Abstract
K-12 Engineering Education has placed a lot of attention on students’ attitudes or predispositions towards science and technology. However, most assessment methods are focused on STEM as a whole or only on technology. In this article, we will discuss the instrument called Technology and Engineering Attitude Scale (TEAS) which focuses on attitudes towards technology. Previous studies and applications of this particular scale lacked proper statistical validation of the instrument. The following research looks at the application of an adapted version of the TEAS to assess a GEDC awarded pre-engineering design program in Chile. This version was psychometrically analyzed in 436 cases to validate the interpretations driven by a particular cultural context and specific to the discipline of engineering. The article focuses on the modifications applied to the instrument after the statistical validity process. The discussion is centered on the ethical importance of adapting an existing scale in a valid and reliable way to assess a pre-engineering design program in a local context. Lessons learned and recommendations for future research in this area are proposed based on this particular experience.
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Appendices
Appendix A: English version of the TEAS Survey with additional items
1 | I am not interested in technology and engineering |
2 | Boys are better at being engineers than girls |
3 | Engineering and technology have nothing to do with our lives |
4 | To be good at engineering or technology you have to be very smart |
5 | Engineers and technologists solve problems |
6 | The engineers that studied in Santiago are better at their jobs than the ones that studied in other cities in Chile |
7 | I think engineering and technology are often used in science |
8 | Engineers and technologists help make people’s lives better |
9 | Girls can be as successful doing engineering and technology as boys |
10 | I am good at problems that can be solved in many different ways |
11 | The engineers from other regions in Chile are as good as the ones that studied in Santiago |
12 | I would like a job that lets me do a lot of engineering and technology |
13 | Engineers and technologists use a lot of math and science |
14 | I think I could do well in an advanced technology and engineering class |
15 | To be an engineer you need be rich |
16 | I think that having a job in engineering or technology would be fun |
17 | I think there should be a class at my school related to technology and engineering |
18 | I would be nervous to take a technology and engineering class |
19 | Science has nothing in common with technology and engineering |
20 | I would like to be a technologist when I grow up |
21 | A person that doesn’t live in Santiago can have a job as a technologist |
22 | You do not have to problem solve to be an engineer or technologist |
23 | I would like to learn more about technology and engineering at school |
24 | If there was a technology and engineering club at my school, I would like to join |
25 | A girl can have a technical job |
26 | Rich people know more about engineering and technology |
27 | In my everyday life, I am able to solve problems well |
28 | Societal issues, like water and air pollution, influence the jobs of technologists and engineers |
29 | Solving problems is hard |
30 | Technology and engineering has brought about more bad things than good things |
31 | People from Santiago know more about engineering than the ones in other regions of Chile |
32 | To me, the field of science is related to the field of technology and engineering |
33 | Working in engineering and technology as a job would be boring and dull |
34 | Engineering and technology make our lives more comfortable |
35 | When I think of engineering and technology, I mostly think of solving problems |
36 | A student from a public school can have a job in engineering |
37 | To become an engineer or technologist, you have to take hard classes |
38 | Boys know more about engineering and technology than girls |
39 | You don’t have to be smart to study engineering and technology |
40 | In engineering and technology, you use math |
41 | Students from public schools can be as successful as students from private schools in engineering |
42 | I’m capable of being accepted in an engineering school |
Appendix B: Spanish version of the TEAS Survey with additional items
1 | No estoy interesado en la tecnología e ingeniería |
2 | Los hombres son mejores ingenieros que las mujeres |
3 | La ingeniería y la tecnología no tienen impacto en mi vida |
4 | Para ser bueno en ingeniería y tecnología tienes que ser muy inteligente |
5 | Los ingenieros y técnicos ligados a la tecnología resuelven problemas |
6 | Los ingenieros que estudiaron en Santiago son mejores que los ingenieros que estudiaron en otras regiones |
7 | Creo que la ingeniería y la tecnología son usadas frecuentemente en las ciencias |
8 | Los ingenieros ayudan a hacer mejor la vida de las personas |
9 | Las mujeres pueden ser tan exitosas como los hombres en tecnología |
10 | Soy bueno con los problemas que pueden ser resueltos de muchas maneras diferentes |
11 | Los ingenieros que trabajan en otras regiones pueden ser tan buenos como los ingenieros de Santiago |
12 | Me gustaría tener un trabajo donde pueda hacer ingeniería y usar mucha tecnología |
13 | Ingenieros y técnicos en tecnología usan mucho las matemáticas y las ciencias |
14 | Creo que me iría bien en una clase relacionada con ingeniería y tecnología |
15 | Para ser un ingeniero hay que tener dinero |
16 | Creo que sería entretenido vincularme con la ingeniería o temas relacionados a la tecnología |
17 | Creo que debiera haber una clase en mi escuela relacionada con ingeniería o tecnología |
18 | Tomar una clase de ingeniería o tecnología avanzada me pondría nervioso/a |
19 | Las ciencias no tienen nada que ver con la ingeniería y la tecnología |
20 | Me gustaría dedicarme a la tecnología cuando salga del colegio |
21 | Una persona que no vive en Santiago puede tener un trabajo de tecnología avanzada |
22 | El trabajo de un ingeniero o de un técnico ligado a la tecnología no involucra resolver problemas |
23 | Me gustaría aprender más de ingeniería y tecnología |
24 | Si hubiera una capacitación en mi liceo sobre tecnología e ingeniería, me gustaría unirme |
25 | Una mujer puede ser una experta en tecnología |
26 | Las personas con dinero saben más de ingeniería y tecnología |
27 | En mi vida diaria soy capaz de resolver bien problemas de diferentes ámbitos |
28 | Los trabajos de ingenieros y expertos en tecnología están relacionados a problemas sociales, como el agua, la contaminación, etc |
29 | En general, resolver problemas me resulta difícil |
30 | La tecnología y la ingeniería han traído más cosas malas que buenas |
31 | Los santiaguinos saben más de ingeniería y tecnología que las personas de otras regiones |
32 | Para mí, las ciencias están relacionadas a la tecnología y la ingeniería |
33 | Un trabajo en ingeniería y tecnología sería aburrido para mí |
34 | La ingeniería y la tecnología hacen nuestra vida más cómoda |
35 | Cuando pienso en ingeniería y en tecnología, la mayoría del tiempo pienso en resolver problemas |
36 | Un estudiante de liceo técnico puede tener un trabajo de ingeniería |
37 | Para ser un ingeniero tienes que hacer cursos difíciles en la universidad |
38 | Los hombres saben más de ingeniería y tecnología que las mujeres |
39 | No tienes que ser inteligente para estudiar ingeniería o algo relacionado con la tecnología |
40 | En ingeniería y en tecnología tienes que usar matemáticas |
41 | En ingeniería, los estudiantes de liceo técnico pueden ser tan exitosos como los estudiantes de colegio privado |
42 | Soy capaz de entrar y estudiar ingeniería |
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Miranda, C., Goñi, J., Pickenpack, A. et al. The ethical implications of collecting data in educational settings: discussion on the technology and engineering attitude scale (TEAS) and its psychometric validation for assessing a pre-engineering design program. Int J Technol Des Educ 32, 1495–1513 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09653-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09653-x