Expectation Shock

Expectation Shock in STEAM eduction is about enhancing student (or teacher) Perception of SELF, STEAM and STEAM careers. It offers a quantitative and qualitative way of measuring Perception pre and  post experience using a combination of Likert scale and open-ended questions such as: 

To what extent do you feel confident with STEAM activities?

 What did you feel before this activity? 

1 2 3 4 5

Very low Low Average High         Very high

What do you feel now?

1 2 3 4 5

Very low Low Average High         Very high

Explain in a few words:

So a student might start with a Low self confidence in STEAM (2), but following a successful activity score a relatively high (4) giving an Expectation shock of (4-2 =2) ie an enhanced perception accompanied with the observation: "I didnt expect to be able to do that!!"

Crucially, it asks these questions immediately AFTER the activity (typically in 120 seconds) because it has been found that  subjects are more richly able to compare their before and after views having undertaken  the activity. This is so according to Chavan et al. (2014) because students have vague  expectations and limited prior experience of the service from which to shape their  expectations.

Tony Houghton's work is based on his 'Expectation Shock' Doctorate University College London 2005 researching adult and young customer perception. It was found that: You should NOT automatically strive to offer users or customers or students a top of the range, excellent, expensive, 5-star service or product or amazing day out divorced from everyday experience. In the case of school students particularly, 'Spectacular and/or wizz-bang, high profile, celebrity, one-day stand-alone activities may be counterproductive, or simply not cost-effective'.Houghton, T., Lavicza, Z., Weinhandl, R., Rahmadi, I., Békési, B., and Kreis, Y. (2023) ‘Expectation shock in education: utilising industry SERVQUAL to enhance student perception of STEAM and STEAM careers’ Journal of Technology Enhanced Education - https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTEL.2024.135425

Rather you should: Identify an experience which exceeds their, often low, expectations. Customers are, unfortunately, often used to mediocre service, ditto students. This becomes an opportunity:-) Working in creative, collaborative problem solving groups over a period of time with others such as older children mentors, business and technology experts, artists, local community heroes, supported by low or zero cost collaborative WEB technology, can have a huge impact - an enduring Expectation Shock – accompanied by enhanced Self Perception (self-esteem, aspirations and respect) and enhanced Perception of the value of e.g Education, Community, STEAM and Technology careers - achieved by a synergy of affective, meta and collaborative learning. Houghton, T., Lavicza, Z. ., & Weinhandl, R. .  Rahmadi, I., Békési, B., and Kreis, Y. (2024). Affective, meta and collaborative STEAM learning. International Journal of Educational Technology and Learning, 16(2), 8–16. https://doi.org/10.55217/101.v16i2.802

A powerful vehicle for delivering an Expectation Shock in this way is Hothousing: a series of intensive, creative problem solving workshops demanding close collaboration and communication. The "shock" is NOT in any amazing stimuli/experience presented to the students, it is in what the students themselves experience, achieve and create working together - which CAN be amazing - I just never thought I could do that!

Houghton, T., Lavicza, Z., Diego-Mantecón, J.M., Fenyvesi, K. and Weirnhandl, R.I.F. (2022)  ‘Hothousing: utilising industry collaborative problem-solving practices for STEAM in  schools’, Journal of Technology and Science Education, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp.274–289. 

Zero cost energy sprap bike from Ipswich to...          ...Mumbai home