2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Assessing Design Thinking Mindset: Using Factor Analysis to Reexamine Instrument Validity

Presented at Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Technical Session 27

This method paper analyzes validity evidence of the Design Thinking Mindset Questionnaire and extends the capacity of researchers and practitioners to measure design thinking. Specifically, this project investigates the potential development of design thinking mindset among secondary students by appraising the validity of an existing design thinking mindset survey when used in the secondary-education context. Despite its importance, design thinking is invisible like other forms of cognition, presenting difficulty when monitoring students’ development as design thinkers. Dosi et al. (2018) worked on measuring design thinking mindset resulting in a 71-item instrument to assess design thinking mindset based on 22 constructs. Our ongoing research involves design thinking mindset and we had interest in the questionnaire. However, differences between the present administration and the original use of the questionnaire warrant further investigation of the validity of the measurement tool. To examine the instrument’s validity, we apply exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to compare the originally prescribed factor structure and an empirically obtained model. These findings offer insight about the stability of the latent structure of design thinking mindset and the utility of the assessment tool in this context. By verifying the quality of the instrument in a secondary education context, researchers and practitioners may be better equipped to determine changes in this mindset among secondary students who are beginning their journey as designers.

Authors

Dr. Andrew Jackson http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2882-3052 University of Georgia [biography]

Andrew Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Workforce Education at the University of Georgia. His teaching and research interests are to support design-based learning and teaching in technology and engineering contexts. His past work has bridged cutting-edge soft robotics research to develop and evaluate novel design experiences in K-12 education, followed students' self-regulation and trajectories while designing, and produced new instruments for assessing design decision-making. Andrew received a PhD in Technology through Purdue's Polytechnic Institute, with an emphasis on Engineering and Technology Teacher Education, and completed postdoctoral research at Yale University. He is the recipient of a 2015 Ross Fellowship from Purdue University and has been recognized as a 21st Century Fellow by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association.
Mr. Daniel Bayah University of Georgia
Prof. Nathan Mentzer Purdue University [biography]

Nathan Mentzer is a professor in the Purdue Polytechnic with a joint appointment in the College of Education at Purdue University. Hired as a part of the strategic P12 STEM initiative, he prepares Technology and Engineering teachers for state certification.
Dr. Scott Bartholomew Brigham Young University
Mr. Scott Thorne http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3742-8903 Purdue University [biography]

Scott Thorne is a doctoral candidate at Purdue University in Technology, Leadership, and Innovation, and a Purdue Doctoral Fellow. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and Technology Teacher Education in 2009, and a master’s degree in Technology, Leadership, and Innovation in 2021, both from Purdue University. His research focuses on meaningful dual credit experiences, and teaching tools and strategies for the 9-12 engineering and technology classroom. Scott has taught Engineering & Technology at the high school level in Indiana and Iowa, Design Thinking as an instructor at Purdue, and has engineering experience in design and manufacturing. He is also currently serves as a board member for Indiana TSA as the Competitive Events Coordinator.
Ms. Wonki Lee http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0007-1023 Purdue University [biography]

Wonki Lee is pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Instructionâ€™s Literacy and Language program at Purdue University. She received her B.A and M.S in Korean Language Education from Seoul National University, South Korea. She served culturally and linguistical

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