Integrating Inquiry-Based and Project-Based Learning in the Preservice STEM Teacher Curriculum

该项目旨在通过培养中学教师使学生接触工程领域来服务于国家利益。在全国范围内，只有不到50%的工程专业学生完成了该项目。这些学生中的大多数在头两年退出了工程学课程，而且没有迹象表明这种趋势在不久的将来会放缓。该项目通过将工程师培养成K-12教师，让学生从小接触工程概念和设计，从而解决这一下降趋势。让工程师在K-12课堂上，应该让孩子们学习数学、物理科学、工程和技术的概念和原理，让他们能够将“抽象概念”与他们生活的世界以及他们想要学习的东西联系起来。研究人员已经确定，这种方法是应对挑战和对熟练的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)劳动力不断增长的需求的有效方式。该项目希望培养出训练有素的工程师在中学课堂上任教。该项目更广泛的影响是培养具有创新精神、受过教育培训的教师，以及高度重视实践学习和学生参与的合格工程师。这一项目的主要目的是培训STEM职前教师，使他们能够在中学(初中和高中)课堂上有效地运用探究性学习和研究性学习。该项目将试点一套循证干预措施，以促进创新和新颖的工程实践活动，以实现这一目标。这些干预措施是(I)应用研究培训，(Ii)工程设计和制造空间的专业发展培训计划，(Iii)加强学生对工程设计项目的参与，(Iv)指导支持，以及(V)一套结构良好的早期现场教学经验。这些干预措施将被整合，并作为研究经验学分提供给学生。这项干预计划将作为培养经过工程/工程技术培训的STEM职前教师的模式。教学培训应该使这些职前教师能够将复杂的理论转化为适合年龄的动手学习活动，如制造机器人。这个项目的参与者将了解探究性学习，以及如何将其应用于21世纪STEM课堂上成为一名有效的教师。该项目希望产生的知识将有助于发展职前教师在将新技术融入教学实践方面的自我效能的因素。这些发现将通过确定和评估一套培养有效STEM教师的教学和专业培训活动，为职前STEM教师培养计划的知识体系做出贡献。开发的材料和吸取的教训将影响全国范围内类似计划的采用。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与式学生学习路径，该计划支持创建、探索和实施有前途的实践和工具。该项目的部分资金来自罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金计划。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by preparing secondary school teachers to expose students to the field of engineering. Nationally, less than fifty percent of the students who enroll in engineering disciplines complete the program. Most of these students drop out of their engineering programs during the first two years, and there is no indication that this trend will slow down in the near future. This project addresses this downward trend by focusing on preparing engineers to be K-12 teachers who will expose students to engineering concepts and designs from an early age. Having engineers in the K-12 classroom should allow children to learn math, physical science, engineering and technology concepts and principles in ways that allow them to connect “abstract ideas” to the world in which they live and with what they desire to learn. Researchers have identified this approach as an effective way to address the challenges and continually growing need for a skilled Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. This project hopes to produce highly trained engineers to teach in secondary school classrooms. The broader impact of this project is the development of teachers who are innovative, pedagogically trained, and qualified engineers who place a high priority on hands-on learning and student engagement. These teachers will be better equipped to assist in laying the foundation in the preparation of the next generation of the STEM workforce.The main objective of this project is to train STEM preservice teachers to effectively utilize inquiry-based and project-based learning in the secondary (middle and high school) classroom. The project will pilot a set of evidence-based interventions to promote innovation and novel engineering hands-on activities to accomplish this objective. These interventions are (i) applied research training, (ii) professional development training program in engineering design and makerspaces, (iii) intensive student engagement in engineering design projects, (iv) mentoring support, and (v) a set of well-structured early field teaching experiences. These interventions will be integrated and offered to students as research experience credit. This intervention plan will serve as a model for developing preservice STEM teachers trained in engineering/engineering technology. Pedagogical training should enable these preservice teachers to translate complex theory into age-appropriate hands-on learning activities, such as robot building. The participants of this project will be knowledgeable in inquiry-based learning and how to apply it to be an effective teacher in the 21st century STEM classroom. This project hopes to generate knowledge that will shed light on the factors that contribute to the development of preservice teachers’ self-efficacies in integrating new technology into pedagogical practice. The findings will contribute to the body of knowledge in preservice STEM teacher preparation programs by identifying and assessing a set of pedagogical and professional training activities that produce effective STEM teachers. Materials developed and lessons learned will influence the adoption of similar programs nationwide. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. Partial funding for the project is from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.