This research explores the benefits of teaching design thinking to middle school students. The design thinking process, with its emphasis on iterative rapid prototyping, portrayal of mistakes as learning opportunities, and mantra of “fail early and often” stands in stark contrast with the typical high-stakes, failure-averse culture of the classroom. Educators laud the process as a way to teach integrative STEM curriculum, foster 21st century skills, and engage students in constructivist learning. However, few studies have examined the potential motivational benefits for K-12 students who learn design thinking. Therefore, the present research explored if design thinking instruction could reframe how students perceived failures and teach them to iterate, or “try again,” as they engaged with complex problems. In two quasi-experimental studies, with 78 and 89 students respectively, I investigated the effectiveness of a brief intervention, intended to teach a critical component of design thinking – the iterative process of design – and its unique philosophy surrounding failure, whereby mistakes are natural and expected learning opportunities as students work towards increasingly better solutions to ill-defined problems. Students in an iterative design mindset condition (Mindset) learned about iterative rapid prototyping, employed the process on two different design challenges with embedded reflections, and developed brochures about design thinking. In a comparison STEM-focused condition (STEM), students participated in an analogous intervention focused on the importance of using science and math in design. Results from both studies indicated that Mindset students learned the philosophy and process of iterative rapid prototyping from the brief intervention and were able to transfer the process to a target design task. Furthermore, results confirmed a performance benefit to iterating early and often. Moreover, Study 2 results suggested that students in the Mindset condition developed more adaptive attitudes to failure, compared to students in the STEM condition. These studies provide compelling evidence that design thinking education has the potential to instill persistence in the face of ill-defined problems, reframe failure, and improve task performance for middle school students. This work also presents a model for evaluating the design thinking process using quasi-experimental studies and quantitative methods. This dissertation consists of a brief summary of relevant literature and two journal-style articles. First, I define design thinking and explain how iterative rapid prototyping connects to key motivational constructs in the classroom, ultimately resulting in improved engagement and performance. Next, a design case describes the final intervention used in Study 2 and notes the ways in which the learning sciences literature and the iterative development process informed its design. I consider trade-offs in the effort to develop curriculum for a research study and detail lessons learned along the way. Subsequently, an empirical chapter presents two studies of the design thinking intervention. I end by considering the implications of this body of research and suggest future directions for researchers interested in bringing design thinking into the classroom.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

by Koo, Ching Ngan Alfred. / Publication date from spine. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-206). / by Koo, Ching Ngan Alfred. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.iv / A LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.v / A LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES --- p.vi / A LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background to the Study --- p.1 / Aims of the Study --- p.3 / The Significance of the Study --- p.4 / The Research Questions --- p.6 / Definition of Terms --- p.7 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- THE CURRICULUM INNOVATION --- p.9 / Background to the Change --- p.9 / Nature of the Change --- p.10 / Characteristics of the Change --- p.11 / Image and Aims --- p.12 / Principles of Curriculum Organization --- p.16 / Teaching Strategies --- p.18 / Content --- p.19 / Time --- p.21 / Assessment --- p.22 / Scale of the Change --- p.23 / Characteristics of the Change in Context --- p.24 / How AS Design and Technology was Promoted in Schools --- p.25 / Nature of AS Design and Technology --- p.28 / Public Perception of Sixth Form Education & the Subject --- p.28 / Characteristics of Schools Offering AS Design and Technology --- p.31 / Characteristics of Prevocational Education --- p.31 / Teacher Development Prior to Innovation --- p.34 / Problems in Implementing Design and Technology in the Sixth Form --- p.36 / Availability and Use of Resources --- p.38 / Priority Given to Design and Technology by Schools --- p.39 / Teachers' Experience and Training --- p.40 / Status of Design and Technology --- p.42 / Student Achievement in Public Examinations --- p.43 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.45 / Implementation Studies --- p.45 / Three Approaches to Curriculum Implementation --- p.45 / Fidelity Perspective --- p.46 / Mutual Adaptation --- p.51 / Curriculum Enactment --- p.52 / Three Perspectives on Curriculum Change --- p.53 / Technological Perspective --- p.53 / Political Perspective --- p.55 / Cultural Perspective --- p.57 / Implementation as a Process of Change --- p.60 / The Decision-making Process of Adoption --- p.61 / Who Makes Adoption Decisions --- p.61 / How Adoption Decisions Are Made --- p.61 / Factors Associated with Adoption --- p.66 / Factors Affecting Implementation --- p.69 / Characteristics of Change --- p.70 / Local Characteristics --- p.71 / External Factors --- p.72 / Problems in Implementing Integrated and Non-academic Subjects --- p.74 / Implementation Studies in Hong Kong --- p.77 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.80 / Collection of Background Information --- p.83 / Survey --- p.84 / Population and Sample --- p.85 / Data Gathering Instrument --- p.86 / Data Gathering Procedures --- p.87 / Case Study --- p.88 / Case Selection --- p.89 / Data Gathering Methods and Instrument --- p.89 / Data Gathering Procedures --- p.92 / Document Analysis --- p.95 / Data Analysis --- p.95 / Limitations of This Study --- p.96 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- FINDINGS --- p.99 / Adoption Decision in Schools --- p.100 / Characteristics of Schools Involved in this Study --- p.100 / Characteristics of the Principals --- p.102 / Characteristics of the Assistant Principals --- p.102 / Characteristics of the Teachers --- p.103 / Sixth Form Subjects Offered by the Schools --- p.105 / Adoption Decision-making in Schools --- p.106 / Why Schools Did Not Offer AS Design and Technology --- p.111 / Why Some Schools Offered AS Design and Technology --- p.115 / Implementation of the New Subject in Case Schools --- p.121 / Image and Aims --- p.122 / Curriculum Organization --- p.124 / Teaching Strategy --- p.125 / Content --- p.129 / Time --- p.132 / Assessment --- p.135 / Why the Implementation Occurred as It Did --- p.139 / Difficulties Met by The Teachers --- p.142 / Conclusion --- p.153 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- DISCUSSION --- p.157 / Adoption Decision in Schools --- p.157 / Factors Associated with the Adoption Decision --- p.158 / Emergence of New Policy on Sixth Form Education --- p.158 / Appropriateness of Subject to Schools --- p.159 / Nature of Subject --- p.159 / Function of the Subject --- p.160 / Characteristics of Schools Adopting the Innovation --- p.161 / Availability of Appropriate Teacher --- p.162 / Availability of Appropriate Teaching Resources --- p.163 / Supports from the Central Agencies --- p.164 / Adoption Mechanism in Schools --- p.165 / Implementation of the New Subjects in Case Schools --- p.166 / Factors Relating to Implementation in Case Schools --- p.167 / Clarity and Complexity of the Change --- p.168 / Availability of Teaching Resources --- p.169 / Supports from Central Agencies --- p.170 / Supports from School --- p.171 / Credibility of Teacher --- p.172 / Student Adaptability --- p.175 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.180 / Conclusions to Research Questions --- p.180 / Recommendations for Improving Present Situation --- p.184 / Suggestions for Further Research --- p.190 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.193 / APPENDICES --- p.206

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education