ERIC Number: EJ1237991
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Dec
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-6803
EISSN: N/A
Engineering Process as a Focus: STEM Professional Development with Elementary STEM-Focused Professional Development Schools
Nesmith, Suzanne M.; Cooper, Sandi
School Science and Mathematics, v119 n8 p487-498 Dec 2019
Young children are capable of engaging in STEM investigations when they are guided by skilled and knowledgeable teachers. However, many elementary teachers may lack sufficient STEM content knowledge and report feeling unprepared to teach STEM content. Two university faculty members in mathematics and science education, worked to cultivate and advance two designated Elementary STEM-Focused professional development schools through a two year series of an after-school STEM professional development (PD) Program. As the STEM PD Program progressed, it became evident that teachers were interested in and needed more experiences with the elements of the engineering process for young learners. With this in mind, several of the PD sessions were designed to highlight the engineering process and allow teachers to experience various activities that would engage young learners. To examine how this focus on the engineering process impacted the teachers in this STEM PD Program, a research study was organized during year two of the STEM PD Program. The results of this study provide evidence that this program had a positive influence on the teacher participants' engineering teacher efficacy and implementation of engineering lessons and activities within their classrooms.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Knowledge Base for Teaching, Faculty Development, Professional Development Schools, College School Cooperation, After School Programs, Teacher Competencies, Engineering Education, Program Effectiveness, Teacher Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A