Integrative STEM Education for Teachers of Young Students

对将STEM融入教学充满热情和信心的幼儿教育工作者对于尽早吸引学生并激励他们沿着成为下一代STEM创新者，工人和知识公民的道路至关重要。这个探索和设计的学生学习项目将针对米勒斯维尔大学本科生就读于教学综合干（iSTEM）教育未成年人作为他们的学前班到4年级（PK-4）教师准备计划的一部分。未成年人将被设计为准备他们的知识，技能和信心，在整个PK-4课程集成干的概念。该项目将调查选定的基于研究的iSTEM计划的组成部分，并有可能产生数据，可以通知其他PK-4教师准备计划，这些计划希望准备配备工具包的教育工作者，以向他们所从事的早期小学生开放科学，技术，工程和数学的世界。该项目将建立五个以研究为基础的计划功能，旨在提高教师候选人的综合STEM技能，理解和观点。调查的功能将包括：一个iSTEM实验室和资源中心的发展，课程，使学习者在基于问题的，基于探究的，基于设计的学习经验，建立更深入的理解STEM概念，STEM重点实习在小学，STEM专业发展机会，并获得STEM相关的社区资源。 该项目的总体目标是确定哪些组件（S）的未成年人在米勒斯维尔大学有本科生的能力，以整合iSTEM概念/技能在非iSTEM教育课程，他们的动机，以寻求在他们的个人和职业生活干的机会，和他们的干的观点影响最大。在iSTEM未成年人的本科生将比较PK-4教师准备本科生谁没有选择iSTEM未成年人。研究人员将调查MU的iSTEM计划的哪些基于研究的功能是最重要的转型元素，这些元素可能会增加完成未成年人的本科生将有效地将iSTEM技术整合到未来课堂中的可能性。通过评估哪些功能具有最大的影响，研究人员将能够就如何在其他教师培训机构复制这些成果提出建议，从而有助于了解如何更好地将PK-4教师培养为有能力和热情的iSTEM教育工作者。

Early childhood educators who are enthusiastic and confident in integrating STEM into their teaching are crucial to engaging students early and motivating them along a path to become the next generation of STEM innovators, workers, and knowledgeable citizens. This Exploration and Design for Engaged Student Learning project will target Millersville University undergraduates enrolled in a teaching integrative STEM (iSTEM) education minor as part of their Pre-kindergarten to grade 4 (PK-4) teacher preparation program. The minor will be designed to prepare them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to integrate STEM concepts across the PK-4 curriculum. The project will investigate selected research-based components of the iSTEM program and has the potential to result in data that can inform other PK-4 teacher preparation programs which want to prepare educators who are equipped with a toolkit to open the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the early elementary students they engage. This project will establish five research-based programmatic features that are designed to enhance teacher candidates' integrative STEM skills, understandings, and perspectives. The features investigated will include: development of an iSTEM Laboratory and Resource Center, coursework that engages learners in problem-based, inquiry-based, and design-based learning experiences that build deeper understandings of STEM concepts, STEM focused practicums in elementary schools, STEM professional development opportunities, and access to STEM-related community resources. The overarching goal of this project is to determine which component(s) of the iSTEM minor at Millersville University have the greatest impact on undergraduates' ability to integrate iSTEM concepts/skills in non-iSTEM education courses, their motivation to seek out STEM opportunities in their personal and professional lives, and their STEM perspectives. Undergraduates in the iSTEM minor will be compared to PK-4 teacher preparation undergraduates who did not choose the iSTEM minor. Researchers will investigate which research-based features of MU's iSTEM program are the most significant transformational elements that may increase the likelihood that undergraduates who complete the minor will effectively integrate iSTEM techniques in their future classrooms. By evaluating which features have the maximum impact, researchers will be able to make recommendations on how to replicate these outcomes at other teacher preparation institutions, thereby contributing to an understanding of how to better prepare PK-4 teachers as competent and passionate iSTEM educators.