A Qualitative Analysis of Student Learning After the Completion of Maker Education Programs: Influences on the Choice of Engineering Majors

The aim of the study was to analyze the learning growth of students who previously underwent maker education training and to investigate the factors that influenced their decisions to choose engineering majors. The research focused on tracing the learning trajectory of each student from the completion of the maker program to college admission. Ten college students majoring in engineering disciplines were interviewed. A phenomenographic and qualitative research method was adopted. The research findings confirmed that computational thinking and engineering design skills, emphasized in maker education, had a positive influence on the learning performance of students in subsequent technology -related courses. Furthermore, experiences in maker learning reinforced the determination of students to choose engineering majors.