Developing Young Engineers Through Design Thinking in Primary Science Education

Primary school students need critical and creative thinking skills for problem-solving. To enhance these skills, the design thinking approach is useful in science education for innovation, which is part of STEM. This paper aims to explore the contribution of the design thinking approach in enhancing critical and creative thinking in primary science education to nurture young engineers. The study used a qualitative research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 30 students from a primary school in Kinta Utara District. Science teachers were briefed on design thinking principles, and students were then introduced to real-world problem scenarios. Students were given 30 days to work on innovation projects, supported by parents and science teachers. Students used the design thinking process to develop their innovations to solve real-life problems, such as building solar-powered fish tank pumps, a cattle movement monitoring system, an automatic trash bin, a windmill power generator and a rainwater harvester. Data were collected using an observation protocol, structured open-ended questions, and students’ logbooks and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Three major themes were identified: (1) Personal Connection and Empathy, (2) Idea Generation and Creativity, and (3) Scientific Reasoning and Innovation. The findings of this study highlight that design thinking has enhanced critical and creative thinking skills among primary school students, especially in science education while fostering the engineering mindset, a key for becoming future engineers.