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Work in Progress: A Systematic Literature Review of Engineering Education in Middle School Classrooms

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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

Work-in-Progress Session: Supporting Students To, Through, and Beyond Transitions

Tagged Division

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

15

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44116

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44116

Download Count

153

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Paper Authors

biography

Natasha Lagoudas Wilkerson Texas A&M University

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Natasha Wilkerson is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in engineering education at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and her M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University. She is the President of the Cosmic Leap Foundation, Director of Space Club, and Co-Founder of Vivify, LLC.

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Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez Texas A&M University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-8107-2898

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Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez is an associate professor at Texas A & M University in the College of Education and Human Development in the departments of Teaching, Learning, and Culture and Educational Psychology.

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Rachelle Pedersen Texas A&M University

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Rachelle Pedersen is a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M studying Curriculum & Instruction (Emphasis in Engineering & Science Education). She has a M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Engineering Science (Technology Education) from Colorado State University. Her research focuses on motivation and social influences (e.g. mentoring and identity development) that support underrepresented students in STEM fields. Prior to graduate school, Rachelle taught high school technology and engineering education (Robotics/Engineering, AP Computer Science, and Video Production).

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Abstract

This work-in-progress paper presents a systematic literature review that examines the landscape of engineering learning and teaching in middle school classrooms. With the integration of engineering into most state science standards following the release of the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013, there is a growing emphasis on engineering design as an authentic context for science learning. However, some argue this promotes misconceptions and misrepresents engineering. In response to these concerns, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and Advancing Excellence in P12 Engineering Education introduced a Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning (2020). This framework outlines learning goals for engineering literacy that move beyond a narrow focus on practices to include engineering habits of mind and engineering knowledge. However, the authors call for further research to scaffold learning goals for lower grades. To contribute to this ongoing effort, this study assesses the trends in researching and teaching engineering at a middle school level, particularly within formal classroom instruction. This work-in-progress paper presents our preliminary findings, addressing the following key questions: (1) What are the trends in research related to engineering in middle school classrooms? (2) How is engineering integrated into middle school classrooms? (3) How has the NGSS, released in 2013, impacted the learning goals of engineering in middle school classrooms? The search strategy focused on studies published from 2012 - 2022 that examined engineering interventions in middle school classroom settings. The screening process resulted in 234 included studies. To guide analysis, a coding guide was developed based on the NGSS and ASEE Framework. The paper presents the initial results of a narrative synthesis focusing on a subset of 48 papers published after 2020. Results of the coding guide indicate that a significant number of studies explicitly mention alignment with NGSS and focus on design practices that facilitate science learning. However, only 46% of the interventions appeared to meet at least one middle school NGSS standard, with a majority supporting elementary standards. Furthermore, only one study described the explicit incorporation of engineering concepts into the intervention. The implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed. By shedding light on the current state of engineering learning and teaching in middle school classrooms, this work-in-progress paper aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts of developing authentic engineering education experiences for pre-college students.

Wilkerson, N. L., & Rambo-Hernandez, K. E., & Pedersen, R. (2023, June), Work in Progress: A Systematic Literature Review of Engineering Education in Middle School Classrooms Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44116

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015