scholarly journals Evaluation of Engineering Problem-framing Professional Development for K-12 Science Teachers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg West ◽  
J. Hylton ◽  
Patrick Herak ◽  
Bruce Wellman ◽  
Todd France
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Paulino Preciado Babb ◽  
Candace Saar ◽  
Jim Brandon ◽  
Sharon Friesen

Efforts for recruiting and retaining students in engineering programs are evident in many postsecondary institutions around the world. These efforts include outreach programs at both elementary and secondary school level, as well as projects that develop capacities beyond technical content—often taught as declarative and procedural knowledge. The mandate of the Galileo Education Network Association includes the design of rich learning environments engaging K – 12 students in authentic tasks: tasks that resemble the real work of professionals such as engineers. We describe the experience of enacting a seven-session engineering project in thermodynamics with Grade Ten students. Special attention is paid to formative assessment as an essential support for students' learning along the project. The initial project resulted from the collaboration—as a means for teacher professional development—between this network association and the mathematics and science teachers in a western Canadian high school. We propose that programs for teacher professional development in mathematics and science should include a focus on tasks that resemble the work of engineering in order to design authentic, engaging learning tasks, and assessing strategies that support and enhance student learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-451
Author(s):  
Mary Dane F. Leonardo ◽  
Jeongho Cha

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has led teachers in the Philippines to rely on technology to provide and support continued education for K-12 students. However, it is not only technology, but also the interactive online learning environments crafted by teachers that impact student science learning. To support teachers to cope with pandemic teaching, the government provided professional development in the form of teacher-training webinars. This study evaluated the webinars using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to understand the impact these professional development sessions had on science teachers’ self-efficacy for delivering science instruction during the pandemic. The study found that webinars including UDL design elements improved science teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching science and there were no significant differences in teacher perceptions relative to gender or teaching experience. Implications for the use of UDL to design long-term professional development offerings beyond the pandemic are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. p56
Author(s):  
Nancy K. DeJarnette ◽  
Ryan McCulloch ◽  
Nelson N. Ngoh ◽  
Ioana A. Badara

In the United States, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) bring both commitment and challenges to science education in K-12 schools. New focus areas within the NGSS are engineering education and the integration of multiple disciplines as seen in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Providing professional development (PD) is necessary in order to assist K-12 teachers with the implementation of the NGSS in their classrooms (NGSS Lead States, 2013). This case study shares the results of a unique style of PD workshops provided for K-12 teachers on the NGSS and engineering design where participants were immersed in inquiry-based STEM activities with an earth and space science theme. Twenty-six teachers agreed to participate in the study. This qualitative research focused on self-reported data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observation of participants during the workshops. Findings from this case study revealed self-reported increases in teachers’ dispositions and self-efficacy regarding their implementation of the NGSS in an integrated STEM teaching context.


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