Abstract:Background
Learning to be an engineer means learning to participate in engineering discourse: the words, visuals, routines, and narratives through which engineers think and communicate. An important goal for engineering education is uncovering the processes by which young people take up and become fluent in engineering discourse, and how teachers and mentors can aid them in this process. Growing evidence suggests that participation in out‐of‐school maker activities—a class of informal design and build activiti… Show more
“…This work is consistent with evidence that participation in co-curricular activities during high school increases the likelihood of pursuing higher education (Hossler and Stage 1992;Stage and Hossler 1989). In one recent study, Martin and Betser (2020) involved students in maker space (design and build) projects and found that this was effective means of stimulating student interest and skill in engineering design. The authors show that maker spaces can serve as a context for discourse around engineering education "including explorative imitation of engineering discourse routines within hands-on learning environments" (p. 194).…”
For this study, set in the Newfoundland Labrador context, we surveyed 151 undergraduate engineering students on demographic, social, economic, family, schoolbased, and personal influences relating to their decision to pursue an undergraduate engineering degree. Following Bourdieuan theoretical framework, we offer qualitative analysis of quantitative survey data. Findings show that students who pursue engineering as a field of study are primarily males, from high-income, well-educated families, and whose educational expenses are underwritten by parents or other family members. Students from lower-income families and female students were substantially underrepresented in our sample. Respondent decisions were mainly influenced by personal factors (e.g., aptitude, personal desire to work in the field), earnings potential, social value/status of engineering as an occupation, academic focus/success in STEM subjects, parental pressure to be academically competitive, and parental advice/encouragement. We argue that there is a pressing need to increase opportunities to make engineering and applied science degree programs more accessible for underrepresented groups. At the policy level, efforts should be focused on providing targeted financial support (scholarships, awards, living allowances, and other incentives) for students from low-income families and young women, coupled with improving career counseling capacity and authentic STEM experiences in schools. We also identify several areas for further research.
“…This work is consistent with evidence that participation in co-curricular activities during high school increases the likelihood of pursuing higher education (Hossler and Stage 1992;Stage and Hossler 1989). In one recent study, Martin and Betser (2020) involved students in maker space (design and build) projects and found that this was effective means of stimulating student interest and skill in engineering design. The authors show that maker spaces can serve as a context for discourse around engineering education "including explorative imitation of engineering discourse routines within hands-on learning environments" (p. 194).…”
For this study, set in the Newfoundland Labrador context, we surveyed 151 undergraduate engineering students on demographic, social, economic, family, schoolbased, and personal influences relating to their decision to pursue an undergraduate engineering degree. Following Bourdieuan theoretical framework, we offer qualitative analysis of quantitative survey data. Findings show that students who pursue engineering as a field of study are primarily males, from high-income, well-educated families, and whose educational expenses are underwritten by parents or other family members. Students from lower-income families and female students were substantially underrepresented in our sample. Respondent decisions were mainly influenced by personal factors (e.g., aptitude, personal desire to work in the field), earnings potential, social value/status of engineering as an occupation, academic focus/success in STEM subjects, parental pressure to be academically competitive, and parental advice/encouragement. We argue that there is a pressing need to increase opportunities to make engineering and applied science degree programs more accessible for underrepresented groups. At the policy level, efforts should be focused on providing targeted financial support (scholarships, awards, living allowances, and other incentives) for students from low-income families and young women, coupled with improving career counseling capacity and authentic STEM experiences in schools. We also identify several areas for further research.
“…Lots of new teaching technologies have been developed so far to tackle this problem. Learning through making, imitation of real life discourse is considered in the world pedagogy as the most successful alternative to traditional methods (Bitrian et al, 2020;Martin & Betser, 2020;Meij van der et al, 2020). Role play is one of the methods of teaching in team-based learning, proposed by American and Russian teachers: Johnson and Johnson (1999), Polat et al (2002).…”
Section: Introduction Of New Innovative Methods Of Teaching In Professional Training Is Closely Connectedmentioning
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“…This example highlights how meaning can be shifted from the syntax of formalized knowledge to the embodiment of student‐designed engineering products. Martin and Betser's (2020) study of how youth in maker spaces developed engineering discourses highlighted the relationship between language and materials. Their analysis:shows how the hands‐on, open‐ended, and youth‐driven nature of an activity was linked to the processes of learning.…”
Section: Asset‐based Approaches For Engineering Education With Elsmentioning
In this position paper, we draw from previous research and theoretical developments in the field to propose a set of affordances of engineering with English learners (ELs). Students learning both the language of instruction (e.g., English) and academic subject matter (e.g., engineering, mathematics, science) face the challenge of making sense of linguistically complex terminology of disciplinary knowledge. We posit that engineering provides a unique set of benefits for such learners due to a number of factors associated with the discipline of engineering, including the materiality of the knowledge, the potential for multimodal communication, and the contextualization of knowledge in specific task‐oriented activities. We also recognize that engineering benefits from participation by diverse learners including ELs as solutions are strengthened by a multitude of ideas and perspectives. Although this paper focuses on ELs, we recognize that such affordances are also valuable for all students, including native English speakers, and that they may be particularly important for students who may benefit from additional linguistic supports for developing academic literacies. We identify the affordances, anchoring them in elementary classroom experiences and teacher testimonials, and propose a research agenda for future study.
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