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Intersubjective Uncertainty and Positioning in a School Makerspace

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Title: Intersubjective Uncertainty and Positioning in a School Makerspace
Language: English
Authors: Colin G. Dixon (ORCID 0000-0002-1296-2106), Lee Martin (ORCID 0000-0003-3178-8999)
Source: Journal of Engineering Education. 2026 115(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC)
Contract Number: 1351605
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: High School Students, Engineering, Shared Resources and Services, Design, Ambiguity (Context), Cooperative Learning, Student Projects, Student Interests, Goal Orientation, Engineering Education, Active Learning, Inquiry
DOI: 10.1002/jee.70055
ISSN: 1069-4730
2168-9830
Abstract: Background: Uncertainty is ubiquitous in engineering and design, and having students engage with uncertainty can be fruitful for learning. This paper introduces the idea of intersubjective uncertainty and shows that learners in the makerspace routinely leveraged uncertainty to further their own goals. Purpose/Hypothesis(es): This paper investigates how students in a school makerspace made bids to produce and leverage intersubjective uncertainty within collaborative project work, and how uptake of uncertainty bids was intertwined with participants' positionality. Design/Method: Data collection took place through participant observation, field note-taking, and video recording in a high-school makerspace. Interaction analysis of one focal group's video-recorded interactions identified and examined intersubjective uncertainty bids and their uptake in relation to participant positionalities. Results: Students made intersubjective uncertainty bids to further open space in the discourse to discuss their interests and goals. There was great variability in whose uncertainty bids were taken up or not by the group, in ways connected to positionality (status). Uptake of uncertainty was related to further discussion and pursuit of those ideas and goals. Conclusions: Attention to intersubjective uncertainty and how students leverage it to pursue learning and social goals can extend existing perspectives on uncertainty in engineering education, offering insights into more equitable and effective pedagogies in project- and inquiry-based learning.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504336
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Intersubjective Uncertainty and Positioning in a School Makerspace
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Colin+G%2E+Dixon%22">Colin G. Dixon</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1296-2106">0000-0002-1296-2106</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lee+Martin%22">Lee Martin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3178-8999">0000-0003-3178-8999</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Engineering+Education%22"><i>Journal of Engineering Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 115(2).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 19
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC)
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Students%22">High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Engineering%22">Engineering</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Shared+Resources+and+Services%22">Shared Resources and Services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Design%22">Design</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ambiguity+%28Context%29%22">Ambiguity (Context)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperative+Learning%22">Cooperative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Projects%22">Student Projects</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Interests%22">Student Interests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Goal+Orientation%22">Goal Orientation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Engineering+Education%22">Engineering Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Active+Learning%22">Active Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inquiry%22">Inquiry</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
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  Data: 10.1002/jee.70055
– Name: ISSN
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  Data: 1069-4730<br />2168-9830
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Background: Uncertainty is ubiquitous in engineering and design, and having students engage with uncertainty can be fruitful for learning. This paper introduces the idea of intersubjective uncertainty and shows that learners in the makerspace routinely leveraged uncertainty to further their own goals. Purpose/Hypothesis(es): This paper investigates how students in a school makerspace made bids to produce and leverage intersubjective uncertainty within collaborative project work, and how uptake of uncertainty bids was intertwined with participants' positionality. Design/Method: Data collection took place through participant observation, field note-taking, and video recording in a high-school makerspace. Interaction analysis of one focal group's video-recorded interactions identified and examined intersubjective uncertainty bids and their uptake in relation to participant positionalities. Results: Students made intersubjective uncertainty bids to further open space in the discourse to discuss their interests and goals. There was great variability in whose uncertainty bids were taken up or not by the group, in ways connected to positionality (status). Uptake of uncertainty was related to further discussion and pursuit of those ideas and goals. Conclusions: Attention to intersubjective uncertainty and how students leverage it to pursue learning and social goals can extend existing perspectives on uncertainty in engineering education, offering insights into more equitable and effective pedagogies in project- and inquiry-based learning.
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      – SubjectFull: Shared Resources and Services
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      – SubjectFull: Design
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