Investigating how a technology-enhanced, systems thinking-oriented engineering course influences students’ attitudes towards design and technology

Kurent, Brina (author), Avsec, Stanislav (author)

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in students’ attitudes towards design and technology in different Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based learning environments for technical and engineering subjects. Students’ positive attitudes towards the subject can promote deeper knowledge transfer and reduce anxiety about technology. Teachers who have a positive attitude towards the subject tend to promote a high-quality learning process. A total of 44 students participated in this study, with the experimental group and the control group each consisting of 22 students. For this study, we used a quasi-experimental research design with pre- and post-tests and a control variable for ICT engagement. The results suggest that the technology-enhanced systems thinking approach has significant effects on perceptions of the difficulty of technology and engineering differences in students’ attitudes towards design and technology, while perceived autonomy in ICT use can increase motivation and engagement. Feeling competent in ICT use may increase perceived interest, awareness, and aspirations for design and technology and reduce tediousness and gender differences in technology and engineering.

• Language: English
• Keywords: design, technology and engineering, technology-enhanced systems thinking, attitudes towards design and technology, ICT engagement, technology teacher education
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 22 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 9, art. 1256
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175011
• UDC: 378:62
• ISSN on article: 2227-7102
• DOI: 10.3390/educsci15091256
• COBISS.SI-ID: 252683523
• Publication date in RUL: 13.10.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Education sciences
• Shortened title: Educ. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2227-7102
• COBISS.SI-ID: 520257817

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: tehnološko izpopolnjen sistem, mišljenje, oblikovanje in tehnika, vključevanje IKT, izobraževanje učiteljev, samoocenjevanje, bodoči vzgojitelji predšolske vzgoje, višje in visokošolsko izobraževanje, tehnika