Project goals & objectives
The goal of this project is to introduce the construct, framing agency and build theory by relating it to key outcomes. The goal will be met through specific research (R) and education (E) objectives:
- R1: Phase 1: refine framing agency as a construct using qualitative analysis of existing cases;
- R2: Phase 2: develop a valid and reliable measure of framing agency;
- R3: Phase 3: relate framing agency to key outcomes, such as innovative design and identify formation; and
- E1: Phase 4: develop and implement a constellation of instructional tools to support framing agency.
Project activities
Phase 1: Understanding Framing Agency as a construct
Using interaction and discourse analysis, we analyze existing data to answer the following questions:
RQ1a: How and when do students make decisions that are consequential to their designing & learning?
RQ1b: What actions and resources support students to (re)frame their problems?
Phase 2: Measuring Framing Agency
We will develop and validate a survey to answer the following questions:
RQ2a: What themes emerge from participants’ talk about their framing agency in specific contexts?
RQ2b: Which themes must be included to reliably and validly measure framing agency?
Phase 3: Building theory about Framing Agency
We will conduct regression modeling to answer the following questions:
To what extent does framing agency explain variance in:
RQ3a: intent to persist in engineering?
RQ3b: professional engineering identity development?
RQ3c: relevant learning outcomes?
RQ3d: innovative design outcomes?
Phase 4: Supporting the development of Framing Agency
We will conduct design-based research to answer the following questions:
How might the following support the development of framing agency?
RQ4a: Explicit positioning of students as designers who must formulate the problem.
RQ4b: A wrong theory protocol that helps students understand and generate novel ideas about the problem.
RQ4c: Design conjecture/reflection maps that support students to trace the development of their understanding of decisions related to the problem over time.
The timeline below is approximate.
Using interaction and discourse analysis, we analyze existing data to answer the following questions:
RQ1a: How and when do students make decisions that are consequential to their designing & learning?
RQ1b: What actions and resources support students to (re)frame their problems?
Phase 2: Measuring Framing Agency
We will develop and validate a survey to answer the following questions:
RQ2a: What themes emerge from participants’ talk about their framing agency in specific contexts?
RQ2b: Which themes must be included to reliably and validly measure framing agency?
Phase 3: Building theory about Framing Agency
We will conduct regression modeling to answer the following questions:
To what extent does framing agency explain variance in:
RQ3a: intent to persist in engineering?
RQ3b: professional engineering identity development?
RQ3c: relevant learning outcomes?
RQ3d: innovative design outcomes?
Phase 4: Supporting the development of Framing Agency
We will conduct design-based research to answer the following questions:
How might the following support the development of framing agency?
RQ4a: Explicit positioning of students as designers who must formulate the problem.
RQ4b: A wrong theory protocol that helps students understand and generate novel ideas about the problem.
RQ4c: Design conjecture/reflection maps that support students to trace the development of their understanding of decisions related to the problem over time.
The timeline below is approximate.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC 1751369. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
