K-12 Engineering Education Standards: - International Technology ...

There are no national standards for engineering education.
I rest my case.
Finally, as mentioned, we are in an era of standards-based
reform. So, to be recognized and accepted in education, a
discipline or area of study needs a set of standards.
The Opportunities
The opportunities for engineering education standards
can be summed up in a short phrase—the time is right.
A convergence of conditions has created a climate that
is conducive to the emergence of engineering as a viable
component of K-12 education. Let me elaborate several of
the conditions contributing to this observation.
A recent editorial in Science by John Holdren, the
President’s science and technology advisor, makes my
first point. In the editorial, Holden presents four practical
challenges for the Obama administration. Briefly, those
challenges are: bringing science and technology more
fully to bear on economic recovery; driving the energytechnology
innovation needed to reduce energy imports
and reduce climate-change risks; applying advances in
biomedical science and information technology; and,
ensuring the nation’s security with needed intelligence
technologies (Holdren, 2009). One can argue that all of
the challenges have essential connections to, and reliance
on, engineering.
In the same editorial, Holdren introduced what he
termed cross-cutting foundations for success in meeting
the aforementioned challenges. One of the foundations
presented another opportunity. That foundation was
“strengthening STEM education at every level, from
precollege to postgraduate to lifelong learning” (Holdren,
2009, p. 567). The National Science Foundation (NSF)
introduced the term STEM as an acronym for science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics. Now, the
acronym is widely used, as Holdren did, as a reference to
STEM education. But the truth is, the acronym usually
refers to either science or mathematics or both. Seldom
does the reference mean technology and almost never
does it include engineering. While the nation is concerned
about STEM education, the “T” is only slightly visible,
and “E” is invisible. A major opportunity for engineering
education standards resides in making the “E” in STEM
education visible.
Standards for K-12 engineering education would define the
knowledge and abilities for the “E” in STEM education, and
at best clarify ambiguities in use of the acronym. However,
unless done with care and understanding, development
of engineering education standards could perpetuate
the politics and territorial disputes among the science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
Given this historical situation vis-à-vis the sovereignty
of educational territory, I suggest that standards in
engineering education, along with business and industry,
could provide leadership by providing a contemporary
vision of STEM (Sanders, 2009).
Another opportunity emerges from one of the current
themes and stated outcomes in education—development
of 21st century skills. The National Research Council has
presented a summary of those skills (see Table 3). It seems
clear that activities from K-12 that center on engineering a
design could make a substantial contribution to students’
development of these skills. In this case, the opportunity
may be a three-for-one. Students have opportunities to: 1)
develop 21st century skills, 2) make connection to other
STEM subjects, and 3) learn about careers in engineering.
Overall, the experiences with engineering design likely
would raise students’ understanding of engineering and, by
so doing, expand the interest and motivation of students
who may one day pursue a scientific, technical, engineering,
or mathematics career.
Finally, there are a number of engineering education
programs already in schools (see Katehi, Pearson, and Feder,
2009). Obviously, these programs are not based on national
standards. The opportunity here is one of a critical entry
point into the school system provided by the programs.
Opportunities for engineering education exist, and the
first step in realizing them is clarifying the purposes and
developing the standards.
The Barriers
Few barriers exist to the actual development of K-12
engineering education standards. With a sufficient budget,
time, and expertise, the task of actually developing
standards is clearly doable. That said, substantial barriers
exist for the realization of those standards in national and
state education policies, school programs, and classroom
practices. The education system into which the engineering
education standards will be placed has very strong
antibodies, to use a biological metaphor. Those antibodies
would be activated in the form of federal laws (e.g., No
Child Left Behind), state standards and assessments,
teachers’ conceptual understanding and personal beliefs,
instructional strategies, budget priorities, parental
concerns, college and university teacher preparation
programs, teacher unions, and the list goes on.
26 • Technology and Engineering Teacher • February 2011