kth.sePublications
System disruptions
We are currently experiencing disruptions on the search portals due to high traffic. We are working to resolve the issue, you may temporarily encounter an error message.
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Teachers’ Attitudes to Teaching Introductory Solid Mechanics in Upper Secondary School
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Engineering Mechanics, Vehicle Engineering and Solid Mechanics, Solid Mechanics. Bromma gymnasium och KTH, ITM Lärande.
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Learning, Learning in Stem.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4918-1298
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Learning, Learning in Stem.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7778-2552
2021 (English)In: Techneserien : forskning i slöjdpedagik och slöjdvetenskap. B, ISSN 1238-951X, Vol. 28, no 2, p. 448-454Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In upper secondary school in Sweden, the students in the technology programme take an introductory course that aims at providing a broad introduction to the engineering field. The course’s curriculum is open to various interpretations and solid mechanics is not included explicitly, but it is taught within the course by many teachers. Previous studies of teachers’ attitudes towards other subjects showed that confidence is commonly influenced by subject knowledge. Thereby teachers’ knowledge affects their teaching and their students’ learning opportunities. The present study was based on interviews with 13 technology teachers, teaching in upper secondary school. The interviews concerned their attitudes towards teaching introductory solid mechanics and included those who taught solid mechanics, and those who did not. Those who taught solid mechanics did so through personal choice, because of influence from colleagues and local traditions, or because they took it for granted. Many among them expressed interest in solid mechanics and thought it to be of importance for future engineers. They had high self-efficacy and low anxiety regarding the subject. Those who did not teach solid mechanics omitted it mainly because of an experienced lack of knowledge. They let their students develop problem-solving and calculation abilities within other areas, which the teachers themselves felt more confident in. They ranked the importance of solid mechanics for future engineers as medium or low. The study indicates that technology teachers’ attitudes towards various engineering disciplines may affect their teaching and that studying those attitudes is important to understand the enacted school subjects.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021. Vol. 28, no 2, p. 448-454
Keywords [en]
Technology education, Engineering education, Upper secondary school, Solid mechanics
National Category
Didactics
Research subject
Technology and Learning
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-305462OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-305462DiVA, id: diva2:1615090
Note

QC 20211201

Available from: 2021-11-29 Created: 2021-11-29 Last updated: 2022-06-25Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

https://journals.oslomet.no/index.php/techneA/article/view/4294

Authority records

Engström, SusanneNorström, Per

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Forsell, CarolineEngström, SusanneNorström, Per
By organisation
Solid MechanicsLearning in Stem
In the same journal
Techneserien : forskning i slöjdpedagik och slöjdvetenskap. B
Didactics

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 131 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf