Understanding of the Nature of Engineering: Examining the Gap Between Engineering Experts and Pre-Service Teachers

In today's technology-driven world, marked by innovations such as generative AI, it is essential to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) with the knowledge and skills to address new challenges in science education. PSTs with a background in science and engineering are potential change agents for shaping and promoting engineering literacy. However, even teachers with backgrounds in science and engineering often lack a deep understanding of the fundamental nature of engineering. Moreover, there is a lack of training programs to support schoollevel engineering education. Hence, the aim of the study was to examine gaps in the understanding of the Nature of Engineering (NOE) between engineering education experts and PSTs to provide cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional heuristics for bridging these gaps. The research utilizes the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA) as a theoretical and methodological framework to investigating the NOE understanding as well as proposing heuristics for best practices. The study used the integrated dualanalytic approach, in which data were collected via semistructured interviews among 17 engineering education experts and a survey among 43 PSTs. The findings revealed that while the experts conceptualize the NOE as a system of interacting components, consisting of a wide range of cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional aspects, the PSTs exhibited a narrower stance. The experts in engineering education emphasized social values, ethos, political power structures, and financial systems that impact the work of engineers. In contrast, the PSTs primarily mentioned engineering aims, knowledge and methods, while largely overlooking the social-institutional aspects. The implications of this study are significant for sustaining educational excellence in pre-college engineering education. By exposing PSTs to FRAbased interventions and emphasizing the interdisciplinary, socially embedded nature of engineering, teacher preparation programs can better equip future educators to integrate engineering concepts into their classrooms. By focusing on both cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional dimensions of NOE, this research provides valuable insights into how PSTs can be supported in developing a more comprehensive understanding of engineering. In the era of Generative AI and 21st-century skills, this study contributes to the ongoing dialogue on preparing educators to equip future generations with the competencies needed to become informed citizens capable of addressing the challenges of an evolving technological society.