Supporting Student Motivation Through Community-Relevant Elementary Engineering Lessons

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Equitable Participation and Discourse in Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

In this study, we used the construct of relevance to investigate the ways elementary teachers designed and implemented engineering lessons that supported students’ engagement, interest, and values. Participants in this study included eight teachers involved in a larger professional learning community that focused on community relevant engineering instruction. Data was collected through teachers’ lesson plans; teaching videos; and exit interviews. Data were analyzed through the use of a multilayered coding approach. Results indicated that teachers asked open-ended questions; allowed students to make meaningful choices; and continuously made connections to students’ lives to support relevance during engineering lessons. Implications of this study will be of interest to STEM teacher educators and researchers and educational psychology researchers.

Authors

• Lauren Cabrera, University of Michigan - Dearborn

• Jenna Gist, Purdue University

• Julie Robinson, University of North Dakota

• Min Jung Lee, University of North Dakota

• Rebekah Hammack, Purdue University

• Tugba Boz, University of North Dakota