The Effect of an Engineering Design-based STEAM Education Program on Middle School Students' Attitude Toward Technology and Technological Problem-solving Style

The purpose of this study was to develop an engineering design-based STEAM education program to improve middle school students' attitude toward technology and technological problem-solving style, and to analyze its effects. The ADBA model was selected as the development model for the program. A 4-session(45 minutes for a session) STEAM education program with the theme of ‘Building an Earthquake-Resistant Structure’ was developed. The developed program was applied to 86 students at B Middle School located in a metropolitan city in May 2024 and a paired sample t-test analysis was conducted to evaluate the program's effects. The result of this research is as follows. First, the developed engineering design-based STEAM education program presents content on earthquake-resistant design, such as seismic resistance, vibration control, and base isolation, integrated with mathematical and scientific knowledge to differentiate it from other STEAM programs on same topics. Second, the developed program was effective in improving the three sub-factors of middle school students' attitudes toward technology: Interest in technology, the importance and impact of technology, and career awareness related to technology. Third, the developed program was also effective in improving the two sub-factors of middle school students' technological problem-solving style: problem-solving confidence and approach-avoidance tendency. The developed engineering design-based STEAM education program is expected to contribute to improving middle school students' attitude toward technology, and technological problem-solving style, and can be used as a representative case.