Student and Teacher (Mis)Conceptions of Engineering Christine Cunningham Museum of Science, Boston

What is Engineering? Name:__________________ Age:____ I am: male female (please circle one) Briefly answer the questions below in one or two sentences. Don’t worry about being right or wrong—just write what you think. (1)In your own words, what is engineering? (2)What does an engineer do? (3)Draw a picture of an engineer at work. (4) Please describe your picture. (5)List three things that are created by engineers. a.__________________________________ b.__________________________________ c._______________________________

Engineers…. Build bridges, buildings, and roads

Engineers…. Fix cars, engines, and machines

Engineers…. Use or fix computers

Engineers…. Drive trains

What is Engineering? (students)

“ An engineer is a person who…” Most common response: “engineers fix things” When more specific, they indicated that items fixed included buildings, cars, electricity/wiring, phones, motors/engines and technology. –“works with special technology to fix things”

“An engineer is a person who…” Second most common response: engineers build things Those who were specific about what was being built usually mentioned buildings or wiring –“bills thing and wacks as a team. And most are boys.” –“Makes stof and brakes stof.” –“An engineer is some one how does lectrisady.”

“An engineer is a person who…” Other responses: “I don’t know” Engineers work/operate things Attributes of engineers –“Has a vevry in porting job.” –“is very, very very smart at math” Engineers design or improve things

What is Engineering? (teachers)

An engineer is a person who… # respondent % respondents (10) Respondent refers to features of engineer as a person810.6% (20) Respondent refers to self knowledge45.3% (30) Helps people/humankind1925.3% (40) Designs/improves technologies4965.3% (50) Constructs/makes technologies3344.0% (60) Reference to object of engineer's work1114.7% (70) Fixes technology11.3% (80) Operates technology34.0% (90) Respondent refers to how an engineer works3546.7%

What is Technology? (students)

How do you know if something is technology? Most common response: it uses/has electricity –“I think I know because I think that technology is something with power or electrisaty” –“stuf that thay did not have in the old day's that runs on elechric” –“I know technologh because you need to plug it in that is why I know.” –“it works by bataries or by a plug. A lot of the time you miteuse a charger.” –“I think I know because these thing work on electricity. These thing can eletrify you.”

How do you know if something is technology? Next most common response: mentioning the function of technology –“Technology is something that makes you learn like books and a computer.” –“technology is something that makes it easyer for people so they won't have to do all that stofe”

How do you know if something is technology? Because it was created by people –“you can find out if something is technology if it is made by human minds” –“I know if something is technology because it takes lots of men to build something and because it takes a very long time.”

What is Technology? (teachers)

Science and/vs Engineering

Engineering is Elementary (EiE) Lessons that integrate engineering and technology concepts into elementary science. Goal 1. Increase children’s level of technological literacy Goal 2. Increase elementary teachers’ understanding of technology and engineering and their abilities to teach these subjects to their students Goal 3. Modify the U.S. system of education to include engineering at the elementary level.

EiE Units Science TopicEng Field Technology Country WaterEnvironmentalWater Filters India Insects/PlantsAgriculturalPollinators Dominican Republic Wind & WeatherMechanicalWindmills Denmark Simple MachinesIndustrial Redesign Potato USA (Af Am) Chip Factory Earth MaterialsMaterials Walls China Balance & ForcesCivil Bridges USA (Hisp) SoundAcoustical Animal SoundGhana Representation OrganismsBioengineeringModel MembranesEl Salvador ElectricityElectrical Alarm CircuitsAustralia Solids & LiquidsChemical Playdough ProcessCanada Landforms GeotechnicalBridge Siting Nepal PlantsPackaging Plant PackageJordan MagnetismTransportationMaglev VehicleJapan Energy & Power Botswana Solar SystemAstronautical Brazil

Science and Math Lesson 1: Engineering Story Lesson 2: A Broader View of an Engineering Field Lesson 3: Scientific Data Inform Engineering Design Lesson 4: Engineering Design Challenge

Contact Information Christine Cunningham: National Center for Technological Literacy: Engineering is Elementary: