Journal of K-12 Educational Research 45 innovative learning environments and opportunities for students. Research Design In North Texas, in the Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex, there are three examples of schools that have gone beyond a dedicated makerspace to a reputation of a successfully established culture of making and design. These campuses, and the districts in which they belong, have dedicated numerous resources to ensure their success. The purpose of the current study was to gain insight into the resources and elements that make up these successful programs to provide other districts with a model for implementation that can be emulated, while adding to the growing literature and data. The current study used a qualitative, descriptive, multi-site case study design. The central phenomenon (Creswell, 2015) explored was the process of establishing a successful maker and design thinking culture at two kindergarten through fifth grade elementary campuses and a middle school STEM academy as well as the functions of makerspaces on those campuses. These three schools were selected based on an established reputation of having makerspaces, school buildings that reflect elements of design thinking, and maker-based learning in all content areas. Using a mix of participant interviews, field observations, and historical data, the current study sought out trends and themes among these different campuses and districts. For the purpose of the current study, they are referred to as School A, School B, and School C. School A opened its doors in fall of 2017. At the time of the current study their enrollment was 554 students and District A served a total of 9,393 students. School B served 891 middle school students in Grades 6-8, and its district, identified as District B, served 24,245 students. Finally, School C served 735 students and District C’s enrollment was 12,800 students. The participants for the current study were a mix of campus and central office personnel. For each of the three sites, classroom teachers, library media specialists, campus administrators, central office professional learning coordinators, instructional technology specialists, and curriculum coordinators were interviewed. Participants were interviewed to gain complete understanding of what is needed beyond simply establishing a physical makerspace. These individuals each play a role in the overall culture of making and design thinking that permeates their respective school. There is current literature with examples of makerspaces being tied exclusively to library programming, or to STEM education. For example, Moorefield-Lang (2015) discusses the evolution of libraries through the inclusion of makerspaces. Roffey et al. (2016) attributed the growing trend of STEMbased maker experiences for school children to increased attention to constructionist and constructivist learning theories. These examples highlight programs that are bound by one focus, instructor, or initiative. The current study adds to the literature by highlighting campuses where makerspace instruction through design thinking is a school-wide program supported by central office administration. Summary of Findings Three research questions were asked for the current study. These questions covered both makerspace learning and design thinking and were specifically asked by the researcher to gain insight into the elements and leadership needed to successfully carry out these initiatives on elementary and middle school campuses. Research Question 1 (RQ1): What elements are utilized to build a successful makerspace school? Research Question 2 (RQ2): What is the role of campus and district leadership in establishing a campus-wide maker culture? Research Question 3 (RQ3): What is the perception of district leaders of the role Design Thinking plays in maker education? Based on participants’ interview responses, observations of instruction, and feedback from an expert panel, the process and function of makerspace learning in a design thinking school is unique to each campus and successful
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