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Engineering Design in Science Class |
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PP: 187-191 |
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Author(s) |
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Turky Alzahrani,
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Abstract |
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| I have taught science in Saudi Arabia elementary and middle schools for four years. Unfortunately, science instruction in Saudi Arabia is not as good as it should be. The focus is on memorization, and students are not interested or motivated. But science teaching does not have to be that way. In a United States’ school, I observed an eight-year old student working on a project I had suggested -- to design and produce a 3D maze. This project is engineering with designing, building, and problem solving—real science at work. The student was excited and worked hard, creating excellent obstacles in his maze. When I started to connect the electrical circuit, he said, “I can do it because I learned how to do this pre-school!” I was shocked. In this American school, students were not memorizing. They were acting as young engineers, excited and curious. Saudi science education must change. Engineering design is important for students because they can learn science better (Cunningham, 2009). When students are asked to design solutions to problems in science class, they are going to apply their knowledge to the concrete solution. When the students build projects, they learn how to develop a plan to solve a problem, which motivates them to think deeper. Saudi science teachers must change their teaching methods and use engineering design methods in their curriculum to help students connect science knowledge with a real-life problems and solutions. |
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