Search for: DRK-12

The ambitious vision outlined in A Framework for K-12 Science Education, which is delineated in the Next Generation Science Standards, calls for advancing engineering. Nationwide data shows that teachers report comparatively low self-efficacy for engineering, compared to other subjects (e.g., math), and elementary teachers generally report the lowest levels. Prior research shows that teachers’ self-efficacy impacts their inclusion of engineering in classrooms, and self-efficacy may be influenced by content and pedagogical knowledge among other variables. Professional learning (PL), a strategy for strengthening teachers’ knowledge, can also foster self-efficacy. This project recruited elementary teachers from four states (CA, MT, ND, and WY). Teachers received intense summer PL for five days and stayed connected through PL activities during the 2023-2024 school year. To accommodate rural teachers from multiple states, all PL activities and research were completed virtually. The online PL modeled shifts called for by NGSS and offered guidance for teachers as they introduced engineering practices into their classrooms. Likert scale surveys were administered at three time points—before and immediately after the summer PL with a delayed post-PL survey at the school year’s end. Measures captured teachers’ engineering self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, plus an array of background characteristics. Analysis explores data collected from participants who responded to all three surveys (n=111). We found improvement in teacher self-efficacy. The full paper will include descriptive and inferential statistics to investigate associations between teachers’ engineering self-efficacy and background variables (e.g., prior PL experience, years of teaching experience) and characteristics (e.g., geographic location, grade level). 

Early science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education sets the stage for future STEM learning. The purpose of this synthesis is to understand the findings from investments to improve prekindergarten (preK) and elementary science teaching from projects funded by the National Science Foundation’s Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program. In the 5 years spanning 2011–15, the DRK-12 program funded or cofunded 25 projects, totaling more than $60 million, related to improving preK and elementary science teaching. Our review identified 25 DRK-12 projects related to improving preK and elementary science teaching funded in 2011–15. We synthesized findings from 25 of those projects that produced products (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers) that described the project and outcomes. We synthesized the empirical findings from interventions in four common areas of investment: (a) preservice preK and elementary preparation programs, (b) in-service teacher professional development (PD), (c) instructional materials for preK and elementary teachers, and (d) strategies for diverse learners. Link to PDF: https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/Improving-Prek-and-Elementary-Science-Teaching--DRK-12-STEM-August-2022.pdf 

Argumentation is a core disciplinary practice in mathematics and science that is important for both content understanding and everyday reasoning. In this report, we investigate how the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) recent research investments have advanced understanding and supported the development of interventions that improve the teaching and learning of argumentation in mathematics and science education. In the 5 years spanning 2011 to 2015, NSF’s Discovery Research PreK–12 (DRK-12) program funded or cofunded 23 projects relating to argumentation, with more than $40 million awarded. These 23 DRK-12 projects primarily focused on argumentation in high school and middle school and applied correlational/observational and longitudinal methods (rather than quasiexperimental or experimental methods), often reporting on the design and implementation of technological supports for the teaching and learning of argumentation. Our synthesis of empirical findings focused on how these projects studied both teacher- and student-facing interventions that improved the teaching and learning of argumentation, as well as naturalistic observations of argumentation in classroom settings that helped inform the design and development of future argumentation interventions. Link to PDF: https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/Mathematical-and-Scientific-Argumentation-in-PreK-12-April-2022.pdf 

Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a complex, multifaceted construct that is widely seen as foundational to the act of teaching. In this synthesis, we investigated how the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) recent research investments have advanced understanding and supported the development of teachers’ PCK in PK–12 mathematics and science education. In the 5 years from 2011 to 2015, NSF’s Discovery Research PK–12 program (DRK-12) funded or cofunded 27 projects relating to PCK, totaling $62 million awarded. These 27 DRK-12 projects primarily applied correlational/observational and longitudinal methods (rather than quasi-experimental or experimental methods), often targeting teaching in the middle school grades. Our synthesis of empirical findings focused on how these projects studied PCK, including its measurement, development, and relationship to teaching and student learning. Link to PDF: https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/Teachers-Pedagogical-Content-Knowledge-in-Math-and-Science-April-2022.pdf 

The report summarizes the results from recent research and development projects that focused on modeling and simulations in science education. The Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program of the National Science Foundation funded these projects as part of its mission to support the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in grades PreK12 through innovative educational approaches.1 This report synthesizes findings from 33 articles produced by 18 DRK-12 grants awarded from 2011 to 2015, all of which funded development of resources or instructional practices to support student modeling in PreK-12 science education. This synthesis had two broad purposes: to describe 18 modeling-focused DRK-12 projects with respect to the resources they studied and the methods they used, and to summarize the new knowledge these projects produced related to modeling instruction. Link to PDF: https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/Modeling-in-Scientific-Education-Synthesis-April-2022.pdf 

Research exploring the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of engineering teachers remains sparse and more studies are needed to highlight systematic ways in which teachers scaffold teaching of engineering in K-12 schools. As part of an NSF funded DRK-12 project conducting research on the implementation of the STEM-ID curricula, we investigated the PCK of six middle school engineering teachers implementing a semester-long curricula in their 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classrooms. Using the theoretical lens of the refined consensus model of PCK in science teaching, we present preliminary findings of ways in which teachers converted their personal PCK (pPCK) into enacted PCK (ePCK) in engineering. We provide implications for research and its impact on scaffolding effective engineering PCK for K-12 teaching. 

Despite recent progress in the adoption of engineering at the K-12 level, the scarcity of high-quality engineering curricula remains a challenge. With support from a previous NSF grant, our research team iteratively developed the three-year middle school engineering curricula, STEM-ID. Through a series of contextualized challenges, the 18-week STEM-ID curricula incorporate foundational mathematics and science skills and practices and advanced manufacturing tools such as computer aided design (CAD) and 3D printing, while introducing engineering concepts like pneumatics, aeronautics, and robotics. Our current project, supported by an NSF DRK-12 grant, seeks to examine the effectiveness of STEM-ID when implemented in diverse schools within a large school district in the southeastern United States. This paper will present early findings of the project’s implementation research conducted over two school years with a total of ten engineering teachers in nine schools. Guided by the Innovation Implementation framework (Century & Cassata, 2014), our implementation research triangulates observation, interview, and survey data to describe overall implementation of STEM-ID as well as implementation of six critical components of the curricula: engaging students in the engineering design process (EDP), math-science integration, collaborative group work, contextualized challenges, utilization of advanced manufacturing technology, and utilization of curriculum materials. Implementation data provide clear evidence that each of the critical components of STEM-ID were evident as the curricula were enacted in participating schools. Our data indicate strong implementation of four critical components (utilization of materials, math-science integration, collaborative group work, and contextualized challenges) across teachers. Engaging students in the EDP and advanced-manufacturing technology were implemented, to varying degrees, by all but two teachers. As expected, implementation of critical components mirrored overall implementation patterns, with teachers who completed more of the curricula tending to implement the critical components more fully than those who did not complete the curricula. In addition to tracking implementation of critical components, the project is also interested in understanding contextual factors that influence enactment of the curricula, including characteristics of the STEM-ID curricula, teachers, and organizations (school and district). Interview and observation data suggest a number of teacher characteristics that may account for variations in implementation including teachers’ organization and time management skills, self-efficacy, and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Notably, prior teaching experience did not consistently translate into higher completion rates, emphasizing the need for targeted support regardless of teachers' backgrounds. This research contributes valuable insights into the challenges and successes of implementing engineering curricula in diverse educational settings.