Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 661 de 957
Engineering, Learners, and Contexts (ELC): The Development of Pedagogical
Engineering Knowledge by Elementary Teachers through Perceived Learning
Difficulties and Contextual Constraints
Johannes Strobel and Yan Sun
jstrobel@purdue.edu , sun142@purdue.edu
Purdue University, West Lafayette
United States of America
Abstract: Conducted among 73 second to fourth grade teachers who received
one-week elementary engineering education training in the INSPIRE Summer
Academy at Arlington, this study investigated how these elementary teachers
developed their pedagogical engineering knowledge (PEK) through engineering
teaching practice in real elementary classroom settings. Data collected in this
study include face-to-face interviews and an online open-ended survey. Findings
yielded from inductive qualitative analysis indicated that the elementary
teachers’ PEK included two reciprocally interactive parts: the “knowing-about”
(knowledge about engineering learning difficulties and contextual constraints of
integrating engineering into elementary classrooms) and the “knowing-to”
(knowledge in the form of engineering teaching strategies and methods
responsive to those perceived learning difficulties and contextual constraints).
The PEK development was involved in an evolving and dynamic process where
the development of “knowing-about” and “knowing-to” stimulated and
interacted with each other. This study revealed that understanding about
elementary teachers’ PEK development will help improve future professional
development in elementary engineering education.
Introduction
Integrating engineering into elementary classrooms is viewed as a means to strengthen
the STEM workforce pipeline by developing among young children an interest in
engineering and encourage them to consider it as a career (Wicklein, 2003; Petroski,
2003). However, the biggest challenge of integrating engineering into elementary
classrooms is preparing elementary teachers for engineering teaching because of
elementary teachers‟ weak science knowledge, their anxiety or fear about engineering,
lack of previous experience with elementary engineering education, and their skepticism
about including engineering in elementary classes (Cunningham, 2008). Similar mindsets
about engineering and elementary engineering education were also found among the
elementary teachers in previous research on INSPIRE Summer Academy (a week-long,
face to face workshop for elementary engineering education) (Liu, Carr & Strobel, 2009).
Given the lack of preparation among elementary teachers for teaching engineering, it is
reasonable to believe that there is much to be done in order to provide effective
professional development for elementary teachers to prepare them for engineering
teaching. Although research focusing on effects of professional development yielded
findings showing the positive impact of professional development on elementary
teachers‟ engineering content knowledge and teaching practice (Cunningham, Lachapelle
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011