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Applying Relatedness to Explain Learning Outcomes of STEM Maker Activities
Xiaojing Weng1,2, Thomas K F Chiu1,2, Morris S Y Jong1,2
1Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|February 3, 2022
Summary
Maker pedagogy in STEM education enhances student engagement. Real-world problems and mentoring significantly boost critical thinking, while mentoring further strengthens STEM interest and identity in K-12 students.
Area of Science:
- STEM Education
- Maker Pedagogy
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- K-12 educators are increasingly adopting maker pedagogy in STEM to foster student engagement in design and making.
- Supporting students' psychological need for relatedness is crucial for developing cognitive skills like creativity and critical thinking, and non-cognitive traits such as interest and identity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of real-world problems (RWP) and mentoring on students' STEM-related cognitive competencies and non-cognitive characteristics within maker activities.
- To compare the effectiveness of textbook-based problems (TBP), RWP, and RWP with mentoring (RWPM) interventions.
Main Methods:
- A 7-week intervention study was conducted with 95 Grade 9 students (aged 13-15) in Hong Kong.
- Three experimental conditions were implemented: textbook problem (TBP), real-world problem (RWP), and RWP with mentoring (RWPM).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in creativity were found across the three groups.
- Students in the RWP and RWPM groups demonstrated significantly stronger critical thinking skills compared to the TBP group.
- The RWPM group showed significantly higher STEM interest and identity than the TBP and RWP groups.
Conclusions:
- The real-world problem (RWP) strategy is effective in enhancing secondary students' perceived cognitive competencies, including critical thinking.
- A mentoring mechanism is feasible and effective for cultivating students' perceived non-cognitive characteristics, such as STEM interest and identity.
- Practical suggestions are provided for teachers to implement these strategies in STEM maker activities.
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