Date of Award
8-1993
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
The problem in this study was to determine the effect that completion of a high-school-level technological problem solving course had on students' future educational and career choices.
An ex post facto, descriptive-analytical design was used to measure the influence of past course content. A survey instrument was distributed to collect both demographic data and Likert-scale data relating to the influence of the topics and activities of an Introduction to Engineering course.
The population of the survey included the 95 students who completed the Introduction to Engineering course between 1986 and 1992. A sample of 78 students completed the survey questionnaire; a sampling rate of 82%.
The conclusions formulated following a review of the literature and the analysis of survey data were:
1. Students were influenced positively by the topics and activities within the Introduction to Engineering course.
2. Among the topics and activities resulting in the highest positive influence on students were the individual and group problem solving activities.
3. Technological problem solving activities with students working in small groups resulted in a more positive influence than activities involving either large-group or individual work.
4. Most of the students who completed the Introduction to Engineering course chose to continue their education beyond the high school level.
5. Those students planning to continue their education beyond high school reported a generally lower level of positive influence by the course topics and activities.
6. The topics and activities in the course had a generally positive influence on students' choices to enter technology-related career fields.
7. The students surveyed who chose not to pursue technology-related careers reported a generally lower positive influence from the course content.
8. A very small number of the sampled students actually were employed with a title of engineer.
Based on the results of this study, the following recommendations were made:
1. The curricular structure (the topics and activities) used in the Introduction to Engineering course is a good basis for implementing a design-oriented, technological problem solving course at the high school level.
2. When technological problem solving activities are included in the curriculum, students should work in small groups more often than in large groups or individually.
3. A study be conducted, following the procedures of this study, to determine if larger numbers of the students will enter technology-related careers after longer time has passed.
4. A study be conducted, to compare the results of this ex post facto study to a study using controlled topics and activities.
5. A study be conducted to describe the variation in influence when technology learning activities are similar in content.
Recommended Citation
Lang, Wayne D., "A Study to Ascertain The Influence Of A Technological Problem Solving Course On Student Career And Education Goals" (1993). Theses and Dissertations. 6232.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/6232