Adapting the difficulty of hands-on tasks to pupils' prior knowledge: effects on challenge and skill development.
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| Title: | Adapting the difficulty of hands-on tasks to pupils' prior knowledge: effects on challenge and skill development. |
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| Authors: | Wammes, Dannie1 (AUTHOR) d.f.wammes@uu.nl, Kester, Liesbeth1 (AUTHOR) l.kester@uu.nl, Slof, Bert2 (AUTHOR) b.slof@slo.nl |
| Source: | International Journal of Technology & Design Education. Sep2025, Vol. 35 Issue 4, p1447-1470. 24p. |
| Subjects: | Prior learning, Primary education, Instructional systems, Expertise, Electric circuits, Engineering education, Experiential learning, Individual development |
| Abstract: | Hands-on activities promote interest in engineering, but their use in primary education is under pressure due to doubts about their effect on learning. Based on the Challenge Point Framework, we hypothesized that an adaptive approach in which a pupil starts with tasks at its level of prior knowledge would raise the learning results of hands-on activities. This hypothesis was tested in a lesson about electric circuits. Two experiments were carried out that compared the adaptive with non-adaptive approaches. Skill levels of 444 nine to twelve-year-old pupils were measured with a performance-based task before and after a lesson in which they worked individually on tasks that matched or did not match their level of prior knowledge. Questionnaires were used to asses challenge adequacy. Skill levels were significantly higher at the post-test and a six-month delayed post-test but only for low performers on the pre-test. Starting with tasks that transcended the level of prior knowledge with a single level offered the optimal challenge for pupils with low levels of prior knowledge but reduced the results for pupils who knew more about electric circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of International Journal of Technology & Design Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 187094069 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Adapting the difficulty of hands-on tasks to pupils' prior knowledge: effects on challenge and skill development. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wammes%2C+Dannie%22">Wammes, Dannie</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> d.f.wammes@uu.nl</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kester%2C+Liesbeth%22">Kester, Liesbeth</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> l.kester@uu.nl</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Slof%2C+Bert%22">Slof, Bert</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> b.slof@slo.nl</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+of+Technology+%26+Design+Education%22">International Journal of Technology & Design Education</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 35 Issue 4, p1447-1470. 24p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prior+learning%22">Prior learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Primary+education%22">Primary education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+systems%22">Instructional systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expertise%22">Expertise</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electric+circuits%22">Electric circuits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Engineering+education%22">Engineering education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+learning%22">Experiential learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+development%22">Individual development</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Hands-on activities promote interest in engineering, but their use in primary education is under pressure due to doubts about their effect on learning. Based on the Challenge Point Framework, we hypothesized that an adaptive approach in which a pupil starts with tasks at its level of prior knowledge would raise the learning results of hands-on activities. This hypothesis was tested in a lesson about electric circuits. Two experiments were carried out that compared the adaptive with non-adaptive approaches. Skill levels of 444 nine to twelve-year-old pupils were measured with a performance-based task before and after a lesson in which they worked individually on tasks that matched or did not match their level of prior knowledge. Questionnaires were used to asses challenge adequacy. Skill levels were significantly higher at the post-test and a six-month delayed post-test but only for low performers on the pre-test. Starting with tasks that transcended the level of prior knowledge with a single level offered the optimal challenge for pupils with low levels of prior knowledge but reduced the results for pupils who knew more about electric circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Technology & Design Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=187094069 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10798-024-09952-z Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 24 StartPage: 1447 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Prior learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Primary education Type: general – SubjectFull: Instructional systems Type: general – SubjectFull: Expertise Type: general – SubjectFull: Electric circuits Type: general – SubjectFull: Engineering education Type: general – SubjectFull: Experiential learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Individual development Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Adapting the difficulty of hands-on tasks to pupils' prior knowledge: effects on challenge and skill development. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wammes, Dannie – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kester, Liesbeth – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Slof, Bert IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Text: Sep2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 09577572 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 35 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: International Journal of Technology & Design Education Type: main |
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