Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA; Montana Engineering Education Research Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA.
J Biomech. 2022 Jan;131:110907. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110907. Epub 2021 Dec 13.
National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is an international celebration of biomechanics that seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of biomechanics among the high school community. Initial research supports the positive effects of NBD on students' attitudes toward the field of biomechanics; however, quantitative evidence remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in high school students' perceptions toward biomechanics after participating in NBD events to better understand the impact of NBD. Data were collected at two locations during the 2019 NBD season. Surveys were collected before and after NBD events for 112 high school students from Montana and North Carolina. Paired pre- versus post-NBD surveys for the aggregate sample population suggest that students perceived biomechanics as more appealing (p = 0.050), exciting (p = 0.007), and important (p = 0.018) following the NBD events. Students did not report a change in whether they could see themselves in a biomechanics-related career (p = 0.49). These findings further support the ability for NBD events to positively impact students' perceptions toward biomechanics, although opportunities persist to increase student career interest in biomechanics. This paper presents and discusses the study's results, interpretations, limitations, and implications for future research on biomechanics outreach activities.
全国生物力学日（NBD）是一个国际性的生物力学庆祝活动，旨在提高高中生群体对生物力学的认识和欣赏。初步研究支持 NBD 对学生对生物力学领域态度的积极影响；然而，定量证据仍然很少。本研究的目的是量化高中生在参加 NBD 活动后对生物力学的看法的变化，以更好地了解 NBD 的影响。在 2019 年 NBD 赛季期间，在两个地点收集数据。来自蒙大拿州和北卡罗来纳州的 112 名高中生在 NBD 活动前后进行了调查。对总体样本人口的 NBD 前后配对调查表明，学生认为生物力学更具吸引力（p=0.050）、令人兴奋（p=0.007）和重要（p=0.018）。学生报告说他们是否能看到自己从事与生物力学相关的职业没有变化（p=0.49）。这些发现进一步支持 NBD 活动能够对学生对生物力学的看法产生积极影响，尽管仍有机会增加学生对生物力学职业的兴趣。本文介绍并讨论了该研究的结果、解释、局限性以及对未来生物力学推广活动的研究意义。
