ERIC Number: EJ1051737
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-1064
EISSN: N/A
Exploring the Proposition of a Joint Conference between State Science, and Technology and Engineering Education Associations
Love, Tyler S.; Loveland, Thomas
Journal of Technology Education, v26 n1 p2-21 Fall 2014
In this article the authors collected numerous forms of data to better understand the perceptions of a joint conference from the various stakeholders. From the detailed survey and interview responses, the researchers found that administrators/supervisors had fewer reservations in regards to holding a joint conference. One reason for this may due to the multiple STEM-related content areas that the administrators and supervisors represented. Administrators expressed in the interviews that a joint conference allows professionals to attend a richer conference where they can gather resources on a greater variety of topics to share at their school. Also from these data collection methods, the analyses of science and technology and engineering (T&E) participants at this conference indicated differences in perceived understanding of content and ability to demonstrate comprehension of content within their fields. Analyses further indicated pre- and post-median score gains in perceived understanding of content outside of their fields for both groups of professionals. These analyses also revealed T&E professionals' identifiable gains in pre- and post-median scores for their ability to demonstrate comprehension of and apply content within their field; whereas science professionals' median scores for ability to apply content outside of their field increased as a result of the joint conference. This may suggest that science professionals benefited most from the hands-on T&E presentations at the conference that helped inform teachers how to teach STEM concepts through engineering design.
Descriptors: Conferences (Gatherings), STEM Education, Teacher Associations, Teacher Attitudes, Administrator Attitudes, Surveys, Interviews, Professional Development, Elementary Secondary Education, Pretests Posttests, Mixed Methods Research
Journal of Technology Education. Web site: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A