Using engineering activities to engage middle school students in physics and biology

It is well documented that female students show greater engagement with the biological sciences whilst male students gravitate towards the physical sciences. In this study, it is proposed that implementing learning programmes that utilise the engineering process has the potential to influence middle school students’ interest in academic disciplines where their gender is underrepresented. To foster boys’ and girls’ curiosity for and engagement with biology and physics, respectively, middle school students worked through a series of engineering tasks delivered by a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Education and Outreach Team. The activities included a series of hands-on workshops that focused on biomedical technology and the physics of human hearing and speech. The research included an analysis of data collected through student surveys. The survey included an adapted Draw-A-Scientist Test. The learning programme’s outcomes are discussed in terms of influence on student engagement and the way in which students identify with physics and biology careers and occupations.