Research and design are two activities that are becoming increasingly important in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Research and design projects are often still... Show moreResearch and design are two activities that are becoming increasingly important in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Research and design projects are often still employed separately in school, while these activities are often connected in professional practice. The studies in this dissertation indicate that teachers and students of the Dutch subjects O&O (Dutch abbreviation for ‘research and design’) and NLT (Dutch abbreviation for ‘nature, life and technology’) already have some knowledge of ways in which research and design can be connected, and that this knowledge can be developed in a relatively short time. However, interviews with teachers and students showed that students often skipped the research part of the design cycle. This is remarkable, because students were able to state the relevance of research within design. A study in the context of the subject NLT showed that both teachers and students have a strong idea that design should start with a research component. This can be a limiting thought for students with different learning preferences. We therefore recommend to offer the research and design processes in a more differentiated and varied manner to students. Show less
Research and design activities are often employed in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education. This study aims to examine students’ attitudes towards doing research and... Show moreResearch and design activities are often employed in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education. This study aims to examine students’ attitudes towards doing research and design activities in secondary school, among two groups of students: (1) students that take the quite recently introduced Dutch subject O&O (research & design), in which students perform authentic research and design projects related to STEM disciplines; and (2) students that do not take O&O. The subject O&O is only taught at a limited number of certified, so called ‘Technasium’, schools. A questionnaire, developed by the authors, was completed by 1625 students from Grades 8 and 11. Unlike previous studies on student attitudes, which usually use abstract concepts like ‘science’ or ‘technology’, the questionnaire used in this study contains active verbs to characterise research and design activities. The results showed that, in general, students who took the subject O&O had more positive attitudes towards doing research and design activities than regular students. Both student groups appeared to find doing design activities more enjoyable than doing research activities. The results of this study provide useful information for teachers as well as teacher educators about the existing attitudes of students, for example their preference for design projects over research projects. Show less
