Exploring preservice primary teachers' understanding of the engineering design process through integrated STEM laboratory activities

Effective STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education requires teachers who are well prepared to design and facilitate integrated learning experiences. However, traditional discipline-based segregated teaching continues to dominate many classrooms, limiting opportunities for meaningful integration across STEM fields. Engineering design offers a powerful pedagogical framework for bridging these disciplinary boundaries through deliberate engagement in problem-solving processes. This study examined how an engineering design–based STEM laboratory course enhanced preservice primary teachers' (PPTs) understanding and application of engineering design principles. Employing a basic qualitative research design, a 14-week course was developed in which PPTs collaborated in 10 groups to create prototypes addressing real-life problems. Data were collected through 50 reflective laboratory sheets completed by 10 participants and analyzed deductively. Findings revealed that participants initially struggled with applying the engineering design process; however, their understanding and design thinking skills improved progressively throughout the course, though this improvement was not consistent across all cases. Overall, the results highlight the potential of engineering design pedagogy in teacher education for fostering integrated STEM competencies among preservice teachers. The gradual improvement observed in participants' design thinking suggests that iterative engagement with engineering design stages supports the development of interdisciplinary connections in STEM learning. These findings position engineering design as a critical framework for building PPT's integrated STEM competencies.