Teaching engineering design in elementary science methods classes

Abstract

One of the challenges currently facing elementary science teacher educators is how best to prepare preservice teachers for the demands of a science curriculum that includes engineering. Teachers are expected to follow the curriculum mandated by their state department of education (US) or provincial ministry of education (Canada), and in the near future, science curriculum in the United States is likely to be tied to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, Achieve, Inc. 2013a, b), which delineates crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas, and scientific and engineering practices. Because science and engineering are highly interconnected, learning about science inquiry can enhance learning about engineering design and technology, and vice versa (National Research Council. A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165). Many engineering activities lead naturally to science inquiry as questions arise during the design process, so engaging in engineering activities during science methods courses offers preservice teachers the opportunity to develop an understanding of both science and engineering practices. Preservice teachers’ beliefs about science, technology, and engineering will influence how they teach their future students. Including technology and engineering design in elementary science methods courses creates opportunities for preservice teachers to discover that technology is not simply computers and cell phones and to learn about scientific phenomena in the context of an engineering problem. Incorporating engineering activities in science methods courses allows teacher educators to emphasize engineering, technology, and science applications. Preservice teachers can learn how to apply design skills in contexts that mirror how engineers and scientists solve problems and answer questions, while they think critically, construct explanations, communicate information, and engage in reasoned argument DiBiase (Science Activities, 38(1), 11–16, 2001).