The Inclusion of Engineering Design Process (EDP) in the Ecology Textbooks for the First Common Year of High School Pathway System

Abstract

The current study aimed at revealing inclusion level of engineering design process as separate and sequential processes in the 10^th grade Environmental Science textbooks according to the pathways high school system.  The sample consisted of all chapters, activities and experiments of the environmental science textbooks (1-1 and 1-2 , 1443 edition). The study followed the descriptive content analysis approach, using a tool designed based on engineering design practices including eight indicators. The inclusion scale consisted of five levels: very high, high, medium, low, and very low. The results indicated that the level of inclusion of engineering design processes ranged between low and very low. The indicators of (Defining the problem) and (Designing solutions) came with very low inclusion rates, which amounted to 0.91% and 2.28%, respectively; while the indicators of (Planning and carrying out investigations)and (Analyzing and interpreting data ) came with a low rate of inclusion, which amounted to 21.92% and 39.73%, respectively. The results also indicated that engineering design processes were not included as sequential processes in the experiments and scientific activities. The study recommended the development of environmental science content in light of NGSS, and the inclusion of engineering design processes in the content as separate