Gifted students' perceptions of engineers? A study of students in a summer outreach program

Abstract

The Gifted Education Resource Institute (GERI) at Purdue University holds several summer outreach classes for gifted elementary and secondary school students. The program gives students access to challenging science, mathematics, computer, and humanities classes. The purpose of this study is to investigate 3rd and 4th grade GERI students' perceptions of engineers for students enrolled in various Summer 2006 classes. This qualitative study was conducted using a constructivist theoretical framework. Eighteen students completed a background questionnaire, drew an engineer doing engineering work, and discussed engineering in an individual interview. Data analysis was conducted using content analysis, which included axial coding and categorizing data presented in student drawings, interviews, and questionnaires. Results show that students held common misconceptions about engineers while others were knowledgeable about what engineers do. Data also revealed sources of students' knowledge about engineering, including personal experiences with engineers, as key factors that contribute to their current conceptions. This study provides insight on children's perceptions about engineers and provides implications for developing engineering education curriculum at the elementary school level.© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007.