Clark, R., & Andrews, J. (2014, June), Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents.  Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--23197

\bibitem{asee_peer_23197}
  Clark, R., \& Andrews, J. (2014, June), \emph{Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents.}
  Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana.
  10.18260/1-2--23197

Robin Clark P.E. and Jane Andrews.  "Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents.".  2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2014.  https://peer.asee.org/23197 Internet.  19 Dec, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_23197}
  Robin Clark P.E. and Jane Andrews.
  "Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents.".
  \emph{2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2014, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2014.
  https://peer.asee.org/23197 Internet.  19 Dec, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_23197
author = "Robin Clark P.E. and Jane Andrews"
title = "Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents."
booktitle = "2014 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2014"
month = "June"
address = "Indianapolis, Indiana"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/23197}
number = {10.18260/1-2--23197}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -  Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging                    Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents.Grounded in the findings of a three year exploratory study whereby teachers’ andpolicy makers’ perceptions of elementary level engineering education were analysed,and in which a participatory approach was adopted to analyse children’s attitudestowards extra-curricular engineering activities, this paper sets out to explore the issuesaround introducing and then embedding engineering into the elementary schoolcurriculum from kindergarten through to high school. It critiques the current UKelementary school curriculum (from which engineering is totally absent and appliedscience is only superficially covered) and argues that the inclusion of engineering as afoundational level subject could not only enhance children’s learning experiences, butcould also ignite their ‘engineering imaginations’ thereby unlocking potential which iscurrently left mostly untapped.Focusing on three strands of engineering education activity, pedagogy, practice andpolicy, the paper discusses the challenges faced within the UK to introducingengineering at elementary level. Looking closely at extra-curricular engineeringactivities, the discussion considers the ‘added value’ that appropriately developedengineering education activities can offer in the classroom arguing that the disciplinecan reach across the curriculum offering context and depth in many different areas. Itconsiders how, through raising children’s awareness by offering exciting yetpedagogically sound practical engineering activities, the subject can bring othersubjects including maths, science, history and literacy to life.Grounded in the study findings, the paper argues that whilst Engineering has alwaysbeen a ‘frontier’ discipline, the issues currently faced in introducing the subject atelementary level within the UK are unprecedented. By challenging societal norms interms of elementary education and the expectation that young children need to learnin an environment that concentrates on the “3 Rs” (reading, writing and arithmetic),the paper throws ‘the gauntlet’ to teachers, policy makers and parents compellingthem to look closely at how formative education is currently structured within the UK.Proposing a ‘working’ Model of Elementary Engineering Education, the paper arguesthat the introduction of foundational engineering education can provide a realalternative to current educational practice and a new “Educational Frontier” forged.
AU  - Robin Clark P.E.
AU  - Jane Andrews
CY  - Indianapolis, Indiana
DA  - 2014/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Time for Action? Elementary Engineering Education – Challenging Teachers, Policy Makers and Parents.
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/23197
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--23197
ER  -