Exploring the Efficacy of Engineering is Elementary (E4)

本项目通过研究学生和教师层面的实施效果，在理想条件下开发关于工程是小学课程功效的证据。在这项研究中开发的严格的证据水平具有重要的实用性，作为下一代科学标准上线并强调工程设计所需的基础工程课程的支持。该研究是一项随机对照试验，教师将被分配到EiE课程材料或反事实条件下，使用更标准的设计工程课程材料。该项目研究了课程的使用对学生学习和教师使用课程的影响，以确定支持成功使用课程的核心要素。本研究探讨了课程材料的实施情况，在一些情况下，更充分地了解他们的工作最好的条件下，并阐明哪些方面的这种基于项目的调查材料最支持学生learning.This研究采用随机分组试验，以检查EIE课程的疗效在75所学校的治疗和75所学校的对照组样本。每所学校的两名教师被纳入一个治疗/对照条件。学生的成果措施包括已被检查的有效性和可靠性的技术质量的项目具体措施的表现。一套额外的研究为基础的调查工具验证EiE上下文中使用的也被用来收集有关学生的态度，看法，兴趣和对科学和工程的动机的数据。一个强大的保真度实施研究计划正在实施，将包括教师调查，前和后评估，教师日志，以及学生工程期刊和学生的工作，从课堂实施。本研究以四十位实验教师与十位对照教师为研究对象，透过课堂观察与访谈，进一步探讨课程实施的忠实度，其研究结果对于工程设计课程在小学阶段的发展与实施，具有广泛的意涵。工程设计在小学课堂上没有得到重视，落后于教师更熟悉的科学教学。这项研究的结果告知从业人员和政策制定者什么是有效的，对谁和在什么条件下。关于课程实施的不同背景的信息支持传播循证研究和开发实践，以加强所有学生的STEM学习。

This project is developing evidence about the efficacy of the Engineering is Elementary curriculum under ideal conditions by studying the student and teacher-level effects of implementation. The rigorous level of evidence that is developed in this study has significant utility as a support for the kinds of elementary engineering curricula that are needed as the Next Generation Science Standards come online and emphasize engineering design. The study is a randomized control trial where the assignment of teachers will be to the EiE curricular materials or to a counterfactual condition, the use of more standard design engineering curricular materials. The project studies the impact of the use of the curriculum on student learning and on teachers' use of the curriculum in a fidelity of implementation study to determine the core elements of the curriculum that support successful use. The study examines the implementation of the curricular materials in a number of contexts to more fully understand the conditions under which they work best and to explicate what aspects of such project-based inquiry materials most support student learning.This study uses a randomized cluster trial to examine the efficacy of the EiE curriculum across 75 schools in the treatment and 75 schools in the control group samples. Two teachers per school are included in one treatment/control condition per school. Outcome measures for students include performances on project-specific measures that have been examined for technical quality of validity and reliability. A set of additional research-based survey instruments validated for use in the EiE context are also used to collect data about students' attitudes, perceptions, interest and motivation toward science and engineering. A robust fidelity of implementation research plan is being implemented that will include teachers surveys, pre and post assessments, teacher logs, as well as student engineering journals and student work from classroom implementation. The fidelity of implementation is further studied with forty treatment and ten control teachers through classroom observations and interviews.The findings from this study have broad implications for how engineering design curricular can be developed and implemented at the elementary level. Engineering design has not been emphasized in the elementary classroom, lagging behind instruction in science with which teachers are more familiar. The results of this study inform practitioners and policy makers about what works, for whom and under what conditions. Information about the different contexts in which the curriculum has been implemented supports the dissemination of evidence-based research and development practices to strengthen STEM learning for all students.