Measuring Engineering Perceptions of Fifth-grade Minority Students with the Draw-an-Engineer-Test (DAET) (Work In Progress)

摘要

Research continues to combat the national decline in STEM fields through motivational strategies that can be applied in teaching students. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) underscore the importance of making engineering education available to all students, especially minorities in STEM. NGSS creates a holistic approach to understanding engineering by blending scientific and engineering practices. This is important, because of engineering's relevance to daily life and contribution to critical thinking. However, improvement of science standards alone is not sufficient to improve students' understanding of engineering. A strong engineering curriculum also plays a major role in improving students' perceptions and encouraging them towards STEM.