The Link between Applied Technical Knowledge and Non-cognitive Traits

Transcription

1 The Link between Applied Technical Knowledge and Non-cognitive Traits ALA KOVIERIENE Department of Mechanical Engineering Siauliai University Vilnius str., 141, Siauliai LITHUANIA Abstract: The paper introduced part of an investigation which attempts to assess the link between applied technical and non-cognitive traits. The link between non-cognitive variables and applied technical was assessed by applying correlation, factor and regression analyses. Tests of applied technical, and questionnaires on behavior in engineering and interest in natural science were adopted for the investigation. Pupils from comprehensive, vocational schools, as well as students from universities and colleges, participated in the research conducted. The levels of the boys results for applied technical correspond with the results of the factors: Ability, skills, know-how, and Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and. It was found that the factor is significant for girls. The influence of non-cognitive characteristics is different in respect of gender. Key-Words: - Applied technical, non-cognitive traits, assessment, statistical methods. 1 Introduction The achievements of any activity depend on social, psychological and educational factors. It is necessary to discuss and determine the correlation of non-cognitive personal characteristics provisions, motivations, interests, emotions, purposes, experiences with technical. Provision depends on experience and its influence in new situations. Thus, provisions form in the process of experience; therefore, they can be changed in the course of time and various inner and outer factors have influence. The quality of technical is closely related to one of the main components of provision motivation. If a young man does not have any motives to use technical he will not achieve good work results. Every form of a person s behavior may be determined by both inner and outer reasons. The inner factors include motives, necessities, purposes, intentions, interests etc.; the outer factors include the motivations aroused by the present situation. Three forms in inner motivation were distinguished: getting to know one s inner motivation, improving one s inner motivation and experiencing the inner motivation [1], [2]. Interest is one of various psychological phenomena identified with a motive or activity motivation, which is given a lot of attention. When various factors arouse interest, the purpose of an activity appears. Interests and purposes are two important motivational variables, influencing a person s activity. The interests make the person search actively for ways to satisfy the ambitious aims [3]. The correlation of motives and interests with technical (often with other cognitive characteristics) has been studied by many scientists [4], [5], [6]. The object of research of the latter two scientists was the influence of motivated study upon study results, spatial thinking and understanding of mechanical relations. They used 20 diagnostic instruments, which show that one needs a very wide range of features in order to reveal the influence of motives and interests upon general education, spatial thinking and understanding of mechanical relations. Acquired information and the totality of learned factors are important in the formation of of all fields [7], [8]. The correlation of education and experience was presented in the literature [9]. The researcher underlined that the educational system should be organized in such a way that the taught characteristics can be revealed through activity, which needs creative imagination, active supervision and awareness and adaptation of new information. These thoughts explain completely the process of self-education and education in technical ISBN:

