This study investigates the use of concept maps to explore the conceptual knowledge of technology education students as a result of design and problem-solving activities in an undergraduate technology education class called Energy, Power, and Transportation. The research questions were: (1) What concepts and propositions are revealed through the concept maps before the instruction and design and problem-solving activity in the technology education classroom? (2) What concepts and propositions are revealed through the concept maps as a result of design and problem-solving activity in the technology education classroom? and (3) Will a comparison of the student generated pre and post concept maps relate to the standards for technology education, other technology education taxonomies, and/or the teacher’s intent?
This study is based on a qualitative research methodology with quantitative data that was used to strengthen the qualitative interpretations. The quantitative data was generated from the comparison of the technology education students’ pre and post concept maps. Evidence was also collected from several sources related to the three design and problem-solving activities conducted in an undergraduate technology education teacher education course called Energy, Power, and Transportation I. The evidence included the following: student’s pre and post concept maps, the instructor’s concept maps, participant observations, semi-structured interviews with the students and the instructor, semi-structured interviews with the students via instant messaging, and documentation of the student’s write ups, and the instructor’s handouts and lesson plans. A constructivist perspective was utilized in this study to help interpret the evidence collected throughout this study.
The findings suggested that the student generated pre-concept maps prior to the design and problem-solving activities revealed students’ utilization of their pre-existing knowledge, either from previous courses or from other design and problem-solving activities to generate their pre-concept maps. The pre-concept maps also revealed preconceptions or misconceptions the students held in regard to the knowledge domain. The post-concept maps, observations, interviews, and write-ups/evaluations suggested that the students learned and developed technology concepts as a result of the design and problem-solving activities through meaningful learning and through the problem-solving process in a constructivist learning theory.