Professor Lynne Bianchi
Vice Dean for Social Responsibility, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility, University of Manchester
How do we support engineering learning in primary schools?
This was a great question for the Engineering in Primary Schools stakeholders to collectively discuss and bring their thoughts together in a group response. What would be your take on this? What have you noticed when you see engineering being taught in primary settings?
We think about the following in relation to 5 to 11 year olds:
- features of engineering learning – what would be happening, what it would be like to experience engineering in the classroom
- advantages of engineering learning – what gains the students will make in terms of their skills, knowledge and understanding
- benefits of engineering education – what knock on effects integrating engineering learning into mainstream settings has
You may wish to reflect on these thoughts. Consider how they relate to your school. You can begin to answer, what could engineering look, feel and sound like in my primary classroom?
Features of engineering learning
What would students notice happening, and what would it be like to experience engineering in the classroom?
- cross curricular links and opportunities are used. For example, looking at how the geography of an area impacts how we travel, or exploring the change in technology over time. You could use computing to enhance prototypes so they move using sensors and programming. Or you could apply maths within a design and create activity
- making is a core part of regular learning. Often with the support from low cost, hands-on activities. Use design and technology skills like fixing, making and testing
- students can work in groups on collaborative problem solving. These might involve sharing ideas, exploring, testing and evaluating solutions, justifying choices and suggesting alternatives
- relate learning to real-world contexts. This will help students notice and use the spaces around them to problem-find and identify how things could work better
- outcomes are varied and don’t always result in a completed, defined make. Iteration and testing are fundamental parts of the process that may lead to something being broken or taken apart. There isn’t always a fixed end-result!
Advantages of engineering learning
The skills, knowledge and understanding students gain in the classroom include:
- learning focuses on exploring how things work
- learning explores the processes we go through to solve problems
- learning helps students with different learning needs and backgrounds, and supports access by offering different ways to communicate and share ideas. For example, sketching, making, diagrams and models rather that relying on writing
Benefits of engineering education
What are the broader knock-on effects of engineering as a learning platform?
- students develop their STEM capital by relating learning to students’ lives, cultures, contexts and prior experiences
- students have increased levels of expression, freedom to explore and agency in learning. They are encouraged to tackle things in a different way, and solve problems by innovating, adapting and iterating solutions. Celebrating diversity of outcomes is a special outcome of engineering that isn’t found enough in our curriculum offer
- failure becomes a valued part of the learning process. Tenacity and resilience are transferable skills that are celebrated
- retention and intrinsic motivation stems from learning that asks students to respond with their own ideas and opinions
Reflection
It was interesting for us to explore the emerging cross-cutting themes from these discussions. It was evident that championing engineering learning in primary schools often focused on inspiring students to find out more about people.
Human-centred learning was highlighted when we thought about what motivated, inspired and influenced engagement from young people. These contexts may relate to how we solve problems for people in their own community, as well as nationally or internationally. Thinking about how people’s lives could be made easier, more accessible and improved was motivating for students. Engineering for social good enhanced the interest and motivation of students.
Framing learning through an engineering lens brings problem-solving to the forefront. It encourages students to tackle real-world issues that matter, rather than simply following pre-set instructions.
This approach contrasts with subjects like design and technology, where making often centres on producing a predefined item – for example, a bird feeder or pencil box.
By focusing on engineering, learning becomes shaped by how technology works. Questions such as 'How do streetlights come on at dusk?' spark curiosity and lead to deeper understanding of concepts like electronics, circuits, current flow and light-dependent resistors. Using real-world problems as a starting point enhances engagement and shows students the relevance of engineering in everyday life.
Thinking about equity, what people need and solving problems is core to engineering. Learning doesn’t always need to involve a making activity and can focus on designing and innovating.
Careers were often discussed in these learning opportunities. Consider the different roles within engineering, across different disciplines. Shifting students’ perceptions away from engineering being just about mechanics and addressing stereotypes was a clear message from the group. They valued the way that we could expose students to a broad array of engineering disciplines. For example, robotics and electronic engineering, materials engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, agriculture engineering, and so much more.
Global Sustainability Goals were also points of focus. They enable engineering contexts to develop students’ broader awareness of connectivity in the world around us, and how the world works as one big system.
Next steps
Overall, the exercise was successful. We hope we've inspired you to take time to reflect. Or even have discussions in staff meetings or lunch-and-learns.
- can you FAB (features, advantages, benefits) engineering education in your school or organisation?
- how similar or different is it to what’s written in this blog?
There was a resounding sense that we wanted to communicate that engineering doesn’t have to be seen as something else to do. Most likely, teachers are already providing the opportunities.
For example, thinking about a piece of creative writing, you can talk about it as a system that works with different parts. Each part has a key role to play. This is part of learning about engineering!
It's imperative that the education sector gets behind supporting primary teachers develop confidence and take the fear of trying away. We need to myth bust and challenge our own preconceptions about what engineering is and how we can teach it. We need to explain what available resources there are for training and for making in our schools – what really needs investment.
As primary practitioners we know that students' perceptions are inbuilt so early and their thoughts about engineering are formed at a young age. It goes without argument how crucial it is that we step further into this space in the primary years, lobby for headteachers and governors to pay more attention to increasing access to engineering education earlier.
Teachers are not the problem for why engineering education hasn’t got the resonance it deserves in our schools – the educational system is. By coming together we can unpack this problem and locate the key issues that impact on progress. Piece-by-piece we can re-imagine ways forward and make a difference. It doesn’t have to take forever!
If you’re keen to work more in this area, and to connect with the Engineering in Primary Schools Stakeholder group, please contact Dan Powell.
Engineering doesn’t have to be seen as something else to do – most likely teachers are already providing the opportunities.
— Dan Powell, Head of Neon
