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ERIC Number: EJ1055599
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2157-9288
EISSN: N/A
Elementary Teachers' Views about Teaching Design, Engineering, and Technology
Hsu, Ming-Chien; Purzer, Senay; Cardella, Monica E.
Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research, v1 n2 Article 5 p31-39 2011
While there is a growing interest in infusing engineering into elementary classrooms, very little is known about how well positioned elementary teachers are to teach engineering. This study examined elementary teachers' perceptions of and familiarity with design,engineering, and technology (DET). We collected data from 192 elementary teachers using the DET teacher survey. While these elementary teachers thought teaching DET was important (Mean 5 3.46; SD 5 0.43), they were relatively unfamiliar with DET (Mean 52.01; SD 5 0.65). Years of teaching experience did not affect teachers' familiarity with teaching DET and their perceptions of how important DET was. Moderately experienced teachers showed stereotypical views of engineering. Furthermore, teachers' motivations to teach DET differed based on their ethnic backgrounds. The results suggest a need to improve elementary teachers' familiarity with design,engineering, and technology. Professional development activities should be guided by research on teacher knowledge, and establish analignment between motivations of teachers and expectations of their schools to ensure administrative support.
Purdue University Press. Stewart Center Room 370, 504 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Tel: 800-247-6553; Fax: 419-281-6883; e-mail: pupress@purdue,edu; Web site: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jpeer/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arizona; Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRL 0822261