Developing Habits of Mind through Family Engineering at Home

Jubie Tan; Amber Simpson; Peter N. Knox; Sawsan Werfelli; Adam Maltese

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE) Technical Session 6: Engineering in the Home
Tagged Division: Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)
Page Count: 18
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43081
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/43081
Download Count: 169

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Paper Authors

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Jubie Tan State University of New York at Binghamton

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Jubie is an undergraduate researcher and leader at Binghamton University. She is enthusiastic about improving learning and working environments around the world. On campus, Jubie serves as President of Active Minds Binghamton, a chapter of the national nonprofit dedicated to mental health education and advocacy. Outside the classroom, she enjoys filmmaking, dancing, and hiking. Her research interests include self-regulation, intercultural communication, virtual teams, and organizational development.

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Amber Simpson State University of New York at Binghamton orcid.org/0000-0001-5467-4885

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Amber Simpson is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the Teaching, Leaming and Educational Leadership Department at Binghamton University. Her research interests include (1) examining individual's identity(ies) in one or more STEM disciplines, (2) understanding the role of making a.11d tinkering in formal and informal learning environments, and (3) investigating family engagement in and interactions around STEM-related activities. Before joining BU, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Indiana University-Bloomington. She earned a Ph.D. in mathematics education from Clemson University.

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Peter N. Knox University of Vermont

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Dr. Peter Knox is a postdoctoral associate with Project CORE at the University of Vermont. His areas of interest and research include family engagement, social/familial capital, public education/school policy, school-community partnerships, and community-based organization involvement in schools, as well as equity/social justice in education. Originally from Montana, he has a strong interest in and experience working with and in rural, under-resourced communities and with policy implementation and evaluation methods using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods data collection and analysis.

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Sawsan Werfelli State University of New York at Binghamton

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Sawsan Werfelli received her undergraduate degree in English from Tripoli University, Libya and her Master’s degree in Linguistics as a Fulbright scholar from Florida International University. She decided on pursuing her EdD after having worked in the field of education for 8 years. She is interested in social justice issues and inclusivity of education.

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Adam Maltese Indiana University-Bloomington orcid.org/0000-0001-8422-9395

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Professor of Science Education

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Abstract

Engineering in early education provides the foundation for the future of innovation. Reinforcing Habits of Mind (HoM) at an early age is crucial for expanding students’ higher order thinking, potential for lifelong learning, and sense of agency in their learning experiences. HoM is defined as a set of dispositions that describe how people successfully deal with unexpected life events, and can be applied to various disciplines such as engineering.

This study addressed two research questions: (1) Which HoM were articulated by children as they reflected upon their participation in a home-based engineering program? (2) What patterns of the children’s vocabulary align with the HoM framework? An exploratory mixed-methods design was used to examine young students’ reflections upon the process of completing low-stakes engineering projects in their home.

The participants were 29 children ranging from second grade to sixth grade. The children and their families were part of a larger program in which they received researcher-developed engineering kits that supported their engagement in the engineering design process in their home environment. After they engaged in the ill-structured engineering task with family members at home, children joined an online show-and-tell meeting to show their prototype to others while answering various questions about their processes, frustrations, and successes. Example questions include (a) “Tell us about a time you felt like an engineer” and (b) “Find something that represents how you felt when working with someone in your family.” Some children only joined one show-and-tell while others attended six show-and-tells.

To answer the first research question, two researchers independently watched and collectively discussed 13 hour-long video recordings. After the children’s dialogues were transcribed across videos, quotes were categorized using a framework that includes Learning Habits of Mind and Engineering Habits of Mind. This study also accounted for aesthetic considerations and signs of empathy, which were not specified in the original framework. To answer the second research question, the transcripts were analyzed within Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a validated text analysis tool that analyzes over 100 dimensions of text.

Initial findings revealed “Resourcefulness,” “Adapting/Improving,” and “Systems Thinking” as the most common Habits of Mind expressed by children through the show-and-tell meetings. The LIWC analysis highlighted how children's articulation of Learning and Engineering Habits of Mind were logical (i.e., analytical), confident (i.e., clout), and impersonal. Moreover, children’s words were product-oriented, predominantly focusing on the materials and tools utilized to create their prototype. Few words centered on the emotional experience and cognitive proactivity of completing the projects.

The significance of this study highlights how engaging in hands-on engineering projects in the home has the potential to develop children’s dispositions and ways of thinking common to engineers. The children’s expressive variability, the interviewers’ open-ended questions, and lack of data on nonverbal communication introduced challenges to the analysis. Future research may consider how the design of an engineering program may shape the development of HoM in children.

Citation
Format

Tan, J., & Simpson, A., & Knox, P. N., & Werfelli, S., & Maltese, A. (2023, June), Developing Habits of Mind through Family Engineering at Home Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43081

TY - CPAPER
AB - Engineering in early education provides the foundation for the future of innovation. Reinforcing Habits of Mind (HoM) at an early age is crucial for expanding students’ higher order thinking, potential for lifelong learning, and sense of agency in their learning experiences. HoM is defined as a set of dispositions that describe how people successfully deal with unexpected life events, and can be applied to various disciplines such as engineering.

This study addressed two research questions: (1) Which HoM were articulated by children as they reflected upon their participation in a home-based engineering program? (2) What patterns of the children’s vocabulary align with the HoM framework? An exploratory mixed-methods design was used to examine young students’ reflections upon the process of completing low-stakes engineering projects in their home.

The participants were 29 children ranging from second grade to sixth grade. The children and their families were part of a larger program in which they received researcher-developed engineering kits that supported their engagement in the engineering design process in their home environment. After they engaged in the ill-structured engineering task with family members at home, children joined an online show-and-tell meeting to show their prototype to others while answering various questions about their processes, frustrations, and successes. Example questions include (a) “Tell us about a time you felt like an engineer” and (b) “Find something that represents how you felt when working with someone in your family.” Some children only joined one show-and-tell while others attended six show-and-tells.

To answer the first research question, two researchers independently watched and collectively discussed 13 hour-long video recordings. After the children’s dialogues were transcribed across videos, quotes were categorized using a framework that includes Learning Habits of Mind and Engineering Habits of Mind. This study also accounted for aesthetic considerations and signs of empathy, which were not specified in the original framework. To answer the second research question, the transcripts were analyzed within Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a validated text analysis tool that analyzes over 100 dimensions of text.

Initial findings revealed “Resourcefulness,” “Adapting/Improving,” and “Systems Thinking” as the most common Habits of Mind expressed by children through the show-and-tell meetings. The LIWC analysis highlighted how children&#39;s articulation of Learning and Engineering Habits of Mind were logical (i.e., analytical), confident (i.e., clout), and impersonal. Moreover, children’s words were product-oriented, predominantly focusing on the materials and tools utilized to create their prototype. Few words centered on the emotional experience and cognitive proactivity of completing the projects.

The significance of this study highlights how engaging in hands-on engineering projects in the home has the potential to develop children’s dispositions and ways of thinking common to engineers. The children’s expressive variability, the interviewers’ open-ended questions, and lack of data on nonverbal communication introduced challenges to the analysis. Future research may consider how the design of an engineering program may shape the development of HoM in children.
AU - Jubie Tan
AU - Amber Simpson
AU - Peter N. Knox
AU - Sawsan Werfelli
AU - Adam Maltese
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Developing Habits of Mind through Family Engineering at Home
UR - https://peer.asee.org/43081
DO - 10.18260/1-2--43081
ER -