{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140845"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140845","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Decision-Making during Elementary Technological/Engineering Design-Based Learning","abstract":"This research examines the decision-making subskills and informed decision-making strategies employed by third-grade STEM students during a technological and engineering (T/E) design challenge implemented through the Technological/Engineering Design-Based Learning (T/E DBL) pedagogical framework. Using a quasi-mixed method embedded multiple case study design, this study analyzed student responses to structured 2-1-1 prompts and unstructured Interactive Engineering Journals (IEJs) that documented their design process. Post-intervention, a stratified sample of 18 students—six from each of three third-grade classes—was selected for IEJ analysis, determined by the Spring 2025 Virginia Measures of Academic Progress Growth Reading Assessment (MAP) scores. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the decision-making skills and strategies utilized by third graders during T/E design challenges. Findings revealed that third grade students demonstrated a wide range of decision-making subskills and informed decision making strategies. These results underscored the role of T/E DBL in fostering decision-making skills, providing valuable insight into how young learners develop and apply decision-making in STEM contexts.","abstract_html":"This research examines the decision-making subskills and informed decision-making strategies employed by third-grade STEM students during a technological and engineering (T/E) design challenge implemented through the Technological/Engineering Design-Based Learning (T/E DBL) pedagogical framework. Using a quasi-mixed method embedded multiple case study design, this study analyzed student responses to structured 2-1-1 prompts and unstructured Interactive Engineering Journals (IEJs) that documented their design process. Post-intervention, a stratified sample of 18 students—six from each of three third-grade classes—was selected for IEJ analysis, determined by the Spring 2025 Virginia Measures of Academic Progress Growth Reading Assessment (MAP) scores. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the decision-making skills and strategies utilized by third graders during T/E design challenges. Findings revealed that third grade students demonstrated a wide range of decision-making subskills and informed decision making strategies. These results underscored the role of T/E DBL in fostering decision-making skills, providing valuable insight into how young learners develop and apply decision-making in STEM contexts.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Larson, Elizabeth Amy Paddock"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Curriculum and Instruction","degree_department":"Education, Vocational-Technical","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Wells, John Gaulden"],"committee_members":["Williams, Thomas O.","Fortune, Donna J.","Mukuni, Joseph Siloka"],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-01-15","date_published":"2026-01-15","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:27Z","subjects":["Integrative STEM Education","Technology and Engineering Design-Based Learning","Elementary Education","Decision-Making"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45401"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:45401","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140845","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Wells, John Gaulden"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Williams, Thomas O.","Fortune, Donna J.","Mukuni, Joseph Siloka"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Education, Vocational-Technical"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Larson, Elizabeth Amy Paddock"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-01-16T09:01:10Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-01-16T09:01:10Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-01-15"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Curriculum and Instruction"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Integrative STEM Education","Technology and Engineering Design-Based Learning","Elementary Education","Decision-Making"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45401"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140845"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research examines the decision-making subskills and informed decision-making strategies employed by third-grade STEM students during a technological and engineering (T/E) design challenge implemented through the Technological/Engineering Design-Based Learning (T/E DBL) pedagogical framework. Using a quasi-mixed method embedded multiple case study design, this study analyzed student responses to structured 2-1-1 prompts and unstructured Interactive Engineering Journals (IEJs) that documented their design process. Post-intervention, a stratified sample of 18 students—six from each of three third-grade classes—was selected for IEJ analysis, determined by the Spring 2025 Virginia Measures of Academic Progress Growth Reading Assessment (MAP) scores. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the decision-making skills and strategies utilized by third graders during T/E design challenges. Findings revealed that third grade students demonstrated a wide range of decision-making subskills and informed decision making strategies. These results underscored the role of T/E DBL in fostering decision-making skills, providing valuable insight into how young learners develop and apply decision-making in STEM contexts."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["This study explored how third-grade students used decision-making subskills and strategies while completing a technological and engineering (T/E) design challenge. The project used a teaching approach called design-based learning, where students identify a problem, plan possible solutions, test their ideas, and revise their work. To understand how students made decisions throughout this process, the study examined their Interactive Engineering Journals (IEJs), in which they recorded sketches, ideas, and explanations of their thinking and responded to researcher-provided prompts. After the T/E Design Challenge, 18 student IEJs were selected for detailed analysis—6 from each of 3 third-grade classrooms. These students were chosen based on their spring 2025 reading assessment scores so the study could capture how different learners approach decision-making during a design task. The results showed that third graders used a wide variety of decision-making subskills and strategies during the design challenge. Students asked questions, described the problem, considered different design options, gathered information, sketched ideas, and explained how and why they made certain choices during the design process. They also demonstrated decision-making strategies such as reflective thinking, collaboration, testing, and revising their designs, as well as using evidence to support their decisions. The study found that the T/E design challenge naturally encourages students to engage in decision-making. These findings highlight how T/E design challenges can help young learners build the problem-solving and reasoning skills they will need throughout their education."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Decision-Making during Elementary Technological/Engineering Design-Based Learning"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Wells, John Gaulden"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Williams, Thomas O.","Fortune, Donna J.","Mukuni, Joseph Siloka"],"dc:contributor.department":["Education, Vocational-Technical"],"dc:creator":["Larson, Elizabeth Amy Paddock"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-01-16T09:01:10Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-01-16T09:01:10Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-01-15"],"dc:description.abstract":["This research examines the decision-making subskills and informed decision-making strategies employed by third-grade STEM students during a technological and engineering (T/E) design challenge implemented through the Technological/Engineering Design-Based Learning (T/E DBL) pedagogical framework. Using a quasi-mixed method embedded multiple case study design, this study analyzed student responses to structured 2-1-1 prompts and unstructured Interactive Engineering Journals (IEJs) that documented their design process. Post-intervention, a stratified sample of 18 students—six from each of three third-grade classes—was selected for IEJ analysis, determined by the Spring 2025 Virginia Measures of Academic Progress Growth Reading Assessment (MAP) scores. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the decision-making skills and strategies utilized by third graders during T/E design challenges. Findings revealed that third grade students demonstrated a wide range of decision-making subskills and informed decision making strategies. 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These students were chosen based on their spring 2025 reading assessment scores so the study could capture how different learners approach decision-making during a design task. The results showed that third graders used a wide variety of decision-making subskills and strategies during the design challenge. Students asked questions, described the problem, considered different design options, gathered information, sketched ideas, and explained how and why they made certain choices during the design process. They also demonstrated decision-making strategies such as reflective thinking, collaboration, testing, and revising their designs, as well as using evidence to support their decisions. The study found that the T/E design challenge naturally encourages students to engage in decision-making. 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