What Else Did Pre-service Teachers Learn in a Maker Education Course in a Teacher Education Program Beyond Content?

Abstract

Making has become increasingly prevalent in PK-12 education; thus, it calls for teacher educators to design instruction to prepare pre-service teachers for integrating maker education. This preparation encompasses not only the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) involved in maker education but also the soft skills, belief, and a maker mindset. Research on these topics is limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate what skills, belief, mindset, and practices pre-service teachers gained from a maker education course. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers acquired the so-called “twenty-first-century skills”. They cultivated a maker mindset. They changed their teaching beliefs and aspired to adopt more student-centered active learning strategies in their instruction. Moreover, pre-service teachers gained a reflective skillset. Meanwhile, pre-service teachers made concrete plans for designing and teaching making lessons in practice, offering professional development, and taking on leadership roles. The implications of this study were discussed.