The Impact of Engineering Design-based Activities on Eighth-Grade Students`Environmental Awareness and Entrepreneurial Perceptions and Skills

Authors : Mehmet Ali KÜPELİ, Sedef CANBAZOĞLU BİLİCİ, Sselcen GUZEY
Pages : 29-41
Doi:10.55290/steam.1152901
View : 55 | Download : 7
Publication Date : 2023-01-01
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :This study examined the impact of engineering design-based, thematic activities on 8th-grade students’ environmental awareness and entrepreneurial perceptions and skills. The engineering activities were designed to introduce topics and issues that are tied to energy conversion and environmental science. Thirty-seven students insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(21 girls, 16 boys); completed the activities and participated in the one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The data were gathered using the Environmental Awareness Scale insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(EAS);, Entrepreneurial Perception Scale insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(EPS);, and student worksheets and artifacts. Entrepreneurial skills were assessed using the Entrepreneurial Skills Checklist insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(ESC);. Descriptive statistics and paired-samples T-test were conducted for data analyses. Results showed a significant difference between students’ pre-test and post-test scores of the EAS and EPS which indicated that the engineering design-based activities greatly impacted the eighth-grade students\` environmental awareness and entrepreneurship perceptions. These activities also contributed to the development of students\` entrepreneurship skills such creativity, critical thinking, self-confidence, social skills and group work, leadership, decision-making, and risk-taking. This study offers insight into engineering design-based activities and promotes the development of students’ environmental awareness and entrepreneurial perceptions and skills in the middle school science classroom. 
Keywords : Science education, engineering design process, entrepreneurship, environmental awareness

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