Making the engineering design process visible: Effects of interventions on caregiver-child interactions

When families visit science museums, adult caregivers play an important role in how children learn—especially during hands-on STEM activities. Yet many caregivers feel unsure about engineering and aren’t always sure how to jump in. This study, developed and led by our partners at the Museum of Science in Boston, explored whether making the engineering design process more visible could help caregivers feel more comfortable engaging. During a design challenge activity, the museum introduced three simple supports: a brief explanation of the design process, hanging signs that labeled each step (create, test, improve), and a tabletop sign showing the full process. After these changes, caregivers were more likely to talk about the design process with their children, especially the “test” step, and showed a small increase in discussing ideas related to improving and trying again. Educators noted that the hanging signs were particularly helpful, while the introduction worked better in some situations than others. Overall, this study suggests that small, low-cost changes to exhibit design can make a meaningful difference in helping caregivers engage with engineering ideas and support their children’s learning. Future work could explore how these kinds of supports shape learning over time for both caregivers and children in informal settings.