Impacts of an Engineering Design Curriculum on Middle School Student STEM Interest

Impacts of an Engineering Design Curriculum on Middle School Student STEM InterestJames P. Van HaneghanJessica M. HarlanUniversity of South Alabama

This material was partially supported by NSF Award DRL- 0918769. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

BackgroundEngaging Youth through Engineering (EYE)

Middle grades engineering design curriculumImplemented by math & science teachers

Can short term programs have long term impacts?

Most integrated STEM researchers focus on short term impacts

Research findings were complicatedAchievement and efficacy didn’t fully explain STEM career interest or attitudes about STEM

Levels of interest

Triggered situational interest

Maintained situational interest

Emerging individual interest

Well-developed individual interest

Hidi, S., & Renninger, K. A. (2006). The fours-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 111-127.

Significant outside support/action needed

Primarily internal motivation

Levels of interest

Triggered situational interest

Maintained situational interest

Emerging individual interest

Well-developed individual interest

Hidi, S., & Renninger, K. A. (2006). The fours-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 111-127.

What can be measured in short-term

Requires longer-term follow-up

Present Research304 8th grade students

53% girls, 47% boys48% African American/Other, 42% White, 10% Other65% participated for all 3 years of middle school

MeasuresStandardized state tests

Used 5th grade scores as a control when possible

Attitude measuresAdministered in 6th grade (pre-program) and 8th grade (post-program)

Math/Science Efficacy (α = .79)Technology/Engineering Efficacy (α = .73)Interest in Analysis/Problem Solving Jobs (α = .67)Confidence in 21st Century STEM skills (α = .90)EYE-Generated STEM interest (α = .81)

Math and Science Efficacy   Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

Variable BSE B β B

SE B β B

SE B β

5th grade Reading .003 .003 .11 .002 .003 .08 .003 .003 .125th grade Math .005 .002 .22* .004 .002 .18 .004 .002 .196th Math/Science Efficacy       .12 .22 .07 .14 .21 .076th Technology & Engineering Efficacy       -.23 .15 -.16 -.26 .14 -.186th Confidence in STEM Skills       .24 .10 .27* .19 .10 .21EYE-generated STEM interest             .22 .07 .28**

R2 .092 .157 .233F for change in R 5.89 4.20 5.66*p < .05 **p

= .001

Interest in Analysis/Problem Solving Jobs  Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

Variable BSE B β B

SE B β B

SE B β

5th grade Reading -.001 .003 -.04 -.00

1 .003 -.06 .000 .003 -.015th grade Math .003 .002 .12 .003 .002 .12 .003 .002 .1336th Math/Science Efficacy   -.14 .221 -.08 -.14 .21 -.086th Technology & Engineering Efficacy   .19 .16 .13 .21 .16 .156th Confidence in STEM Skills   .05 .11 .05 .000 .11 .0006th Analysis/Problem Solving job interest .11 .16 .07 -.06 .16 -.04EYE-generated STEM interest   .28 .07 .37**

R2 .011 .040 .156F for change in R 0.65 0.90 15.97

*p < .05 **p = .001

Career in Engineering

High Interest

Moderate Interest

Low Interest

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

YesNo/Don't know

Χ2 (2, N = 228) = 8.45, p = .015, φ = .19

What about dosage?

3 years

2 years

1 year

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Low InterestModerate InterestHigh Interest

Χ2 (4, N = 304) = 1.71, p = .788, φ = .08

Implications Is looking at immediate attitudes enough?

Do programs impact participants at different levels of interest in the same way?

How much do students take what they learn in school and use it elsewhere?

Next stepsValidation of the tool

Can students really isolate the cause of interest?

Can something like this be used across multiple programs (e.g., change program name)?

Questions?James Van Haneghanjvanhane@southalabama.edu