This study focused on the effect of gender on the engagement in employed cognitive processes of students in mixed-gender design teams. The researcher sampled third grade students from a Midwestern elementary school participating in the Science Learning Through Engineering Design Program (SLED). The study comprised of 12 triads across three contextually different design tasks: Musical Instrument, Simple Machines, and Bio Flower. The researcher conducted think-aloud protocols and utilized Halfin coding of design mental processes to collect and analyze data. The total time female participants spent engaged in each mental process was compared against the males' total engagement in each mental process for each design task. In all but two instances, the study found that there was no difference in male and female employed mental process. The instances of difference were (1) in Simple Machines task: males employed managing behaviors more than females and (2) during Bio Flower task: females spent more time engaged in analyzing strategies. The study also found that females spent more time engaging in active stages of design as opposed to males who spend equal amounts of time in both active and reflective phases. The engagement levels of each gender across task contexts were also studied. Results showed that both males and females engaged in defining the problem more during the first task, Musical Instrument. Females engaged in analytical behaviors more during the Bio Flower task than any other.

By documenting how males and females engage in the design process across different design task contexts, research can aid the development of gender inclusive curriculum.