Capobianco, B. M., & Diefes-Dux, H. A., & Mena, I. B. (2011, June), Elementary School Teachers' Attempts at Integrating Engineering Design: Transformation or Assimilation?  Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--17832

\bibitem{asee_peer_17832}
  Capobianco, B. M., \& Diefes-Dux, H. A., \& Mena, I. B. (2011, June), \emph{Elementary School Teachers' Attempts at Integrating Engineering Design: Transformation or Assimilation?}
  Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Vancouver, BC.
  10.18260/1-2--17832

Brenda M. Capobianco, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, and Irene B. Mena.  "Elementary School Teachers' Attempts at Integrating Engineering Design: Transformation or Assimilation?".  2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC, 2011, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2011.  https://peer.asee.org/17832 Internet.  24 Apr, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_17832}
  Brenda M. Capobianco, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, and Irene B. Mena.
  "Elementary School Teachers' Attempts at Integrating Engineering Design: Transformation or Assimilation?".
  \emph{2011 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Vancouver, BC, 2011, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2011.
  https://peer.asee.org/17832 Internet.  24 Apr, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_17832
author = "Brenda M. Capobianco, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, and Irene B. Mena"
title = "Elementary School Teachers' Attempts at Integrating Engineering Design: Transformation or Assimilation?"
booktitle = "2011 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2011"
month = "June"
address = "Vancouver, BC"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/17832}
number = {10.18260/1-2--17832}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -     Elementary school teachers’ attempts at integrating engineering design:                       Transformation or assimilation?The primary aim of this study is to examine how elementary school teachers translate what theylearned from a professional development program using the Engineering is Elementary (EiE)curriculum. The research questions include the following: 1) What are the teachers’ first steps indeveloping engineering design-based science lessons? 2) What are the teachers’ actual attemptsat integrating the engineering design process? 3) How can we characterize teachers’ attempts?The context of this research study is a university-based initiative focused on creating anengineering literate society through preeminence in P-12 engineering education research andscholarship.Data were collected via teacher interviews (n = 40), implementation plans (n = 10), informalclassroom observations (n = 10), and supporting documents (i.e., lesson plans, teacher-developedlesson materials, and student work). Data analysis entailed the use of grounded theory andcontent analysis. Triangulation involved the convergence of all data sets resulting in theidentification of several recurring themes.Findings indicated that all ten teachers integrated one or more engineering design-based tasks.Teachers reported using not only the professional development materials provided through theprogram, but also existing classroom resources (e.g., state standards, science kits, and inquiryactivities). Central to each teacher’s attempt were three key elements:1) the role of the designprocess; 2) the role of science concepts; and 3) the use of feedback loops within and across eachdesign-based task. We used these elements to characterize each teacher’s attempt. Using acontinuum or phase model, we determined that teachers’ attempts at incorporating design-basedactivities into their practice (i.e., instruction and curriculum) ranged from “assimilation” (leftend) to “transformation” (right end) (see Figure 1).Teachers who placed emphasis on the design process as a prescribed method for solvingproblems with some or little attention to the application of science concepts and feedback loopsin a design situation were characterized as “assimilating” science instruction and curriculum toinclude engineering design. In this phase, teachers systemically worked with students toidentify, practice, and recall each step of the design process. Interestingly, these teachers alsoreported teaching scientific inquiry in the same manner. This was most evident among 2nd, 3rd,and 4th grade teachers.Teachers who immersed students in the design process, without direct instruction, and whoreinforced key scientific concepts along the way while encouraging students to reflect on theprogress of their team’s designs we characterized as “transforming” science instruction andcurriculum. This was most pronounced among 1st and 5th grade teachers. In this manner, teachersreconstructed science instruction and curriculum to include the principles of the design processas a fluid, more transparent approach to learning scientific concepts.Findings from this study suggest that there is no universal approach to translating the engineeringdesign process into the elementary science classroom. Teachers take different orientations toincorporating design in their science lessons. Attention must be given to teachers’ professionaldevelopment and transformation toward the inclusion of engineering design-based instructionand curriculum in order for engineering education to be fully realized in the elementary scienceclassroom.Figure 1: Continuum of teachers’ attempts at integrating engineering design.Characteristics       Assimilation                                         TransformationRole of design        2nd, 3rd, 4th                                        1st, 5thRole of science                 2nd, 3rd, 4th                              1st, 5thFeedback loops        2nd, 3rd, 4th                                        1st, 5th
AU  - Brenda M. Capobianco
AU  - Heidi A. Diefes-Dux
AU  - Irene B. Mena
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Elementary School Teachers' Attempts at Integrating Engineering Design: Transformation or Assimilation?
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/17832
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--17832
ER  -