This study examined the association between elementary students' (N = 1627; 51.3% girls, ages 4-12) engineering-related ability beliefs (competence), task-value beliefs (interest, importance), and career aspirations. Findings suggest that mean levels of children's engineering-related beliefs did not vary by gender. High levels of competence,…

It is reported that engineering for play-based settings is a new body of knowledge under debate and contradictory. Many studies show how play-based settings are full of engineering possibilities for young children, whilst others have identified missed engineering teaching possibilities. In order to better understand the research, this paper…

This study aimed to determine the views of thirty preservice preschool teachers recruited using convenience sampling on STEM education and engineering. Phenomenology was the design of choice. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Participants offered different definitions of STEM…

Background: The number of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy studies in K-12 education has recently increased, with most research focusing on primary and secondary education contexts. Little research focuses on AI literacy programs in early childhood education. Objectives: The aim of this mixed-methods study is to examine the feasibility of an…

Insights on students' own authentic design practices--nascent design practices without much adult guidance--are crucial to informing responsive facilitation of engineering design tasks. This study unpacks how elementary students interpret teacher given information about a design task, and interact with each other and given resources, to traverse a…

STEM education, which consists of the initials of the words Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is an educational approach that blends theoretical knowledge with engineering skills. The STEM education approach is implemented in the USA from preschool to senior high school through engineering design and interdisciplinary studies…

Model-eliciting activities (MEAs) challenge students to interpret a problem and collaboratively create solutions using the engineering design process. This Innovation to Practice article describes how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher educators can use MEAs to build elementary teachers' understanding of computational…

There is a demand for more STEM professionals. Early elementary students' conceptions about engineering can influence whether or not they explore STEM career paths and ultimately select an engineering career. This study examined the conceptions elementary students have regarding the work that engineers perform. The research questions were the…

This study aimed to determine the "engineer" perception of 48- 72 month-old children in pre-school education. Phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The study group of the research consist of 52 children between the ages of 48 and 72 months attending pre-school at one private and one…

This study examined the impact of an intensive professional development series on early childhood educators' content knowledge of engineering and their self-efficacy towards teaching engineering. Seventeen early childhood teachers participated and responded to questionnaires, surveys, and focus-group interviews before and after the professional…

The natural curiosity of young children, makes the preschool period an important time for introducing and reinforcing engineering practices. Engineering here is defined as goal-oriented thinking that addresses problems and decisions within constraints by drawing on available resources. Engineering encompasses hands-on activity, inquiry, teamwork,…

As STEM initiatives increase throughout elementary schools, literacy teachers need help finding their role in school-wide implementation. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and willingness of sixteen literacy teachers to integrate engineering practices with children's texts. Through the lens of Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory,…

STEM education, which consists of the initials of the words Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is an educational approach that blends theoretical knowledge with engineering skills. The STEM education approach is implemented in the USA from preschool to senior high school through engineering design and interdisciplinary studies…

In this study, an instructional programme was designed and implemented with preschool teachers to teach them about integrated STEM education. This paper focused on how this instruction changed teachers' perceptions of engineering. The study aimed at exploring what the teachers learned about engineering, one of the STEM disciplines, throughout…

With the increasing importance of teaching STEM to young students, the engineering design process (EDP) has become a popular learning platform in K-12 STEM education. The engineering design process guides students in solving engineering problems, but there is a lack of understanding of how students utilize this process. In this study, we explored…