Engineering design-based learning entered the discourse of science education with the release of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013). Since that time there has been a focused effort to embed engineering design and engineering-based thinking in elementary school experiences. As thinking like an engineer is…

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…

Mastery of mathematical literacy is essential for developing life skills in the 21st century. Mathematical literacy is even more critical in elementary schools as it forms the basis for mastery at the junior and senior high school levels. Elementary school students differ in their characteristics from students at the higher education level. They,…

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of engineering design-based activities carried out in the sixth-grade Matter and Heat unit on the problem-solving skills of students, and the changes in the designing skills of students during these activities. This research, conducted by following the one-group pre-test -- post-test…

This study explores the impact of robotics activities on the creativity and problem-solving performances of secondary school students. The participants consisted of 10 students from a computer science class at a secondary school. The robotics activities utilized Lego Ev3 kits and incorporated reverse engineering principles. Data were gathered…

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…

There is a notable shift towards prioritizing the teaching of engineering design within K-12 education, coupled with a strong recommendation for engineering design-based integrated STEM education. This approach underscores the sharing of science and engineering practices as a means to facilitate the learning of various STEM disciplines.…

National reform documents and shifts in educational standards have continued to highlight the importance of engineering and engineering practices within science literacy. High-quality engineering opportunities must be present in formal education due to their association with problem-solving and critical thinking. Given this directive to reach…

Background: Dealing with uncertainties is inherent in the engineering design process and often poses challenges for young learners. This necessitates providing learners with adequate support to navigate their uncertainties effectively. However, achieving this requires a deeper understanding of the factors influencing learners' uncertainty…

Boost young children's problem-solving skills and set them up for long-term success with the second edition of this practical guidebook! Enhanced with new lessons and timely topics--including equity and the use of makerspaces--this book will help you get all children ready for kindergarten by teaching them basic practices of engineering design and…

The importance of STEAM education in preparing students to deal with societal challenges is nowadays an international recommendation. We may find different perspectives concerning STEAM education and the integration of its disciplines. A possible pathway to achieve a balanced integration is through Engineering Design (ED), starting from problems…

Situated in an elementary afterschool Engineering Literacies Club framed around multiliteracies and the engineering design process, this article explores engineering habits of mind and disciplinary literacies. Disciplinary literacies encourage students to read, write, think, and act like historians, mathematicians, scientists, or engineers by…

Design thinking--a human-centered approach to problem solving--is a process by which K-12 teachers engage students in solving relevant issues that occur in their schools. In this article, the authors describe a project in which fourth-graders used design thinking to solve an unexpected issue related to a much-anticipated class project. The project…

An understanding of how sensemaking unfolds when elementary students engage in engineering design tasks is crucial to advancing engineering teaching and learning at K-12 levels. Sensemaking has been widely studied in the context of science as a discipline. In this paper, we seek to contribute to the more nascent efforts to build theory about the…

Maker education can enhance learners' creativity. Design thinking can facilitate the innovative resolution of complex problems. The design thinking literature and most maker teaching modes are limited in their promotion of learning and ability development in various dimensions. Learners have stereotypes about some professions; interventions can…