Identity Development Within Educative Maker Programs
Date
2019-07-25
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the constructs that influence the development of identity within educative maker programs. As there is no empirical or theoretical model to inform the implementation of maker programs in education, this in-depth exploration was critical in understanding the importance of external constructs on the development of identity within early educative maker experiences. No similar study exists on identity work amid the fragmentation of disciplinary knowledge and application in educational contexts. New knowledge created from this research highlighted intentional constructs in educative maker programs to forge a strong social identity grounded in connectedness, effectiveness, and expansiveness. A qualitative case study design was selected to analyse emergent themes from an in- depth exploration of participant perception and understanding maker identity within the context of a non-curricular educative maker program grounded in robotics and explicit technical skill development. The study gathered data using a three-phased approach which included the use of questionnaire, interviews and observations. Four primary findings which emerged from the research. First, a connected identity, strengthened through the shared histories and experiences with co-participants in the local maker community, did not automatically forge a perceived identity within other parallel communities. Second, environmental and peer relationships were emphasized as critical constructs that offered support and comfort in taking risks in unfamiliar activity and adopting a new social identity in technical activity. Third, the successful performance within the boundary area of maker activity did not alter the need for constructs to offer continued support to forge an effective identity. Fourth, experiences of atypical representation within boundary areas was influential in perceived maker identity. The Conceptual Framework for the Development of Identity Within Educative Maker Programs that emerged from the findings of this qualitative case study offers a foundational understanding of influential constructs to consider for intentionally designing experiences in educative making.
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maker identity development, community of practice, maker programs, boundary work, educative making, makerspace, STEM
Citation
Kennedy, T. M. (2019). Identity Development Within Educative Maker Programs (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.