Reframing Engineering as Relational Problem Solving in Early Childhood Classrooms

Abstract

This dissertation reframes early childhood engineering as a relational, culturally grounded form of problem solving through the development and examination of Relational Problem Solving (RPS). Across three complementary articles, the study challenges dominant views of engineering as a technical and procedural activity, arguing instead that children’s engineering thinking emerges through social interaction, ethical consideration, and cultural meaning making within classroom communities. The first article introduces RPS as a theoretical framework by integrating sociocultural theory, the ethic of care, and culturally relevant pedagogy. This synthesis positions engineering as a socially mediated and ethically grounded practice and expands what counts as engineering in early childhood settings to include everyday classroom challenges, such as peer conflict. The second article translates this framework into practice, demonstrating how the engineering design process (EDP) can function as a shared language for both design challenges and peer conflict resolution. Through structured routines, visual supports, and narrative-based scenarios, kindergarten through second grade students developed strategies for communication, collaboration, and relationship repair. The third article presents a qualitative action research study examining how an engineering-integrated curriculum was adapted to align with Navajo peacemaking values in a K–2 classroom on the Navajo Nation. Over a 15-week implementation, the teacher-researcher aligned the EDP with hózhó, k’é, and na’nitin to support culturally grounded peer conflict resolution. Analysis of teacher-generated data revealed that curriculum adaptation was primarily a relational and reflective process shaped by ongoing dialogue with community members and responsiveness to students’ lived experiences. Together, these findings position engineering as a relational practice that integrates technical and interpersonal problem solving and offer a conceptual, practical, and empirical model for culturally responsive early childhood engineering education.