Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Assessing Mechanistic Reasoning: Supporting Systems Tracing, Paul J. Weinberg

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Reasoning about mechanism is central to disciplined inquiry in science and engineering and should thus be one of the foundations of a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. In addition, mechanistic reasoning is one of the core competencies listed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Engineering Concepts and Practices (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Mechanistic explanations focus on the processes that underlie cause–effect relationships and consider how the activities of system components affect one another.

While some assessment work has been accomplished in engineering education, to date mechanistic reasoning is an area where limited assessment development has been accomplished for …

Implementing Ngss Engineering Disciplinary Core Ideas In Middle School Science Classrooms: Results From The Field, Jessica Gale, Jayma Koval, Mike Ryan, Marion Usselman, Stefanie Wind

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

With the inclusion of engineering disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) position engineering as a new priority in K–12 science classrooms. This paper reports findings from the implementation of SLIDER, a problem-based learning 8th grade physical science curriculum that integrates engineering and physical science core ideas. As a culminating engineering design challenge, the SLIDER curriculum asks students to apply their understanding of energy, motion, and forces to design an automatic braking system for a robotic truck. The paper describes the curriculum and synthesizes findings from an array of data sources including student design interviews, written design …

Exploring Authenticity Through An Engineering-Based Context In A Project-Based Learning Mathematics Activity, Bradley Bowen, Bryanne Peterson

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

As education works to reconnect student learning to something more than standardized testing, project-based learning (PBL) has become a popular way to increase student engagement while providing more authentic applications of student knowledge. While research regarding PBL is bountiful, little has been done to connect this body of research with student perceptions regarding its classroom application, especially concerning authenticity and student engagement. This research focuses on the topic of ‘‘task authenticity’’ as a means to improve student outcomes. Two groups of seventh-grade students were presented the concept of slope and y-intercept in the context of engineering-based activities. The research …

Stem Roles: How Students’ Ontological Perspectives Facilitate Stem Identities, Dina Verdín, Allison Godwin, Monique Ross

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Educational researchers have explored the importance of performance, recognition, and interest in establishing and maintaining a STEM identity. Research has also demonstrated that the ways students describe themselves and how they participate in STEM communities can provide insight into their role identity salience; however, there has been little work to explore the ontological beliefs of students about STEM people and how this influences their ability to see themselves as possessing a STEM identity. This research explores the ontological beliefs of high school students, with specific attention to the ways in which they describe what constitutes a math person, science person, …

They Choose To Attend Academic Summer Camps? A Mixed Methods Study Exploring The Impact Of A Nasa Academic Summer Pre-Engineering Camp On Middle School Students In A Latino Community, Araceli Martinez Ortiz, Laura Rodriguez Amaya, Hiroko Kawaguchi Warshauer, Sara Garcia Torres, Erin Scanlon, Michelle Pruett

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Early exposure to engineering and mathematics career opportunities has been indicated to influence students’ decisions regarding their academic majors and career goals. This study utilized mixed methods to analyze how changes in middle school students’ affective characteristics might be linked to their future career decision-making, following participation in an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics summer camp. As part of the summer camp, rising sixth- through eighth-grade students attended a weeklong learning experience based on a specific engineering context. Each grade level cohort participated with their same grade peers in a 36-hour, 6-day event focused on sparking their interest in …

Teaching Engineering Design Through Wearable Device Design Competition (Evaluation), Elena N. Veety, Jesse S. Sur, Hannah K. Elliott, James E. Lamberth Iii

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The Wearable Device Challenge was developed at the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST). The Challenge is rooted in the research and innovation ecosystem of the Center and its vision: to have a transformational impact on the way doctors and patients manage wellness through wearable, self-powered health and environmental monitoring systems. At its core, the program teaches middle and high school teachers and students how to apply the engineering design process to solve real-world problems through a project-based approach. The program impacts several hundred students in North Carolina annually through real-world, relevant, …

Choosing Stem College Majors: Exploring The Role Of Pre-College Engineering Courses, L. Allen Phelps, Eric M. Camburn, Sookweon Min

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Despite the recent policy proclamations urging state and local educators to implement integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula, relatively little is known about the role and impact of pre-college engineering courses within these initiatives. When combined with appropriate mathematics and science courses, high school engineering and engineering technology (E&ET) courses may have the potential to provide students with pre-college learning experiences that encourage them to pursue STEM college majors. Our central research question was: What is the nature and extent of any relationship between high school E&ET course completion and subsequent selection of a STEM major in a …