Participation in a Research Experience for Teachers program: Impact on perceptions and efficacy to teach engineering

Abstract

This paper utilizes social cognitive theory to investigate the impact of a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experiences for Teachers program on participants' knowledge about and perceptions of the field of engineering, as well as efficacy for teaching engineering topics. Eleven middle and high school teachers participating in the summer 2008 program completed pre-program and post-program surveys and took part in individual semi-structured interviews. Key findings included participants' positive changes in perceptions of the engineering field, confidence to answer students' questions about engineering and discuss engineering career options, and increased efficacy to teach engineering topics in formal learning environments. Results are discussed in terms of specific programmatic elements, and recommendations for designing effective teacher programs are given. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2009.