Education Commons^™

Complex Systems In Engineering And Technology Education: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating The Role Computer Simulations Serve In Student Learning, Douglas James Walrath

Dissertations

This research was conducted to determine if students receiving complex systems instruction in the form of software simulations recognize patterns and underlying elements of complex systems more effectively than students receiving traditional instruction. Complex systems were investigated with an analytic (reductive) approach in a control group and with a synthesis approach in the treatment group. Exploration of this top-down approach to learning complex systems counters traditional bottom-up methodologies, investigating systems and subsystems at the component level. The hypothesis was that students experiencing complex systems scenarios in a computerbased learning environment would outperform their counterparts by constructing a greater number of …

Engineering-Oriented Professional Development For Secondary Level Teachers: A Multiple Case Study Analysis, Jenny Lynn Daugherty

Dissertations

This study consisted of multiple case studies of selected professional development programs designed to prepare secondary teachers to deliver engineering-oriented education. The focus was on understanding the professional development design, fundamental content knowledge, essential pedagogies, unique challenges, and effective practices involved in this type of professional development. This was achieved by interviewing the leadership, instructors, and participating teachers; observing the in-person workshops; administering a survey to the teachers; and analyzing the project’s documentation. Five professional development programs were examined, including: Engineering the Future, Project Lead the Way, Mathematics Across the Middle School MST Curriculum, The Infinity Project, and INSPIRES. The …

Academic Performance As A Predictor Of Student Growth In Achievement And Mental Motivation During An Engineering Design Challenge In Engineering And Technology Education, Nathan James Mentzer

Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational research study was to determine if students’ academic success was correlated with: (a) the student change in achievement during an engineering design challenge; and (b) student change in mental motivation toward solving problems and critical thinking during an engineering design challenge. Multiple experimental studies have shown engineering design challenges increase student achievement and attitude toward learning, but conflicting evidence surrounded the impact on higher and lower academically achieving students.

A high school classroom was chosen in which elements of engineering design were purposefully taught. Eleventh-grade student participants represented a diverse set of academic backgrounds (measured …