Systematic Review About Students’ Conceptions of Engineering Accessed Through Drawings: Implications to STEAM Education

Abstract

We aim to review students’ conceptions of engineers and engineering accessed through their drawings. Accordingly, we enrolled in a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocols. For that, we established the Web of Science as the source of information. After applying eligibility criteria, the search resulted in ten records. We observed that many reviewed studies enrolled in research designs which contained comparisons of groups, cohorts (cross-age) or pre-post-tests. However, they generally overlooked appropriate statistical tests. Overall, the studies evidenced that most students conceive engineers as males who work individually in manual activities and outdoor environments. The major contribution of this study is providing an overview of the investigation of children’s conceptions of engineering. Additionally, we call attention to the need for more research, teacher training, and carefully planned and executed activities that enhance students’ conceptions of engineers and engineering instead of worsening stereotypes—especially considering current curriculum proposals, such as STEAM education embracing engineering at precollege levels.