Getting the Picture: Developing Intrinsic Motivation to Self-Regulate Engineering Documentation Practices in a High School Drone Design Challenge
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| Title: | Getting the Picture: Developing Intrinsic Motivation to Self-Regulate Engineering Documentation Practices in a High School Drone Design Challenge |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Rachel N. Bonnette (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Engineering Education. 2025 114(3). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | 1735945 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | High Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | High School Students, Student Motivation, Engineering, Documentation, Aviation Technology, Design, Cooperative Learning, Teamwork, Success, Failure, Student Projects |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jee.70019 |
| ISSN: | 1069-4730 2168-9830 |
| Abstract: | Background: Engineers must learn to document their process to communicate effectively in teams--a skill that calls for knowing "how" and "when" to capture information, as well as the self-regulation to continually engage in this practice. Motivation to self-regulate requires that students be motivated to complete a goal and see value in the practice toward accomplishing that goal, raising the question of how students' experiences while participating in an engineering design task impact their motivation to self-regulate their documentation practices. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the sequence of events that lead to changes in students' "motivation to self-regulate" documentation practices to support their design process. Method: We use Organismic Integration Theory on the phases of intrinsic motivation to self-regulate as a lens in a case study to capture the collective growth of a high school engineering design team collaborating over the course of a semester-long drone design challenge. Results: Findings demonstrate that both "successes and failures" played an intimate role in increasing intrinsic motivation to engage in self-regulatory practices, as increased motivation to see their drone fly pushed students to question the role of documentation in the design process. Conclusion: When high school students work on intrinsically motivating projects with opportunities for both successes and failures, they can learn to self-regulate documentation practices. We discuss the implications for instruction and research in turn. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1478486 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Background: Engineers must learn to document their process to communicate effectively in teams--a skill that calls for knowing "how" and "when" to capture information, as well as the self-regulation to continually engage in this practice. Motivation to self-regulate requires that students be motivated to complete a goal and see value in the practice toward accomplishing that goal, raising the question of how students' experiences while participating in an engineering design task impact their motivation to self-regulate their documentation practices. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the sequence of events that lead to changes in students' "motivation to self-regulate" documentation practices to support their design process. Method: We use Organismic Integration Theory on the phases of intrinsic motivation to self-regulate as a lens in a case study to capture the collective growth of a high school engineering design team collaborating over the course of a semester-long drone design challenge. Results: Findings demonstrate that both "successes and failures" played an intimate role in increasing intrinsic motivation to engage in self-regulatory practices, as increased motivation to see their drone fly pushed students to question the role of documentation in the design process. Conclusion: When high school students work on intrinsically motivating projects with opportunities for both successes and failures, they can learn to self-regulate documentation practices. We discuss the implications for instruction and research in turn. |
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| ISSN: | 1069-4730 2168-9830 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jee.70019 |
