Teacher implementation of structured engineering notebooks in engineering design-based STEM integration units (Fundamental)

Abstract

In the classroom, engineering notebooks allow students to develop their ideas, take notes, record observations, and reflect on what they have learned. Structured notebooks are used to help students engage with material at greater depth through analyzing questions, formulating predictions, and interpreting results. Notebooks are an important resource for teachers to formatively assess students' ideas. By incorporating notebooks into classroom instruction and using them to guide feedback to students, teachers can use notebooks to support student learning of engineering design in STEM integration. This study investigates how teachers implement structured engineering notebooks within an engineering design-based STEM integration unit in upper elementary and middle school science classrooms. The study is guided by the research question: What are the variety of ways in which teachers implement structured engineering notebooks during an engineering design-based STEM integration unit? Results of four case studies and a cross-case comparison show that teachers often used notebooks as tools for class discussion or group work, and provided real-world examples of how notebooks represent the practices of professional engineers. Some teachers had students write in notebooks individually, while others used them for group or whole class discussion about concepts. The student notebooks in each of the classrooms had high or low completion and variety, and had evidence of students thinking individually or collectively.