technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and the carbon footprint ofenergy production [1, 2]. However, despite advancements in clean energy technologies,underrepresentation persists among minority groups in the STEM and clean energy sectors.Addressing this disparity is critical to fostering a diverse and innovative workforce that drivesclean energy solutions [3, 4].Research underscores the role of early exposure to STEM education in shaping students'academic interests and career aspirations, particularly through hands-on, experiential learning [5-7]. Summer camps have proven to be effective platforms for fostering STEM engagement,combining structured curricula with interactive activities to enhance interest and confidenceamong participants. These programs
teaching other subjects or from careers in other fields. Among the manyvariations influencing engineering teaching practices is pedagogical content knowledge (PCK),defined as the “the knowledge of, reasoning behind, and enactment of the teaching of particulartopics in a particular way with particular students for particular reasons for enhanced studentoutcomes [1]”. This multiple case study explores the PCK of five middle school engineeringteachers implementing the same middle school engineering curriculum, STEM-ID. The 18-week STEM-ID curriculum engages students in contextualized challenges that incorporatefoundational mathematics and science practices and advanced manufacturing tools such ascomputer aided design (CAD) and 3D printing, while
of online STEM education and offerrecommendations for future iterations of similar courses.Background The percentage of young adults with bachelor’s degrees has doubled over the past fiftyyears, yet this achievement varies substantially by race, ethnicity, and family socioeconomicstatus [1]. Key predictors of college attainment are rooted in students’ beliefs in their ability andthe skills they develop to engage in college-level courses [2]. Structural differences in highschool offerings and disparate access to advanced coursework lead to inequality in educationalpathways. With a commitment to reduce these inequalities and provide access to high-qualityeducational opportunities, UC San Diego launched an initiative, Discover. The
messages for people like themselves.Keywords: Design-Based research; Multilingual/Multidialectal Learning, Engineeringcommunication, Pre-college, Climate technology designIntroduction Across geographies and time, young people have been active participants in vocalizingcomplex global challenges that impact their communities [1] and [2]. From youth civil rightsactivists in the Southern United States in the 1950s and 60s leaving school during the school dayto protest racial injustices [3] to Greta Thunberg sounding the alarm and engaging in civildisobedience to raise awareness about climate change [4] and [5]. Although youth have beenhistorically active and are sometimes taught climate science and engineering in schools whileexperiencing
areindeed new challenges that continue to obstruct student learning, teacher perceptions reveal thatthe Discovery model remains effective at increasing student participation and engagement inSTEM. Furthermore, teacher perceptions indicated belief that Discovery project experiencehelped overcome some of the challenges educators increasingly face within their classrooms,suggesting that programs such as Discovery are increasingly relevant in post-pandemiceducation. Results of these analyses provide important and relevant information regarding howsupporting STEM programs should be designed and adapted to ensure continued benefits tostudent learning through immersive experiences.1. IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global disruption in
reported on the influence of Design Talks on participating teachers.This paper reports on a qualitative study focused on teacher reflections and perceptions of theirexperiences facilitating Design Talks in their classrooms. Specifically, we ask: How doelementary teachers perceive the benefits of intentionally facilitated whole-class conversationsduring engineering design units? Study participants were the six classroom teachers in ourDesign Talks community of practice.Background and Conceptual FrameworkWhole-class talk in science and math. By using “Design Talks” as a catchphrase, we havehoped (1) to emphasize the importance of discussion in the learning of engineering, and (2) toexplicitly align with seminal work on “science talks” (Gallas, 1995
verticalalignment process is detailed in Appendix A. Each district’s VA plan addressed the following key questionsdeveloped by the workforce development organization: 1. What robotics, coding/programming, electronics, and engineering tools will students use, and what skills will they learn at this grade level? 2. How will you expose students to careers in the semiconductor industry? 3. What employability skills are important at this grade level, and how will they be developed? 4. What additional resources or connections will you incorporate?The VA plans outlined how semiconductor-related activities and career connections would be implementedfor an entire school year, covering grades K-12. Two example summaries of district VA plans are providedin
