Elementary Students' Learning of Materials Science Practices through Instruction Based on Engineering Design Tasks

Autor/inn/en	Wendell, Kristen Bethke; Lee, Hee-Sun
Titel	Elementary Students' Learning of Materials Science Practices through Instruction Based on Engineering Design Tasks
Quelle	In: Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19 (2010) 6, S.580-601 (22 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1059-0145
DOI	10.1007/s10956-010-9225-8
Schlagwörter	Workbooks; Engineering; Grade 3; Science Instruction; Elementary School Students; Science Education; Case Studies; Interviews; Learning Processes; Elementary Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Arbeitsbuch; Maschinenbau; School year 03; 3. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 03; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Learning process; Lernprozess; Elementarunterricht
Abstract	Materials science, which entails the practices of selecting, testing, and characterizing materials, is an important discipline within the study of matter. This paper examines how third grade students' materials science performance changes over the course of instruction based on an engineering design challenge. We conducted a case study of nine students who participated in engineering design-based science instruction with the goal of constructing a stable, quiet, thermally comfortable model house. The learning outcome of materials science practices was assessed by clinical interviews conducted before and after the instruction, and the learning process was assessed by students' workbooks completed during the instruction. The interviews included two materials selection tasks for designing a sturdy stepstool and an insulated pet habitat. Results indicate that: (1) students significantly improved on both materials selection tasks, (2) their gains were significantly positively associated with the degree of completion of their workbooks, and (3) students who were highly engaged with the workbook's reflective record-keeping tasks showed the greatest improvement on the interviews. These findings suggest the important role workbooks can play in facilitating elementary students' learning of science through authentic activity such as engineering design. (Contains 7 tables and 3 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10