Track 1, GK-12: Engineering Fellows in G6-9 Science Education

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In this 3-year project, the Colleges of Engineering and Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia will collaborate with three central Missouri school districts (one small city and two rural), engineering businesses, and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to improve the pedagogy and team-building skills of engineering graduate students, increase the engineering content for G6-9 science and mathematics teachers, and provide opportunities to increase interest in science and mathematics among G6-9 students using hands-on engineering design projects. Intellectual Merit. Engineering and education faculty working together with Fellows and G6-9 science teachers blends content and pedagogy skills for better overall impact on the Fellows' development. This is further emphasized by requiring the Fellows to include a chapter about this outreach activity in their dissertation. Empowerment of the Fellows and development of leadership skills is included by explicitly involving them in decision making; infusion of engineering design into K-12 education, a nationally recognized need, is furthered by the project, using a unique team approach; development of Future Scientists and Engineers Clubs in schools links the proposed activities with curricular ones, enhancing effectiveness and improving sustainability, and; the proposed global connections via distance links adds an important educational dimension to all the activities, for all the participants. Broader Impact. The proposed project will help develop infrastructure for deeper and sustained partnerships, centered on engineering design, among G6-9 science and mathematics educators, higher education, industry, and the department of elementary and secondary education of the state. The prototype resources (for graduate students, teachers, and G6-9 students) developed will be made available to graduate students, middle and secondary science and mathematics teachers, and higher education throughout the region, the state, and the nation, with the expectation that they will utilize them whenever appropriate. Infusion of engineering design projects should also facilitate the development of content-rich and inquiry-based approaches. The graduate students will also benefit from enhanced skills transferable to a variety of occupations. The importance of actively engaging students in design has the potential not only to enrich teaching of science and mathematics, but also to forge connections to daily life by providing approaches to meet other challenges in diverse areas ranging from ecological issues to personal life. The inclusion of women and minorities in all aspects of this program will be stressed.Partial funding for this project is provided by the Directorate for Engineering.