classroom settings, and clarified their approaches to culturallyresponsive and student-centered STEM teaching. This work contributes to our understanding ofenhancing pre-service and in-service teacher education, supporting the development of diverse andinclusive STEM learning environments. 11. IntroductionTeacher beliefs play a critical role in shaping instructional practices, as established by Dewey(1933) [1] and Rokeach (1968) [2]. Building on Bandura's social cognitive theory (1986, 1997)[3], which highlights the influence of outcome expectancies on actions, this study examines howpre-service teachers’ beliefs evolve and inform their engagement with
, particularly amongunderrepresented groups, and considers their effectiveness in enhancing students’ self -efficacy asengineers.IntroductionAs a land grant university [1] and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), The University of Arizonaaims to serve a diverse student population and to engage the community in programs thatincrease awareness and access to post-secondary programs. The College of Engineering (COE)’slong-running dual enrollment and summer camp programs, Engineering 102 in High School(ENGR 102HS) and Summer Engineering Academy (SEA), focus on pre-college access toengineering with the goal of inspiring students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering andMath (STEM) careers after high school.In this paper, we examine ENGR 102HS and SEA. We
-PS4-4).This curriculum unit introduces students to engineering, solving a real-world problem andcreating a seemingly complex device that all students succeed in finishing. The unit is roughly a20-hour scaffolded module in which high school students design a stereolithographic 3D printerfor additive manufacturing. Our approach ensures all students can succeed by focusing ondesigning to meet specific requirements, not to win a competition. The project is team-based andallows for built-in redesign opportunities, which reflects both the collaborative and the iterativeprocess of real-world engineering. Figure 1. SLA printer setup (left). The PowerPoint slides are projected onto the surface of the resin solution to build a part layer by layer
young children. By addressing thesegaps, the research hopes to provide valuable insights into how early education can better equipteachers and children for a future shaped by AI. As AI continues to influence the globaleducational landscape, fostering awareness and foundational skills from a young age is critical,ensuring children are prepared for the digital future. This research addresses two key questions:1) What are early childhood teachers' perceptions regarding AI in Azerbaijan? 2) What are thekindergarten teachers' suggestions for incorporating AI tools more effectively in the K-schoolsetting? A qualitative method approach was employed. A systematic sample of 16 teachers fromdifferent regions of Azerbaijan was selected for semi-structured
in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oaCappelli, C. J., Boice, K. L., & Alemdar, M. (2019). Evaluating University-Based Summer STEM Programs: Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned. Journal of STEM Outreach, 2(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v2i1.13Friedman, A. D., Melendez, C. R., Bush, A. A., Lai, S. K., & McLaughlin, J. E. (2017). The Young Innovators Program at the Eshelman Institute for Innovation: A case study examining the role of a professional pharmacy school in enhancing STEM pursuits among secondary school students. International Journal of STEM Education, 4(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-017-0081-4Hora, M. T., Wolfgram, M., Huerta, A
printing experience influenced their self-efficacy in the engineeringdomain. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data. Theme 1: Hands-on learning increased engagement Students overwhelmingly reported that the hands-on nature of 3D printing madeengineering concepts more engaging and understandable. Many described the experience as“exciting” and “fun,” emphasizing that physically designing and printing objects helped them seehow engineering applies to real-world problems. “I never thought I would enjoy engineering, but 3D printing made it more interesting. Seeing my design come to life was really cool.” “Usually, I find science and math boring, but when I got to create my own design and see it printed, I
students bolsteredhers. Kayla, in contrast, developed self-efficacy over time through a productive partnership witha supportive engineering student. These cases highlight the complex relationship between partnerdynamics, teaching roles, perceived success, and self-efficacy development. Implications forsupporting PSTs in engineering-integrated experiences are discussed. Introduction Nationwide engineering and coding standards in K-6 curriculum [1], [2] make instructionin these subjects essential for elementary teacher preparation. Along with content andpedagogical knowledge, preservice teachers (PSTs) need a belief in their ability to teach, alsoknown as teaching self-efficacy [3], [4]. Accordingly
; Formative • Opportunities for evidence of understanding Assessment through performance tasks Moore, T. J., Guzey, S. S., Hynes, M. M., Douglas, K. A., & Strimel, G. J. (2024). Microelectronics Integration Curriculum Development Framework. https://nanohub.org/resources/39164 SCALE K-12 Curriculum 1 Trekking Through the Periodic Table (8th – 10th, Science) ME Fuse: semiconductors, materials used in microchips, circuits using breadboards and