Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices

Research indicates that utilizing engineering design processes such as design thinking (DT) to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines yields positive outcomes. However, there is limited study on the effects of STEM education on preschoolers’ engineering practi...

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Main Authors: Teh Eng Ho, Vincent Pang
Format: Article
Language:English
English
Published: Modestum 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/1/ABSTRACT.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/2/FULL%20TEXT.pdf
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author Teh Eng Ho
Vincent Pang
author_facet Teh Eng Ho
Vincent Pang
author_sort Teh Eng Ho
collection UMS
description Research indicates that utilizing engineering design processes such as design thinking (DT) to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines yields positive outcomes. However, there is limited study on the effects of STEM education on preschoolers’ engineering practices. This case study evaluation examined the outcomes of an integrated STEM with DT module on preschoolers’ engineering practices in a private preschool in Malaysia. Two preschool teachers facilitated the learning of twenty preschoolers in two classes daily over four weeks. Data was collected through interviews and direct classroom observations, including fieldnotes, students’ artefacts, photos, voice, and video recordings. The qualitative data were analyzed inductively through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the preschoolers engaged in numerous engineering practices while they actively participating in learning tasks. During their efforts to solve problems using DT process, they showed compassion for the characters in the stories and successfully defined the problem. The findings also highlighted the preschoolers’ ability to design and sketch their ideas. They demonstrated proficiency in constructing, testing, analyzing and evaluating their designs, as well as generating ideas to improve them and solve problems. Additionally, the results provided evidence that the engineering design process fosters collaboration and communication. Through iterative testing and modification, the preschoolers exhibited persistence and very positive learning dispositions.
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spelling ums.eprints-420582024-11-29T04:30:51Z https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/ Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices Teh Eng Ho Vincent Pang LB1101-1139 Child study Q1-390 Science (General) Research indicates that utilizing engineering design processes such as design thinking (DT) to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines yields positive outcomes. However, there is limited study on the effects of STEM education on preschoolers’ engineering practices. This case study evaluation examined the outcomes of an integrated STEM with DT module on preschoolers’ engineering practices in a private preschool in Malaysia. Two preschool teachers facilitated the learning of twenty preschoolers in two classes daily over four weeks. Data was collected through interviews and direct classroom observations, including fieldnotes, students’ artefacts, photos, voice, and video recordings. The qualitative data were analyzed inductively through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the preschoolers engaged in numerous engineering practices while they actively participating in learning tasks. During their efforts to solve problems using DT process, they showed compassion for the characters in the stories and successfully defined the problem. The findings also highlighted the preschoolers’ ability to design and sketch their ideas. They demonstrated proficiency in constructing, testing, analyzing and evaluating their designs, as well as generating ideas to improve them and solve problems. Additionally, the results provided evidence that the engineering design process fosters collaboration and communication. Through iterative testing and modification, the preschoolers exhibited persistence and very positive learning dispositions. Modestum 2024 Article NonPeerReviewed text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/1/ABSTRACT.pdf text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/2/FULL%20TEXT.pdf Teh Eng Ho and Vincent Pang (2024) Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20 (4). pp. 1-16. ISSN 1305-8223 https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/14433
spellingShingle LB1101-1139 Child study
Q1-390 Science (General)
Teh Eng Ho
Vincent Pang
Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices
title Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices
title_full Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices
title_fullStr Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices
title_full_unstemmed Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices
title_short Outcomes of an integrated STEM with design thinking module on preschoolers’ engineering practices
title_sort outcomes of an integrated stem with design thinking module on preschoolers engineering practices
topic LB1101-1139 Child study
Q1-390 Science (General)
url https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/1/ABSTRACT.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42058/2/FULL%20TEXT.pdf
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