How engineering outreach organizations mobilize knowledge on Makerspaces to build K-12 educator capacity
Makerspaces, physical spaces that provide access to fabrication tools, technologies, and resources, are potentially changing the way educators envision teaching and learning. As evidence supporting makerspaces and the impact they can have on student learning increases, a key challenge is fostering a knowledge mobilization (KMb) link between makerspace research and the educators who are looking for ways to design, implement, and utilize them. This research aims to explore how an engineering outreach organization can act as a knowledge broker to collaborate with educators looking to incorporate makerspaces in their school.
Scott Compeau is our Engineering Outreach Coordinator and is currently working towards his PhD. Scott recently completed his Masters in Engineering Education - here's an overview of his thesis:
The Calling of an Engineer: High School Students’ Perceptions of Engineering
An increase in awareness of the engineering profession is needed to ensure high school students have the knowledge to make informed career choices, which may lead to achieving high-quality engineering graduates and diversifying the profession in Canada. The focus of this research study was to provide insight into high school students’ perceptions of engineering and the work engineers do. This research was framed within a constructivist theoretical lens, and sequential multiple methods were utilized for data collection. The phase 1 questionnaire incorporated closed and open-ended questions pertaining to the engineering profession and was completed by 97 students, while 11 students participated in the phase 2 semi-structured interviews. The findings show that these students’ descriptions of engineering involve the mental aspects of designing or creating, knowledge in Math and Science, and the physical aspect of building. However, these three categories were mentioned by less than half of the participants. Therefore, a significant percentage of these Grades 9 and 10 students have unclear views about engineering, which suggests they currently cannot make an informed decision in considering engineering for a possible career path.