Tools for Teaching and Learning Engineering Practices: Pathways Towards Productive Identity Work in Engineering

探索研究K-12计划(DRK-12)旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具(RMT)，显著提高K-12学龄前学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发努力的基础上，这些研究和开发工作为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验证明。对工程的认同感对于帮助学生追求工程职业至关重要。该项目是对这一长期存在的大规模问题的回应。I-Engineering框架和工具解决了学习问题(支持学生学习工程设计)和身份问题(支持学生认识到他们属于工程学)。I-Engineering将支持身份发展，将其作为学习工程学两个核心实践的一部分：1)定义问题和2)设计解决方案。特别是，i-Engineering框架和工具将帮助中学教师和学生使用有意义的、真实的、往往是由青年驱动的背景来参与工程设计过程。该项目将把这项工作放在两个工程设计挑战的基础上：1)安全和绿色通勤，2)便携式能源，这两者都是可持续社区工程的典范。其目的是：1)在学习工程的背景下，发展对如何支持来自代表性不足的背景的中学生的身份发展的研究性理解。2)开发和完善一个框架和工具(i-Engineering)，以支持学生在工程学方面的学习和身份发展，重点是可持续性。3)与6年级和7年级教师合作，实施和改进i-Engineering，以供课堂使用。4)研究i-Engineering框架/工具是否支持低代表性背景中学生在工程领域的同一性发展。该项目利用基于设计的实施研究，在6年级和7年级的学生和教师中开发和测试i-Engineering框架和工具。利用社会实践理论，将如何确定学习环境的各个方面对身份发展的影响，从而产生关于所产生的教学工具的影响的信息。研究问题基于两个领域：支持工程学中的身份发展，了解学生在工程学发展中的进展情况，以及i-Engineering资源的实施模式。研究将阐明在工程中支持身份发展的机制，如何将其作为脚手架，以及这种脚手架如何跨越背景进行运输。这项学生和课堂混合方法的研究将允许关于来自代表性不足背景的年轻人如何以及在什么条件下在工程方面的身份发展方面取得进展的实证主张。研究计划包括学生案例研究，利用基于任务的访谈、观察和学生作业，以及使用观察、学生和教师访谈、工程认同调查、学生作业和工程实践形成性评估的课堂研究。I-Engineering将覆盖500多名学生和他们的老师，他们所在的学校主要服务于代表性不足的人群。项目小组将传播调查结果、框架和工具，以支持教授工程实践，并促进对身份发展在扩大参与方面的重要性的理解。

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs). Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. Identifying with engineering is critical to help students pursue engineering careers. This project responds to this persistent large-scale problem. The I-Engineering framework and tools address both the learning problem (supporting students in learning engineering design) and the identity problem (supporting students in recognizing that they belong in engineering). I-Engineering will support identity development as a part of learning two core practices in engineering: 1) defining problems and 2) designing solutions. In particular, the I-Engineering framework and tools will help middle grades teachers and students engage in the engineering design process using meaningful, authentic and often youth-driven contexts. The project will ground this work in two engineering design challenges: 1) safe and green commutes and 2) portable energy, both of which exemplify engineering for sustainable communities. The objectives are to: 1) To develop research-based understandings of how to support identity development among middle school students from underrepresented backgrounds in the context of learning engineering. 2) To develop and refine a framework and tools (I-Engineering) in support of student learning and identity development in engineering with a focus on sustainability. 3) To collaborate with grades 6 and 7 teachers to implement and refine I-Engineering for classroom use. 4) To study whether the I-Engineering framework/tools support identity development in engineering among middle school students from underrepresented backgrounds. The project draws upon design-based implementation research to develop and test the I-Engineering framework and tools among students and teachers in grades 6 and 7. Using social practice theory, how aspects of the learning environment shape identity development will be identified, yielding information on the impact of the instructional tools generated. The research questions are grounded in two areas: supporting identity development in engineering, understanding how students progress in their engineering development and patterns across implementation of the I-Engineering resources. Studies will shed light on mechanisms that support identity development in engineering, how that might be scaffolded, and how such scaffolds can transport across context. The mixed-method student- and classroom-level studies will allow for empirical claims regarding how and under what conditions youth from underrepresented backgrounds may progress in their identity development in engineering. The research plan includes student case studies drawing on task-based interviews, observations and student work and classroom studies using observations, student and teacher interviews, an engineering identity survey, student work and formative assessments of engineering practices. I-Engineering will reach over 500 students and their teachers in schools that serve predominantly underrepresented populations. The project team will disseminate the findings, framework and tools in support of teaching engineering practices, and promoting understanding of the importance of identity development in broadening participation.