期刊名称:Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association
出版年度:2009
卷号:0
期号:0
语种:English
出版社:The Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA)
摘要:There has been a general decline in the number of students applying for engineering programs among Western nation’s universities over the last decade. For this society to continue advancing, particularly with the growing emphasis on sustainable practices, it is necessary to reverse this trend and grow the number of students who choose engineering as a profession. It is generally accepted that kindergarten through high school (K-12) education has significant influence on a student’s choice of university programs. It is proposed that initiatives be developed to foster interest in the profession of engineering long before students make post-secondary education choices. Potential mechanisms to fulfill this need could include direct student curricular programs, development for teachers, and outreach opportunities for students. As a first step, this paper discusses an initial investigation into current K-12 approaches to increasing awareness of and interest in engineering, as well as the effectiveness of the approaches.