Research Of Project Lead The Way (Pltw) Curricula, Pedagogy, And Professional Development: Activities Regarding Increasing Engineering And Technological Literacy Of K 12 Students In The Pltw Network

Pre-college students must be educated to make informed decisions in our technology-based world. Project Lead The Way ® (PLTW), a pre-engineering curriculum, focuses on producing secondary graduates with an enhanced level of technological literacy and competency. The research activities regarding increasing engineering and technological literacy of K-12 students in the PLTW network will provide a perspective of how well pre-college students are learning about technology and engineering, and becoming technologically literate. This paper will discuss the recent research gathered by three independent sources. First, a research brief 1 by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) High Schools That Work (HSTW) shows the achievement of PLTW students compared to the achievement of other students in the HSTW network. Second, TrueOutcomes 2 research will provide data on the curricula integration and outreach for greater diversity and access of the PLTW program. Last, the ongoing research of John Hansen 3 and colleagues from the University of Texas at Tyler will provide data on the PLTW Professional Development model.