2 . Based upon scientists' researches and the results of their practical application, technical educational institutions try to organize students (especially of 1 st year) practical education through close cooperation with industrial enterprises and qualified engineers [10], [11]. One of the aims of technical education is the creation of the individual s stable state of mind, when a young man has enough about the technology, that he is not afraid of person - machine relations. Also the aim of a young man who has chosen a technical school is to achieve a high qualification in a chosen profession as well as self-confidence. In present day Lithuania, when engineering specialties are not prestigious and are poorly taught (in comparison with bankers, lawyers, etc.) the young men have little motivation and do not see the worth of developing their interest in technology. 475 young people were surveyed. They included students at Siauliai University Technological Faculty. Others were from colleges, tertiary technical schools, comprehensive schools, gymnasiums and vocational schools. The age of the respondents varied from 14 to 25 years old. 65.3% of them were male and 34.7% were female % of the research respondents hade chosen technical education (the students of Siauliai University Technological Faculty, tertiary technical school, vocational technical schools), while 55.79% had not yet decided on their careers or had chosen nontechnical education (from main, secondary, secondary adult schools or gymnasiums, as well as business colleges). 2 Instruments for measuring the applied technical and noncognitive traits of Lithuania s youths The first of the chosen instruments that was used to solve the problem raised is the MTV test, which was created in Germany [12] and adapted to Lithuanian conditions. Its objectivity, reliability and external and internal validities have been tested. The following validity factors for this test were identified: purposeful combination and meaningful supplementation ability, and logical thinking. All 32 tasks, with optional answers, reflect practicaltechnical problems and can be solved mentally. It was noted that 5 items had low corrected item total correlation of items. These items were removed from the test, making the internal test consistency stronger (Cronbach α = 0.82). An example of the tasks is presented in Figure 1. In item 16, several components determine the movement of other components, so the movement of the whole system must be analysed at the same time and it is not possible to imagine the movement in one s mind in parts. To solve the problem, spatial working memory has to be utilised at full capacity. The corrected item total correlation coefficient is How is the weight going to move? Answers A Jerking in direction A, B Jerking in direction B, C Forwards and backwards, D Will stay still. Fig. 1: Task 16 of the applied technical test On the basis of the results obtained, it is possible to confirm that the test of applied technical is valid in respect of the assessment construct of the applied technical of Lithuanian teenagers and young people. Instruments for assessing non-cognitive personal traits were used in the research the author has devised questionnaires entitled Young people and engineering and Interest in Natural Sciences. The link between applied technical and non-cognitive traits was assessed by applying correlation and multiple regression analyses. The application of regression analysis methods also helped to find the statistical relation between the diagnostic variables of the research. Multiple regression analysis was used in order to find the connections between the test results, which show technical sophistication and the individual s noncognitive personality. The results of the tests showing every level of applied technical (whole population; boys and girls separately) were separately analyzed. The first questionnaire consists of 7 subscales in which to give responses requiring the approval or the rejection of the chosen level (N item = 72): 1) Toys; 2) Family; ISBN:

3 3) Household appliances; 4) Leisure time; 5) Books, press, TV; 6) Their desires and perceptions; 7) Admiring people working with appliances and. The selection of questionnaire items is wellgrounded, accords with the stated aims and was checked by applying factor analysis as well as other statistical methods. The measurements carried out allow us to maintain that the factors singled out and used in the research by applying the questionnaire reveal the teenagers and young people s attitudes to engineering. In each subscale factor analysis, using the basic components and testing the internal consistency of the determination methods, we determined the factor loading of the test item and item-total correlation. The correlation coefficients between the factors in the Young people and engineering questionnaire and the results of the test of applied technical are presented in Table 1. Table 1: The correlation coefficients of the results for applied technical and the Young people and engineering questionnaire Result of applied Factor technical 0.342** Father's influence on the young person's technical Mother's influence on the young person's technical 0,183** Ability, skills, know-how 0.413** Interest in technical 0.374** literature Organizing leisure connected with 0.324** engineering Distinguishing perceptions of aesthetic elements of appliances Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working 0.417** with appliances and ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2- The results for applied technical have a substantial correlation with the two factors: Ability, skills, know-how, and Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and, and a low correlation with the factors, Interest in technical literature, Organizing leisure connected with engineering. For the other factors there is no correlation relationship with results for applied technical. The correlation coefficients between factors of the Interest in Natural Sciences questionnaire and the results of the test of applied technical are presented in Table 2. Table 2: The correlation coefficients of the results for applied technical and the Interest in Natural Sciences questionnaire Factor Results of applied technical 0.196** Interest in chemistry 0.094* (*) Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2- (**) Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-3 The results of coherence assessment of the applied technical and non-cognitive traits The regression analysis is done in order to determine the dependency of the Young people and engineering, and Interest in Natural Sciences questionnaires revealing non-cognitive features and z-results of the test of applied technical. First of all we do a statistical generalization of the results for the whole population. Then we do the same generalization separately for boys and girls. After the regression analysis of the whole population and a general number of variables, it was determined that the independent variables Interest in chemistry, Father's influence on the young person's technical, Mother's influence on the young person's technical, Organizing leisure connected with engineering, Interest in technical literature, Distinguishing perceptions of aesthetic elements of appliances do not have an influence upon applied technical. The other factors characterizing a person s noncognitive features were united into one regression ISBN:

