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Two elementary schools’ developing potential for sustainability of engineering education

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Abstract

The Next Generation Science Standards present a way for engineering lessons to be formally integrated into elementary classrooms at a national level in the United States. Professional development programs are an important method for preparing teachers to enact the new engineering practices in their science classrooms. To better understand what contextual factors help a professional development program have a sustained effect on the implementation of engineering, we closely examined two elementary schools within the same school district that participated in the same professional development program but had very different outcomes in their lasting implementation of engineering. Using the case study method, we corroborate quantitative and qualitative sources of data measuring students’ learning and attitudes; teachers’ learning, attitudes, and implementation fidelity; perceived teacher community; and administrative support. Our analysis revealed that although the professional development program had district-level administrative support, there was considerable variation between schools in how teachers’ perceived school level support. In addition, teachers at the sustaining school collaborated and co-taught with one another. Our findings support previous literature on the role of administrative support and teacher learning communities. We discuss practical ways that professional development programs can seek to foster a context which is supportive of sustaining curriculum change for engineering.

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Acknowledgments

This work was made possible by a Grant from the National Science Foundation (DRL 0822261). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Correspondence to Kerrie Anna Douglas.

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Douglas, K.A., Rynearson, A., Yoon, S.Y. et al. Two elementary schools’ developing potential for sustainability of engineering education. Int J Technol Des Educ 26, 309–334 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-015-9313-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-015-9313-4

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