From professor to teacher: Who knows what engineering is best in the K-2 classroom?

Abstract

About one third of math and science teachers are not teaching in the content area for which they were prepared. With new engineering content requirements included in The Next Generation Science Standards, the number of non-qualified teachers in engineering will at least double those statistics. How can we help teachers teach content that is not their specialty? In this paper we will examine a program supported by a National Science Foundation Grant for helping non-engineering teachers incorporate engineering ideas and concepts in K-12 classrooms. The paper will examine how a professional development program evolved from engineering college professors designed professional development to classroom teacher needbased professional development. The professional development program included three face-toface full day workshops as well as remote on-going professional development support over a two year period. Participants included 12 engineering professors and 37 K-12 teachers. The challenge in the program addressed the K-12 teachers' need for instruction with engineering concepts and ideas. Teachers in current K-12 classrooms are not certified to teach engineering and yet they are now required to incorporate these ideas as part of STEM education. Our belief in the beginning of the program was that the topics for lesson development for these teachers would best be decided by engineering professors who were trained in these engineering concepts. After delivering two face-to-face professional development days in this manner, the format for slecting the professional development topics moved from the professors suggesting the topics to the K-12 teachers requesting ideas for supporting their curriculum with engineering ideas. With a slight increase in the number of teachers submitting and teaching developed lesson plans for which they suggested the topic, the teacher generated topic request had a greater impact on how to help these non-engineering teachers incorporate engineering concepts with content area for which they were more familiar. From Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer to Electric Cars with Penny Trunks, this paper presents an idea for helping K-12 teachers work with engineering professors to develop lesson plans that are teacher-ready.