4 model and analyzed as independent variables, of which there were 5. The test results for applied technical are a dependent variable. Table 3: The significance of the grouped noncognitive (R = 0.488, R Square = 0.239) Non-cognitive Beta Sig. predictors Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and The regression analysis showed that the correlation coefficient R = 0.488, determination coefficient R Square = This suggests that that indicated factors (Beta = 0.152, p = 0.012), (Beta = 0.182, p = 0.010), Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and (Beta = 0.178, p = 0.003), Ability, skills, know-how (Beta = 0.166, p = 0.005), (Beta = 0.145, p = 0.002) are quite valid elements influencing applied technical (Table 3). The regression analysis data concerning the relation of the test results for the boys applied technical with non-cognitive characteristics are presented in Table 4. Table 4: The significance of the grouped noncognitive of boys (R = 0.351, R Square = 0.123) Non-cognitive predictors Beta Sig. Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and Essential coefficients of the relation of these factors are determined as follows: Ability, skills, know-how Beta = 0.134, p = 0.037; Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and Beta = 0.205, p = 0.002; Interest in biology Beta = 0.156, p = Table 5: The significance of the grouped noncognitive of girls (R = 0.283, R Square = 0.080) Non-cognitive Beta Sig. predictors Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and The regression analysis data showing the relation of the results for the girls dependent and independent variables are presented in Table 5. Only one factor having a high Beta coefficient and p importance level was indicated. This is Behavior with toys (Beta = 0.244, p = The other factors analyzed do not influence the results of girls applied technical. The coefficients of determination in Tables 4 and 5 are not high. This shows that these factors explain the variation of tests results for only 12.3% of boys and 8% of girls. The regression analysis results do not properly explain the real situation, that is, the influence of non-cognitive variables upon applied technical. 4 Conclusions 1. The results of the regression analysis of the dependent variable applied technical and the non-dependent variable non-cognitive personality traits proved the hypothesis that an individual s non-cognitive traits are one of the factors explaining applied. 2. Five significant factors were determined whole population studied. These factors have an influence upon applied technical. They are:, Ability, skills, know-how in private life,, Interest in ISBN:

5 biology, Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and. The research results show that Father's influence on the young person's technical, Mother's influence on the young person's technical, Organizing leisure connected with engineering, and Distinguishing perceptions of aesthetic elements of appliances do not influence applied technical. 3. Ability, skills, know-how, and Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and greatly influence boys applied technical. 4. Only two of the five indicated factors have significant coefficients and level of importance. It was noticed that influenced girls applied, while acquired by boys is related to Ability, skills, know-how and Evolution of one s own desires and perceptions, admiring people working with appliances and. References: [1] Ryan, R., & Deci, E. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78, Retrieved [2010], from ons/documents/2000ryandecisdt.pdf [2] Huitt, W. Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive, Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University, Retrieved [2004], from n/motivate.html [3] Petrovsky, A. V. O nekotorykh problemakh sotsialno-psychologicheskikh issledovanii [On some problems of social-psychological research]. Voprosy Psychologii [Psychology Questions], 4, [4] Franken, R. Human motivation (5th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole, [5] Deci, E. L. The relation of interest to the motivation of behavior: A self-determination of theory perspective. In K. A. Renninger, S. Hidi, A. Krapp (eds.), The role of interest in learning and development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 43 70, [6] Schiefele, U. Interest and learning from text. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3, , [7] Becker, B. A Case Study in Applied Learning Experiences. Paper presented at the 37 th Annual Conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. Detroit, Michigan, [8] Kaufman, S., Simons, R. Quantitative and Research Methods in Planning: Are Schools Teaching What Practitioners Practice? Journal of Planning Education and Research, 15, 17 33, [9] Aiškinyt, R. John Dewey ugdymo filosofija. [Philosophy of Moral Education of John Dewey]. Švietimo reforma ir mokytojų rengimas [Reform of education and teacher training]. VI tarptautin mokslin konferencija [VI International Scientific Conference]. Mokslo darbai [Scientific works], I d. Vilnius, [10] Lewis Jr., L. G. A Model for Engineering Practice in the Twenty-first Century, Retrieved [2008], from eatures/lewis.pdf [11] Coleman, J. R. Studio for Engineering practice, STEP, Lessons Learned about Engineering Practice. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Retrieved [2006], from tm [12] Liniert, G. A. Mechanisch Technischer Verständnistest. [Mechanical-technical comprehension testing]. Göttingen: Hogrefe, ISBN: