle School Level: An Investigation of Gender Differences

“…Investigations of small group interactions in engineering tend to focus on the undergraduate level [25], [26]. Schnittka and Schnittka [27] explored small group gender dynamics in a design-based afterschool program for middle school students; however, their work was in a rural, primarily White setting, included cooperative group roles within self-selected groups, and has not yet been extended to formal middle school classroom instruction of engineering-based integrated STEM. Compulsory coursework driven by a teacher's need to address specific academic standards in science and associated with grades for students is likely to create a different environment for student interactions than elective, non-graded, informal experiences.…”

“…In mixed-gender groups of fourth-and fifth-graders, boys were seen to have better ideas and be team leaders [74], often dominating the small group activities and handling of equipment [75], [76]. In addition to boys' control of the physical materials in their small groups, researchers have found that middle school boys also dominated speech in terms of both frequency and volume [27]. This pattern continues into college, when men are more likely to interrupt the women in their small group than they are to interrupt other men [77].…”