CAREER: ENGINEERING DESIGN ACROSS NAVAJO CULTURE, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETY

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This study seeks to (1) explore the ways in which Navajo students and Navajo professionals experience and understand engineering design in the context of their culture, community, and society; (2) conduct a design-based research study on the development of culturally-contextualized theory of learning and curriculum modules that will be piloted in several schools in the Navajo Nation; and (3) create and pilot tools to evaluate Navajo students? experience of engineering design. Under the theoretical frameworks of social constructivism and culturally relevant pedagogy, this study will use a phenomenographic approach to explore the ways that Navajo students and Navajo professionals experience engineering design in the context of their culture, and a design-based research approach to apply the results from the phenomenography in the iterative development of culturally-contextualized engineering curricula. With the focus on engineering in the Next Generation Science Standards, the results of this study will provide critical insight into how to engage and evaluate Navajo students in culturally-contextualized engineering design curricula, which will illuminate pathways for higher education and careers in STEM fields.