Board 120: University-based Engineering Training of High School Science Teachers to Implement the Next Generation Science Standards (Work in progress)

Kimberly Christian; Angela M. Kelly; Monica Bugallo; Keith Sheppard

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: Pre-College Engineering Education Division Poster Session
Tagged Division: Pre-College Engineering Education
Page Count: 8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--29898
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/29898
Download Count: 429

Paper Authors

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Kimberly Christian Stony Brook University

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Kimberly is currently pursuing a PhD in Science Education at Stony Brook University. Her research focuses on the effects of professional development in engineering education on science teachers' attitudes towards the use of engineering principles in their science courses. Kimberly teaches biology at Smithtown High School East in Saint James, NY.

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Angela M. Kelly Stony Brook University orcid.org/0000-0003-1393-1296

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Angela M. Kelly is an Associate Professor of Physics and the Associate Director of the Science Education Program at Stony Brook University, New York. She attended La Salle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she received her B.A. degree in chemistry, and completed her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in science education (2000 and 2006, respectively) and her Ed.M. degree in curriculum and teaching (2007) at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. She is the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2016); the Provost’s Faculty Recognition Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Research from Lehman College, City University of New York (2010); and the Outstanding Teaching Award from Teachers College, Columbia University (2006). Her research has been rooted in a commitment to equity in precollege and university science and engineering.

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Monica Bugallo Stony Brook University orcid.org/0000-0003-2963-1474

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Monica Bugallo is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Faculty Director of the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) Honors program at Stony Brook University. She received her B.S., M.S, and Ph. D. degrees in computer science and engineering from University of A Coruna, Spain. She joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stony Brook University in 2002 where she is currently a Professor. Her research interests are in the field of statistical signal processing, with emphasis on the theory of Monte Carlo methods and its application to different disciplines including biomedicine, sensor networks, and finance. In addition, she has focused on STEM education and has initiated several successful programs with the purpose of engaging students at all academic stages in the excitement of engineering and research, with particular focus on underrepresented groups. She has authored and coauthored two book chapters and more than 150 journal papers and refereed conference articles.

Bugallo is a senior member of the IEEE, serves on several of its technical committees and is the current chair of the IEEE Signal Processing Society Education Committee. She has been part of the technical committee and has organized various professional conferences and workshops. She has received several prestigious research and education awards including the award for Best Paper in the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine 2007 as coauthor of a paper entitled "Particle Filtering," the IEEE Outstanding Young Engineer Award (2009), for development and application of computational methods for sequential signal processing, the IEEE Athanasios Papoulis Award (2011), for innovative educational outreach that has inspired high school students and college level women to study engineering, the Stony Brook University Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) Latino Faculty Recognition Award (2009), and the Chair of Excellence by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid-Banco de Santander (Spain) (2012).

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Keith Sheppard Stony Brook University

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Abstract

This paper describes the theoretical foundation and preliminary data supporting an in-service engineering education methods course for secondary science teachers. The Next Generation Science Standards were recently adopted with minor revisions by New York State for grades K-12. Few science and mathematics teachers have the engineering knowledge and skills to implement the standards effectively. This graduate course provides an in-depth examination of engineering knowledge and practices in the context of materials science, biomedical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering. Key concepts of effective engineering education are introduced including: design-based approaches, optimization, STEM integration, assessment, and application of science principles to technological solutions. The focus is on how engineering design might be applied to biology, chemistry, and physics disciplinary domains. Research has suggested that exposure to innovative pre-college engineering pedagogical practices will also promote more equitable participation in the field. The proposed course will educate science teachers about classroom practices that will attract more students to the field through more accessible engagement with engineering practices as applied to science disciplines. These teaching practices aim to improve the engineering literacy of the general public, benefiting all students, particularly those who have traditionally been underrepresented in engineering fields.

Pre-course data were collected to measure participating science teacher practices and self-efficacy related to teaching engineering design, and how these practices and attitudes will be targeted for change during course participation. The science teachers (N=22) indicated a strong interest in becoming more proficient in teaching engineering design, yet less confidence in their ability to do so effectively. Notably, they overwhelmingly agreed that they did not receive adequate pre-service training in teaching engineering design, indicating the need for in-service professional development opportunities to improve teacher proficiency in helping students meet NGSS objectives. Teachers shared a commitment to communicating the importance of engineering through integrated instruction, and overall appreciation for the value of NGSS in improving science teaching and learning for students in an increasingly technological society. They were largely neutral regarding whether their school districts supported efforts to incorporate engineering in science, suggesting that school leaders and administrators also require professional development regarding the importance of the standards in improving STEM education for all students. The university-based engineering and science education team will perform empirical analyses to measure programmatic impacts, generating formative data to inform future course offerings in engineering education. We will expand science teacher offerings in the future to include other engineering disciplines in an effort to build capacity and the knowledge base for effective implementation of engineering practices in science education.

Citation
Format

Christian, K., & Kelly, A. M., & Bugallo, M., & Sheppard, K. (2018, June), Board 120: University-based Engineering Training of High School Science Teachers to Implement the Next Generation Science Standards (Work in progress) Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--29898

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This paper describes the theoretical foundation and preliminary data supporting an in-service engineering education methods course for secondary science teachers. The Next Generation Science Standards were recently adopted with minor revisions by New York State for grades K-12. Few science and mathematics teachers have the engineering knowledge and skills to implement the standards effectively. This graduate course provides an in-depth examination of engineering knowledge and practices in the context of materials science, biomedical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering. Key concepts of effective engineering education are introduced including: design-based approaches, optimization, STEM integration, assessment, and application of science principles to technological solutions. The focus is on how engineering design might be applied to biology, chemistry, and physics disciplinary domains. Research has suggested that exposure to innovative pre-college engineering pedagogical practices will also promote more equitable participation in the field. The proposed course will educate science teachers about classroom practices that will attract more students to the field through more accessible engagement with engineering practices as applied to science disciplines. These teaching practices aim to improve the engineering literacy of the general public, benefiting all students, particularly those who have traditionally been underrepresented in engineering fields. 

Pre-course data were collected to measure participating science teacher practices and self-efficacy related to teaching engineering design, and how these practices and attitudes will be targeted for change during course participation. The science teachers (N=22) indicated a strong interest in becoming more proficient in teaching engineering design, yet less confidence in their ability to do so effectively. Notably, they overwhelmingly agreed that they did not receive adequate pre-service training in teaching engineering design, indicating the need for in-service professional development opportunities to improve teacher proficiency in helping students meet NGSS objectives. Teachers shared a commitment to communicating the importance of engineering through integrated instruction, and overall appreciation for the value of NGSS in improving science teaching and learning for students in an increasingly technological society. They were largely neutral regarding whether their school districts supported efforts to incorporate engineering in science, suggesting that school leaders and administrators also require professional development regarding the importance of the standards in improving STEM education for all students. The university-based engineering and science education team will perform empirical analyses to measure programmatic impacts, generating formative data to inform future course offerings in engineering education. We will expand science teacher offerings in the future to include other engineering disciplines in an effort to build capacity and the knowledge base for effective implementation of engineering practices in science education. 

AU  - Kimberly Christian
AU  - Angela M. Kelly
AU  - Monica Bugallo
AU  - Keith Sheppard
CY  - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA  - 2018/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 120: University-based Engineering Training of High School Science Teachers to Implement the Next Generation Science Standards (Work in progress)
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/29898
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--29898
ER  -