Abstract
Abstract
Stereotypical gender perceptions towards STEM and design subjects in the UK secondary education curriculum influence young peoples’ university choices and future career aspirations. Teacher type-casting and self-labelling from a young age often result in self-fulfilling prophecies, meaning students miss out on life-changing opportunities. This paper proposes introducing e-textiles into the curriculum as a cross-disciplinary medium to foster cooperative learning practices. It explores the potential of e-textiles to influence students’ choices for higher education and alter siloed approaches to teaching. Online questionnaires administered pre- and post-research ascertained how e-textiles influenced student perceptions of design and STEM subjects and how their experiences could impact future university study choices. The research employed methodologies of co-design and co-creation. A series of participatory design workshops encouraged male and female secondary school students from physics, technology, and art and design disciplines to engage in multidisciplinary practices through e-textiles. Ethnographic observations were captured via video and supplemented with student-generated, online blogs. Collaborative peer-learning fostered the creation of textile sensors. The textiles were collaged and programmed to showcase an interactive e-textile wall. Follow on design-thinking workshops and a hackathon enabled students across subject disciplines to apply their new knowledge to a range of real-world contexts. Reflective questionnaires illuminated staff experiences of team teaching and multidisciplinary approaches. The assimilated data highlighted the project achievements and the value of co-creation as a learning approach. The outcomes indicated that students perceptions of textile and STEM subjects, and their views on future subject choices at university and been positively influenced.
Stereotypical gender perceptions towards STEM and design subjects in the UK secondary education curriculum influence young peoples’ university choices and future career aspirations. Teacher type-casting and self-labelling from a young age often result in self-fulfilling prophecies, meaning students miss out on life-changing opportunities. This paper proposes introducing e-textiles into the curriculum as a cross-disciplinary medium to foster cooperative learning practices. It explores the potential of e-textiles to influence students’ choices for higher education and alter siloed approaches to teaching. Online questionnaires administered pre- and post-research ascertained how e-textiles influenced student perceptions of design and STEM subjects and how their experiences could impact future university study choices. The research employed methodologies of co-design and co-creation. A series of participatory design workshops encouraged male and female secondary school students from physics, technology, and art and design disciplines to engage in multidisciplinary practices through e-textiles. Ethnographic observations were captured via video and supplemented with student-generated, online blogs. Collaborative peer-learning fostered the creation of textile sensors. The textiles were collaged and programmed to showcase an interactive e-textile wall. Follow on design-thinking workshops and a hackathon enabled students across subject disciplines to apply their new knowledge to a range of real-world contexts. Reflective questionnaires illuminated staff experiences of team teaching and multidisciplinary approaches. The assimilated data highlighted the project achievements and the value of co-creation as a learning approach. The outcomes indicated that students perceptions of textile and STEM subjects, and their views on future subject choices at university and been positively influenced.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Unpublished - 8 Sept 2022 |
| Event | FTC Association of Fashion Textile Courses Futurescan 5: Conscious Communities: Conscious Communities - Nexus, University of Leeds Discovery Way Leeds LS2 3AA, Leeds, United Kingdom Duration: 7 Sept 2022 → 8 Sept 2022 Conference number: 5 https://ftc-online.org.uk/futurescan-5/ |
Conference
| Conference | FTC Association of Fashion Textile Courses Futurescan 5: Conscious Communities |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | FTC Conscious Communities |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Leeds |
| Period | 7/09/22 → 8/09/22 |
| Internet address |
