NARST 2022
TERC’s Scott Pattison, Smirla Ramos Montanez, and Sabrina presented at the March 2022 NARST conference. The abstract for Activity Design Principles that Support Family-Based Engineering Learning in Early Childhood is below.
ABSTRACT: Activity Design Principles that Support Family-Based Engineering Learning in Early Childhood Introducing young children to STEM is critical for cultivating early interests and understanding that ultimately contribute to broader participation in the STEM fields. Despite the growing body of early STEM research, there are still few studies of engineering education and learning at this age, especially outside the classroom context. To address this need, we conducted a design-based research (DBR) study in partnership with a community-based, family-serving organization to both iteratively develop and improve engineering design activities for families with preschool-age children and advance theory about strategies that support engineering design engagement for parents and children. Across three DBR cycles, 16 English- and Spanish-speaking families with preschool-age children (3 to 5 years) iteratively tested three home-based family engineering activities, providing data through video recordings of families using the activities in their homes and interviews with parents about their experiences. Analysis highlighted three design principles for supporting family-based engineering practices with young children: (1) Include narrative contexts and supports that motivate engagement in engineering practices and user-centered design; (2) Present design challenges that leverage the ways families naturally engage with materials; and (3) Align narrative context, design materials, and design challenges to create an open, accessible, age-appropriate solution space.