A Philosophy of Learning Engineering and a Native American Philosophy of Learning; An Analysis for Congruency

Engineering needs diversity so that creative solutions may be developed for the modern-day grand challenges. Native Americans can offer a unique perspective to solving problems due to their worldview, yet they remain drastically underrepresented in engineering and broader STEM fields. Restricting the pathways to engineering, K-12 students in non-mainstream groups can experience alienation from science and engineering due to the universalist view in which K-12 science is taught. However, engineering education can support alternative ways of knowing through curriculum that is culturally responsive. Culturally-responsive schooling is to design learning environments and train educators with appropriate curriculum, pedagogy, standards, and assessments that will value and foster a student’s cultural identity. This study deconstructs a traditional Navajo philosophy of learning and predominant philosophies of learning in engineering design to make explicit the differences between ways of knowing. The outcome of this study is an evaluation of how an engineering education might fit into a traditional Navajo worldview. The intent of the work is to contribute to the conversation of how culturallyresponsive schooling may be designed to minimize barriers to engineering for Native American students.