"Ik pas hier niet": De onverwachte daling in ingenieursidentiteit na een STEM-project op school
Stel je voor: je school organiseert een groots project waarbij je een shelter voor vluchtelingen ontwerpt of een valdetectiesysteem met AI bouwt. Het doel is om je warm te maken voor een toekomst als ingenieur. Met andere woorden: om je ingenieursidentiteit, de mate waarin je jezelf als een toekomstige ingenieur ziet, een boost te geven. Je zou verwachten dat het enthousiasme na afloop door het dak gaat. Maar wat blijkt uit recent onderzoek? Na zo'n project zien veel Vlaamse scholieren een toekomst als ingenieur juist mínder zitten. De grote boosdoener is bovendien niet enkel de zware wiskunde of fysica, maar vaak het simpele gevoel: "Ik hoor hier niet thuis".
Een valse startlijn
Voordat jongeren in het vijfde of zesde middelbaar überhaupt aan zo'n project beginnen, is de startlijn al ongelijk. Uit bevragingen bij ruim 450 Vlaamse scholieren met interesse in techniek, blijkt dat het klassieke, stereotiepe beeld van de ingenieur nog steeds prominent aanwezig is. Denk aan de eenzame, mannelijke techneut of het aangeboren wiskundige genie.
Dat hardnekkige stereotype zorgt ervoor dat meisjes met een flinke achterstand aan de startlijn verschijnen. Zelfs als ze oprechte interesse hebben, schatten ze hun eigen kunnen structureel lager in dan jongens en voelen ze zich minder erkend in die rol. Ook jongeren waarvan de ouders geen universitair diploma hebben, starten met minder zelfvertrouwen. Ze missen vaak het onzichtbare 'academische rugzakje' vol extra stimulans en voorkennis dat jongeren uit hoogopgeleide gezinnen wel van thuis uit meekrijgen.
De realitycheck in de klas
Om die drempels te verlagen en meer jongeren warm te maken voor een ingenieursrichting, halen veel scholen de praktijk naar de klas via actieve initiatieven zoals het Innovation Lab of de STEM-Award. Leerlingen werken dan in groepjes aan levensechte, maatschappelijke problemen, zoals het 3D-printen van een boot of het meten van stress op school. De logische verwachting is dat zo'n project leerlingen over de streep trekt om later effectief voor een ingenieursstudie te kiezen.
Afbeelding 1 - Leerlingen presenteren een menswaardige shelter voor vluchtelingen tijdens de STEM-Award. (Foto: Willem Bormans)
De realiteit is verrassend: na het project kelderde de ingenieursidentiteit. Bij de 'twijfelaars' daalde zowel de interesse, het geloof in eigen kunnen als het gevoel van erkenning. Zelfs bij de leerlingen die vooraf al luidop droomden van een ingenieursstudie, nam de algemene interesse af.
Figuur 1 - Bron: Eigen onderzoek bij ruim 450 Vlaamse scholieren in het kader van de masterproef
Is dat een ramp? Niet per se. Dit onverwachte effect kan simpelweg het gevolg zijn van een soort realitycheck. Leerlingen overschatten vooraf vaak hun eigen kunnen. Wanneer ze tijdens zo'n project plotseling botsen op de werkelijke wiskundige en technische complexiteit, stellen ze hun soms rooskleurige verwachtingen bij. Het project kan dus fungeren als een waardevolle oriëntatietool, die kan vermijden dat jongeren later in het hoger onderwijs onvoorbereid in een verkeerde richting starten.
Het ontbrekende puzzelstuk
Toch is er meer aan de hand dan enkel de confrontatie met moeilijke leerstof. Waarom haken sommige getalenteerde leerlingen na zo'n project af, terwijl anderen met evenveel talent wél doorzetten? Het antwoord schuilt in één cruciale menselijke behoefte: het thuisgevoel.
Uit de verzamelde data blijkt dat de sense of belonging, het psychologische gevoel dat je écht geaccepteerd wordt en in de groep past, met absolute voorsprong de allersterkste verklarende factor is voor wie zichzelf als toekomstig ingenieur ziet. Dat 'thuisgevoel' weegt aanzienlijk zwaarder door dan de vraag of je de wetenschap inhoudelijk boeiend vindt. Je kan robots bouwen nog zo fascinerend vinden, maar als je constant het gevoel hebt dat je een buitenbeentje bent in de klas, zal je jezelf nooit een ingenieur noemen. Als een schoolproject zich blindstaart op het oplossen van technische problemen, maar vergeet om een veilige groepssfeer te creëren, brokkelt de motivatie onherroepelijk af.
Afbeelding 2 - Vreugde bij de winnende klas na de uitreiking van de STEM-Award. (Foto: Willem Bormans)
Naar een klas zonder buitenbeentjes
Wat is dan de belangrijkste les voor leerkrachten en scholen die het naderende tekort aan ingenieurs willen aanpakken? Indrukwekkende experimenten opzetten en techniek in de klas brengen is een fantastische eerste stap, maar het is simpelweg niet genoeg.
Als we willen dat meer jongeren, en vooral meer meisjes, de sprong wagen, moeten we onze focus verleggen. We moeten bewust investeren in een warm, inclusief klasklimaat en actief afrekenen met het verouderde imago van de ingenieur. Pas wanneer elke jongere het gevoel ervaart dat hij of zij er volwaardig bij hoort, zullen ze zichzelf de ingenieurs van morgen durven noemen.
Dit artikel is gebaseerd op de masterproef “Ingenieur in de maak? De Impact van een Projectmatige STEM-Interventie op de Ingenieursidentiteit van Vlaamse Scholieren". Lola Demol behaalde met dit onderzoek haar masterdiploma in de Arbeids- en Organisatiepsychologie aan de KU Leuven, onder begeleiding van prof. dr. ir. Hanne Deprez en dr. Sofie Craps.
Afbeelding 3 - Onderzoeksters Britney Goffin (links) en Lola Demol (rechts) verzamelden data voor hun masterproeven tijdens de finale van de STEM-Award (Foto: Willem Bormans)
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