Using Design-Based Instruction to Increase Engineering Adaptive Expertise in Teachers

• In Event: Instructional and Technological Innovations in Education

Abstract

With the growing popularity of high school engineering design courses, teachers with varying engineering backgrounds, multiple course options, and the open-ended nature of design, engineering design teachers need to be trained towards adaptive expertise (AE). Adaptive experts are both efficient and innovative. Working with 33 in-service teachers, we investigated whether design-based instruction (DBI) can develop AE in a 6-week summer professional development course. We measured teachers’ beliefs about engineering before and after the course, as well as their innovation and efficiency before and after each course challenge unit. From the results, we conclude that DBI has improved the teachers’ AE.

Authors

• Pat Ko, The University of Texas - Austin

• Stephanie Baker Peacock, The University of Texas - Austin

• Taylor Martin, Utah State University