epiSTEMic: Co-Teaching and Co-Learning

• In Event: 66.074 - Examining the Culture of STEM in Theory and Praxis

Abstract

1. In this proposed presentation, epiSTEMic: Co-Teaching and Co-Learning, the author examines the impact of a summer science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program for children in grades 1- 8 and graduate pre-service early childhood and elementary certification students. Instruction is inquiry- and project-based that aims to harness children’s inherent curiosity and provide opportunities for real-world application of STEM. Graduate pre-service students participate through a collaboration model in which they partners with children to create and implement an activity designed for the child, followed by debriefing with the child to learn how to develop and strengthen instruction. The program embeds opportunities for reciprocal teaching and learning to model a “community of learners”. The proposed study aims to examine the impact of the collaborative teaching and learning model on students and pre-service teachers.

2. With the push to pursue STEM initiatives, mutually beneficial collaborations between universities and schools are critical for sustainable partnerships in order to address the gaps in STEM learning. One example is in the context of teacher development. Support for pre-service teachers through direct interaction with children and schools can improve teacher preparation (Weld & French, 2001). During the school year, teacher preparation programs may utilize field-based experiences at local schools. However, the opportunity for fieldwork is limited during the summer because schools are not in session (Hanuscin, & Musikul, 2007).
Despite the volume of research on summer learning in science and mathematics, there is limited research that examine an integrated STEM approach for summer learning that benefits early childhood and elementary school children and pre-service teachers. The proposed study aims to examine a model for summer learning that integrates STEM with a collaboration model for teacher development by partnering students with pre-service teachers to enhance inquiry-based pedagogy.

3&4. Methods and Data: During summer 2014, twenty-two students ranging in grades 1-8 participated in the program. Each student partnered with a graduate pre-service student enrolled in a required science and math methods course during summer. Pre-service teacher participation in epiSTEMic fulfills the required fieldwork component for the course. Twenty-five graduate students participated with a child. Mixed-methods were used to capture participants understanding of problem solving and critical thinking with pre- and post- test surveys, observations, semi-structured interviews at the beginning and end of camp, and once in the fall. Data analysis was iterative, and open coding and grounded theory were used to analyze data for thematic development across data sets (Glazer&Strauss, 1967).

5. Outcomes: Initial data analysis suggests the following -
Students’ benefit from the collaborative model by developing school readiness skills such as creative and critical thinking, and increased confidence. Pre-service students increase their knowledge of STEM education, technology education, and digital literacy skills through the students’ camp experiences.

6. Despite the existing literature that examines the “summer slump”, there is a paucity of research that focuses on summer STEM impact and for teacher development. The proposed study fills the gap in the literature to about the involvement of students and pre-service teachers teaching and learning from and with each other.

Author

• Sumi Hagiwara, Montclair State University