Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Theses

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    How Makerspaces Encourage Deep Learning in Young Children: A Case Study
    Ross, Emma Natalie ( 2022)
    Globalisation and rapid technological change have created an ever-changing workforce with more importance being placed on the ability to think creatively and strategically problem solve than ever before. If we want today’s learners to thrive now and in the future by rising to meet new challenges then learning and schooling must be reimagined. The Maker Movement is making an increasingly significant impact on the educational landscape around the world and school makerspaces are an example of a pioneering change education organisations are adopting as they rethink traditional classrooms and pedagogies to better equip students with skills required for a successful future. Research indicates that makerspaces have the potential to generate significant contributions to student learning; however, there is little information about how a dedicated makerspace contributes to the teaching and learning in early years settings. This thesis aims to provide insights into and suggestions for education systems and schools in implementing a school makerspace by: 1. Identifying connections between the teaching and learning of creativity, collaboration and critical thinking and the physical makerspace 2. Outlining the benefits and challenges of teaching and learning in a makerspace and connections that can be made to the curriculum. 3. Creating a case study of a primary school makerspace, including detailed vignettes of makerspace lessons, which will act as an exemplar for widespread inspiration and transformative pedagogies. The overall research design of the study was an Exploratory Case Study (Yin, 1994). The research site was a makerspace in a metropolitan Victorian government primary school, involving teachers and children in the early years of school. Subsequent data collection involved makerspace lesson observations, teacher semi-structured interviews and the collection of learning artefacts in the form of photographs and student work samples. This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the discourse around new imaginings for the future of schooling by exploring the pedagogies and learning experiences in a school makerspace and examining the impact that they have on the development of Deep Learning Capabilities (Fullan, 2012) required for a successful future, exploring the potential they have to revolutionise education.