Students' Self-Efficacy and Interest in an Elementary Makerspace Program

• In Event: 42.031 - STEM Identity Development: The Contribution of Educational and Schooling Experiences

Abstract

Design-based makerspace programs have been highlighted as an instructional medium that stimulates middle and high school students’ engagement in STEM. However, whether these positive effects hold true in an elementary context is unclear. Younger students who lack mastery of STEM content may have low self-efficacy for concepts and methods, impacting their interest in engaging in STEM-related design tasks in a makerspace program.

Purpose: This study examined the self-efficacy trajectories of elementary school students engaged in a makerspace program and whether students’ self-efficacy predicted their program interest. Grade level and gender were examined for their influence on self-efficacy and interest.

Theoretical Framework: Social cognitive career theory (SCCT, Lent et al., 2008) describes factors that influence students’ choice to pursue STEM learning opportunities. SCCT suggests self-efficacy is an antecedent of students’ interest and active choice to participate in STEM-related tasks. Additionally, SCCT also posits contextual factors such as students’ evaluation of their goal implementation further influences their self-efficacy and interest.

Data Sources: Students (grades 3-6, n = 104) enrolled in a makerspace program were given self-efficacy surveys at three points over a semester and an interest survey at the end of the semester. Qualitative data include naturalistic conversations with students, two semi-structured focus groups (n = 9), and students’ weekly blogs.

Methods: Quantitative data were analyzed using hierarchical linear growth modeling of students’ self-efficacy trajectories, with observations nested within students. Path analysis was then used to model the relationships among students’ self-efficacy, gender, grade level, and makerspace interest. Open-coding of qualitative data was conducted to discern more in-depth perspectives of quantitative trends.

Results: Students’ self-efficacy significantly decreased as the makerspace course progressed (p < 0.01). Qualitative data shows students expressed frustration over the unsatisfactory outcomes of their intermediate design products and the necessity of repeated redesigning. They also noted this frustration arose from the unfamiliarity of the design process compared to previous academic experiences, as well as from the lack of goal clarity. In addition, path analysis shows students’ mean self-efficacy score and grade level are significant predictors of makerspace interest (p < 0.001), although gender was not (p = 0.20). More efficacious and lower elementary grade students are more likely to have higher interest, whereas girls and boys were equally likely to have high interest.

Qualitative data supports this trend, with students who successfully completed their projects voicing their interest to engage in similar activities in their spare time. Also, higher elementary grade students more often expressed frustration over their inability to complete a design product within the timeframe, which could also be due to the overall increase in difficulty level of older students’ design projects.

Significance: This study extends the makerspace literature by demonstrating that the positive effects on students’ STEM interest found in older students may not be directly transferrable to younger populations when self-efficacy is taken into account. Makerspace instructors are encouraged to help students manage their frustration and outline clear interim goals to maintain students’ self-efficacy and promote longer term STEM interest.

Authors

• Vanessa Wanchanit Vongkulluksn, The Ohio State University

• Ananya Mukhopadhyay, University of Southern California

• Gale M. Sinatra, University of Southern California

• Julie A. Marsh, University of Southern California