ERIC Number: ED590499
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Oct-9
Pages: 32
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
A Targeted Study of the DR K-12 Engineering Education Projects
Sahni, Sarah D.; Caven, Meghan; Wu, Sally; DellaRocco, Nicole; Minner, Daphne; Martinez, Alina; McCulloch, Catherine
Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE)
Innovative K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been recognized by policy-makers as important to future economic growth. However, in practice, the science and mathematics domains receive more attention than technology and engineering. This may change given the prominence of engineering in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS), which could drive innovation within the engineering and technology domains, resulting in the long-term, in greater representation of these domains in K-12 education. Because engineering education is drawing increased attention from STEM policy-makers, it is an opportune time to take stock of the current status of ongoing innovation in K-12 engineering education; therefore, the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE) conducted a brief targeted study to investigate the work that is being funded in K-12 engineering education within the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Discover Research K-12 (DR K-12) program. NSF's DR K-12 program seeks to enhance the teaching and learning of STEM in the nation's K-12 education system by funding the "development, testing, deployment, effectiveness, and/or scale-up of innovative resources, models and tools" in a range of STEM areas, including engineering. This document describes the K-12 engineering education work that is being furthered within this specific important program funded by NSF. It begins with a description of the methodology used in this targeted study, and then describes findings related to engineering definitions, products and activities, content and practices, integration, context, outcomes, and variation by project characteristics. The Appendix includes short summaries of the projects included in this review. These summaries give a sense of each project's activities, goals, and the components related to engineering education. The National Research Council (NRC) report, "Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects" (ED536339), along with feedback from DR K-12 Principal Investigators (PIs), guided the conceptual base of the current study's examination of engineering-related projects funded by the DR K-12 program. This targeted study revealed a variety of themes, as well as contrasts, that characterize engineering education across the DR K-12 Engineering projects. Findings revealed that engineering in these projects was functionally synonymous with engineering design, and that engineering content tends to be integrated with other STEM content. Professional development played a key role in these projects.
Descriptors: Educational Research, Elementary Secondary Education, Engineering Education, STEM Education, Educational Innovation, Educational Development, Design, Faculty Development, Cooperative Learning, Course Content, Integrated Curriculum, Outcomes of Education
Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE). Education Development Center, Inc. 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02458-1060. Tel: 617-969-7100; Web site: https://cadrek12.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE); Abt Associates, Inc.; Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC); Policy Studies Associates, Inc.; University of Massachusetts, Donahue Institute
Grant or Contract Numbers: 0822241