Abstract
STEM-oriented engineering design practice has become recognized increasingly by technology education professionals in Taiwan. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of the application of an integrative STEM approach within engineering design practices in high school technology education in Taiwan. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to investigate the respective learning performance of students studying a STEM engineering module compared to students studying the technology education module. The student performances for conceptual knowledge, higher-order thinking skills and engineering design project were assessed. The data were analyzed using quantitative (t test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, correlation analysis) approaches. The findings showed that the participants in the STEM engineering module outperformed significantly the participants studying the technology education module in the areas of conceptual knowledge, higher-order thinking skills, and the design project activity. A further analysis showed that the key differences in the application of design practice between the two groups were (a) their respective problem prediction and (b) their analysis capabilities. The results supported the positive effect of the use of an integrative STEM approach in high school technology education in Taiwan.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asunda, P. A., & Hill, R. B. (2007). Critical features of engineering design in technology education. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 44(1), 25–48.
Atman, C. J., Adams, R. S., Cardella, M. E., Turns, J., Mosborg, S., & Saleem, J. (2007). Engineering design processes: A comparison of students and expert practitioners. Journal of Engineering Education, 96(4), 359–379.
Baroody, A. J., Feil, Y., & Johnson, A. R. (2007). An alternative reconceptualization of procedural and conceptual knowledge. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 38(2), 115–131.
Bayer Corporation. (2010). Planting the seeds for a diverse US STEM pipeline: A compendium of best practice K-12 STEM education programs. Pittsburgh, PA: Author.
Bybee, R. W. (2013). The case for STEM education: Challenges and opportunities. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental design for research. Hopewell, NJ: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cantrell, P., Pekcan, G., Itani, A., & Velasquez-Bryant, N. (2006). The effects of engineering modules on student learning in middle school science classrooms. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(4), 301–309.
Clark, A. C., & Ernst, J. V. (2009). Technology-based content through virtual and physical modeling: A national research study. Journal of Technology Education, 20(2), 23–36.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York: Routledge Academic.
Crismond, D. P., & Adams, R. S. (2012). The informed design teaching and learning matrix. Journal of Engineering Education, 101(4), 738–797.
Everett, L. J., Imbrie, P., & Morgan, J. (2000). Integrated curricula: Purpose and design. Journal of Engineering Education, 89(2), 167–175.
Havice, W. (2009). The power and promise of a STEM education: Thriving in a complex technological world. In ITEEA (Ed.), The overlooked STEM imperatives: Technology and engineering (pp. 10–17). Reston, VA: ITEEA.
Hayes, J. R. (1989). The complete problem solver (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
Herschbach, D. R. (2011). The STEM initiative: Constraints and challenges. Journal of sTEm Teacher Education, 48(1), 96–122.
Householder, D. L., & Hailey, C. E. (Eds.). (2012). Incorporating engineering design challenges into STEM courses. Retrieved from http://ncete.org/flash/pdfs/NCETECaucusReport.pdf.
International Technology Education Association. (2000). Standards for technological literacy: Content for the study of technology. Reston, VA: Author.
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. (2009). The overlooked STEM imperatives: Technology and engineering. Reston, VA: ITEEA.
Kelley, T. (2010). Staking the claim for the ‘T’ in STEM. The Journal of Technology Studies, 36(1), 2–11.
Kelley, T. R., Brenner, D. C., & Pieper, J. T. (2010). Two approaches to engineering design: Observations in sTEm education. Journal of sTEm Teacher Education, 47(2), 5–40.
Kelley, T., & Kellam, N. (2009). A theoretical framework to guide the Re-engineering of technology education. Journal of Technology Education, 20(2), 37–49.
Lantz Jr., H. B. (2009). Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education what form? What function? Retrieved from http://www.currtechintegrations.com/pdf/STEMEducationArticle.pdf.
Leppävirta, J., Kettunen, H., & Sihvola, A. (2011). Complex problem exercises in developing engineering students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge of electromagnetics. IEEE Transactions on Education, 54(1), 63–66.
Lewis, T. (1999). Research in technology education—Some areas of need. Journal of Technology Education, 10(2), 41–56.
Lewis, T. (2005). Coming to terms with engineering design as content. Journal of Technology Education, 16(2), 37–54.
Mativo, J., & Wicklein, R. (2011). Learning effects of design strategies on high school students. Journal of STEM Teacher Education, 48(3), 66–92.
McCormick, R. (2004). Issues of learning and knowledge in technology education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 14(1), 21–44.
Mehalik, M. M., Doppelt, Y., & Schuun, C. D. (2008). Middle-school science through design based learning versus scripted inquiry: Better overall science concept learning and equity gap reduction. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(1), 71–85.
Merrill, C., Custer, R. L., Daugherty, J., Westrick, M., & Zeng, Y. (2008). Delivering core engineering concepts to secondary level students. Journal of Technology Education, 20(1), 48–64.
Ministry of Education of Taiwan (2010). 普通高級中學必修科目「生活科技」課程綱要. [General guidelines of curriculum for senior high school education: living technology]. Taipei, Taiwan: Author.
National Academy of Engineering & National Research Council. (2014). STEM integration in K-12 education: Status, prospects, and an agenda for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
National Governors Association. (2007). Building a science, technology, engineering and math agenda. Retrieved from http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/0702INNOVATIONSTEM.PDF.
National Research Council. (2009). Engineering in K-12 education: Understanding the status and improving the prospects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next generation science standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Perez, R., Johnson, J. F., & Emery, C. (1995). Instructional design expertise: A cognitive model of design. Instructional Science, 23(5–6), 321–349.
Project Lead the Way. (2014). Today’s STEM realities. Retrieved from http://www.pltw.org/.
Rittle-Johnson, B., & Alibali, M. W. (1999). Conceptual and procedural knowledge of mathematics: Does one lead to the other? Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(1), 175–189.
Ritz, J. M. (2009). A new generation of goals for technology education. Journal of Technology Education, 20(2), 50–64.
Salinger, G., & Zuga, K. (2009). Background and history of the STEM movement. In ITEEA (Ed.), The overlooked STEM imperatives: Technology and engineering (pp. 4–9). Reston, VA: ITEEA.
Sanders, M. (2009). STEM, STEM education, STEMmania. The Technology Teacher, 68(4), 20–26.
Schneider, M., Rittle-Johnson, B., & Star, J. R. (2011). Relations among conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and procedural flexibility in two samples differing in prior knowledge. Developmental Psychology, 47(6), 1525.
Schnittka, C. G., & Bell, R. L. (2011). Engineering design and conceptual change in science: Addressing thermal energy and heat transfer in eighth grade. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 1861–1887.
Taraban, R., Anderson, E. E., DeFinis, A., Brown, A. G., Weigold, A., & Sharma, M. (2007). First steps in understanding engineering students’ growth of conceptual and procedural knowledge in an interactive learning context. Journal of Engineering Education, 96(1), 57–68.
Wendell, K. B., & Rogers, C. B. (2013). Engineering design-based science, science content performance, and science attitudes in elementary school. Journal of Engineering Education, 102(4), 513–540.
Yeh, Y. C. (2003). Critical thinking test-Level I guidebook. Taipei, Taiwan: Psychological Publishing Co.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fan, SC., Yu, KC. How an integrative STEM curriculum can benefit students in engineering design practices. Int J Technol Des Educ 27, 107–129 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-015-9328-x
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-015-9328-x