Advancing Engineering Education
in P-12 Classrooms

SEAN BROPHY, Purdue University; STACY KLEIN, Vanderbilt University; MERREDITH PORTSMORE, Tufts University; CHRIS ROGERS, Tufts University

ABSTRACT
Engineering as a profession faces the challenge of making the
use of technology ubiquitous and transparent in society while at
the same time raising young learners’ interest and understanding
of how technology works. Educational efforts in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (i.e., STEM disciplines)
continue to grow in pre-kindergarten through 12th
grade (P-12) as part of addressing this challenge. This article
explores how engineering education can support acquisition of a
wide range of knowledge and skills associated with comprehending
and using STEM knowledge to accomplish real world
problem solving through design, troubleshooting, and analysis
activities. We present several promising instructional models for
teaching engineering in P-12 classrooms as examples of how
engineering can be integrated into the curriculum. While the
introduction of engineering education into P-12 classrooms
presents a number of opportunities for STEM learning, it also
raises issues regarding teacher knowledge and professional
development, and institutional challenges such as curricular
standards and high-stakes assessments. These issues are considered
briefly with respect to providing direction for future
research and development on engineering in P-12.

(Journal of Engineering Education)

http://soa.asee.org/paper/jee/paper-view.cfm?pdf=996.pdf

Filed under: Lesson Plans

Tags: Research on Learning