Ed+gineering: Education and Engineering Undergraduates Collaboratively Planning and Teaching Engineering Lessons to Elementary School Students

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Collaborative STEAM Opportunities to Learn

Abstract

Many PK-12 schools are embracing STEM education, but the “E” in STEM is often underdeveloped or ignored. One reason for the relative absence of engineering in schools is teachers’ lack of familiarity with engineering. Ed+gineering partners pre-service teachers (PSTs) and undergraduate engineering students (UESs) at a mid-Atlantic university to collaboratively design and deliver engineering lessons to upper-elementary school students. This NSF-funded study examines the perceptions of PSTs in one of two collaborations, either in an introductory foundational education course or in an elementary science methods course toward the end of their preparation program. Post-lesson, the PSTs increased their confidence with engineering, interest in integrating engineering into their future instruction, and science content knowledge. Both PSTs and UESs developed teamwork skills.

Authors

• Kristie S. Gutierrez, Old Dominion University

• Jennifer Jill Kidd, Old Dominion University

• Stacie Ringleb, Old Dominion University

• Orlando Ayala

• Samuel Joel Sacks, Old Dominion University

• Pilar Pazos, Old Dominion University