Video-Stimulated Recall and Engineering Design: A Novel Approach to Understanding Young Children's Science Concept Development

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Developing STEM Thinking Equitably

Abstract

This paper reports on the novel application of Video-stimulated recall (VSR) interviews to provide insightful data for examining changes to young children’s mental models of the concepts of force and leverage during engineering design activities conducted at home. VSR prompted interviews were conducted with 26 children, ages 7 and 8, who watched researcher-selected episodes of change from video data collected during design artifact construction. Children were able to provide substantial detail about their decision-making processes during the design process. Reflection during VSR revealed changes to children’s mental models and allowed children to verify observed changes. Additionally, VSR prompted interviews were found to serve as a tool for promoting further conceptual development within the engineering design activity.

Authors

• Christine McGrail, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Jeanne L. Brunner, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Martina Nieswandt, University of Massachusetts - Amherst