Poster: Methods for Investigating Teacher Professional Identities of Elementary Teachers of Engineering

Meg E. West

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Conference: 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual Conference
Publication Date: July 26, 2021
Start Date: July 26, 2021
End Date: July 19, 2022
Conference Session: Student Division Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Student
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 2
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--37588
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/37588
Download Count: 197

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Paper Authors

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Meg E. West The Ohio State University orcid.org/0000-0002-1031-7381

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Meg West is an engineering education graduate student at The Ohio State University. She is a graduate research associate for the Department of Engineering Education.

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Abstract

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) knowledge serves as the foundation for economic growth, technological innovation, and quality of life in the U.S. As a result, the improvement of K-12 student achievement in STEM has broad national support. Specifically, engineering experiences have been shown to develop skills like problem solving and collaboration while reiterating math and science concepts which are core to state standards. Initiatives to integrate engineering concepts into curriculum more formally have been echoed within the goals of K-12 engineering education created by the National Academy of Engineering. One method of meeting these goals is the integration of engineering topics into K-12 curricula through standards such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). While NGSS targets the entire K-12 system, the elementary level is an opportune time to integrate engineering into classroom learning experiences. At this level, teachers are responsible for multiple subjects and can connect engineering concepts across many topics in one activity.

Although national level efforts to integrate engineering standards into curricula are an important first step in the improvement of student engineering achievement, the next step is ensuring teachers are prepared for this integration. Currently, most elementary teachers are not prepared to teach engineering as teachers are uncomfortable teaching what they are unfamiliar with. The existing literature on teacher preparation for engineering integration is focused on in-service teaching professional development experiences. The literature discusses teachers’ perceptions of engineering and their ability to integrate engineering often after only one professional development experience. There is a distinct lack of research on how teachers form their perceptions of engineering and integrate what they have learned into their classrooms longitudinally. As such, the current research leaves room for investigations into how well-established and successful or “superstar” elementary teachers of engineering developed their perceptions of engineering and an engineering identity over time. Understanding this development can be used to inform the future of teacher engineering education beyond in-service professional development programs.

Through this student poster, I will present the research methods of my dissertation. Through my work I aim to understand the influence of narrative identity on elementary teachers’ ability to become “superstar” teachers of engineering. Using narrative identity as a framework will uncover the experiences and contexts that influence the formation and mediation of an engineering teacher professional identity. I plan to recruit elementary teachers of engineering who are considered well-established and successful by their peers and administration. I will employ qualitative methods using narrative interviews to focus on the participants’ experiences related to engineering and teaching engineering. I will analyze the data using I-poems and narrative thematic analysis to uncover narratives participants create about becoming “superstar” teachers of engineering. Finally, I will use critical incident technique analysis methods to identify personal experiences, professional contexts, and external political environments that influenced participants becoming “superstar” teachers of engineering. The results of this study will provide insights into identity development in “superstar” elementary teachers of engineering. Understanding this development will allow for advancements in the preparation and support of elementary teachers of engineering increasing STEM knowledge more broadly.

Citation
Format

West, M. E. (2021, July), Poster: Methods for Investigating Teacher Professional Identities of Elementary Teachers of Engineering Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. 10.18260/1-2--37588

TY - CPAPER
AB - Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) knowledge serves as the foundation for economic growth, technological innovation, and quality of life in the U.S. As a result, the improvement of K-12 student achievement in STEM has broad national support. Specifically, engineering experiences have been shown to develop skills like problem solving and collaboration while reiterating math and science concepts which are core to state standards. Initiatives to integrate engineering concepts into curriculum more formally have been echoed within the goals of K-12 engineering education created by the National Academy of Engineering. One method of meeting these goals is the integration of engineering topics into K-12 curricula through standards such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). While NGSS targets the entire K-12 system, the elementary level is an opportune time to integrate engineering into classroom learning experiences. At this level, teachers are responsible for multiple subjects and can connect engineering concepts across many topics in one activity.

Although national level efforts to integrate engineering standards into curricula are an important first step in the improvement of student engineering achievement, the next step is ensuring teachers are prepared for this integration. Currently, most elementary teachers are not prepared to teach engineering as teachers are uncomfortable teaching what they are unfamiliar with. The existing literature on teacher preparation for engineering integration is focused on in-service teaching professional development experiences. The literature discusses teachers’ perceptions of engineering and their ability to integrate engineering often after only one professional development experience. There is a distinct lack of research on how teachers form their perceptions of engineering and integrate what they have learned into their classrooms longitudinally. As such, the current research leaves room for investigations into how well-established and successful or “superstar” elementary teachers of engineering developed their perceptions of engineering and an engineering identity over time. Understanding this development can be used to inform the future of teacher engineering education beyond in-service professional development programs.

Through this student poster, I will present the research methods of my dissertation. Through my work I aim to understand the influence of narrative identity on elementary teachers’ ability to become “superstar” teachers of engineering. Using narrative identity as a framework will uncover the experiences and contexts that influence the formation and mediation of an engineering teacher professional identity. I plan to recruit elementary teachers of engineering who are considered well-established and successful by their peers and administration. I will employ qualitative methods using narrative interviews to focus on the participants’ experiences related to engineering and teaching engineering. I will analyze the data using I-poems and narrative thematic analysis to uncover narratives participants create about becoming “superstar” teachers of engineering. Finally, I will use critical incident technique analysis methods to identify personal experiences, professional contexts, and external political environments that influenced participants becoming “superstar” teachers of engineering. The results of this study will provide insights into identity development in “superstar” elementary teachers of engineering. Understanding this development will allow for advancements in the preparation and support of elementary teachers of engineering increasing STEM knowledge more broadly.
AU - Meg E. West
CY - Virtual Conference
DA - 2021/07/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Poster: Methods for Investigating Teacher Professional Identities of Elementary Teachers of Engineering
UR - https://peer.asee.org/37588
DO - 10.18260/1-2--37588
ER -