Educational Responsibility for Addressing Complex Problems: STEM Research With Underserved Schools

• In Event: Varied Perspectives on Educational Change

Abstract

This research reports on one question from a larger National Science Foundation (NSF) grant examining an innovative and holistic professional development (PD) approach for supporting teachers’ capacity to design STEM projects. Using a mixed-method approach, the research captures teacher changes in 13 Title I schools with 169 active teacher participants, and over 7000 students from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Statistically significant differences in teacher-reported changes between the treatment and control groups suggest that the approach was successful in helping teachers understand STEM content and implement design practices. The professional development addresses key school change issues, including the need for colleges to work collaboratively with schools and the need to situate the intervention to address the needs of each school.

Authors

• Ellen B. Meier, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Caron M. Mineo, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Karina Gabriela Diaz Yanez, Columbia University

• Xiaoxue Du, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Yue Ma, Shanghai Jiao Tong University