Enrichment Experiences in Engineering (E[superscript 3]) for Teachers Summer Research Program: An Examination of Mixed-Method Evaluation Findings on High School Teacher Implementation of Engineering Content in High School STEM Classrooms.

AbstractOngoing efforts across the U.S. to encourage K-12 students to consider science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers have been motivated by concerns that the STEM pipeline is shrinking because of declining student enrollment and increasing rates of retirement in industry. The Enrichment Experiences in Engineering (E3) for Teachers Summer Research Program at Texas AM National Academy of Sciences, 2007; Academy of Science, 2010). However, both engineering enrollments and degrees awarded began declining over two decades ago, despite more than 10 percent projected job growth in the en- gineering disciplines in the near future (National Science Board, 2008; Dohm and Shniper, 2007; National Science Board, 2010). Moreover, the engineering workforce of today does not reflect the nation's demographics: women, His- panics and African Americans are underrepresented in engineering. In a field of predominantly white males, only 11 percent of engineers are female, and an even smaller percentage are minority (ie., 4 percent are African American, 6 percent are Hispanic) (Busch-Vishniac and Jarosz 2007; National Science Foun- dation 2009).Similarly, in undergraduate engineering programs, only 20 percent of stu- dents enrolled are female and their share of the engineering degrees is ap- proximately 17 percent (Chubin, May et al., 2005; Dedicated Engineer, 2006). For minorities, African Americans represent 6 percent of enrolled engineering students and a 5 percent share of the engineering degrees awarded, while His- panic percentages are 7 percent and 6 percent, respectively (U.S. Department of Education, 2009; Chubin, May et al., 2005). Diversifying the engineering workforce should be a priority, not only to meet continuing demand, but to reflect the nation's population as well. With the changing demographics of our country, it is vital to recruit from minority groups, as well as women, to help satisfy projected engineering workforce needs.To increase the number and diversity of students majoring in engineering, it is essential to improve exposure to this field during the K-12 academic years. Millions of dollars are spent each year in the United States to improve public understanding of engineering. However, research indicates that K-12 teachers and students typically have little understanding of the profession (Committee on Egual Opportunities in Science and Engineering, 2000; Cunningham and Knight, 2004; Cunningham, Lachapelle et al., 2005). Because "front line" im- pact is made by teachers, educating them about engineering and expanding their knowledge of engineering careers are critical to encouraging students to pursue this field. Since most high school math and science teachers have had little contact with engineering or related careers, it is not surprising that these teachers have misconceptions about engineering (Hoh, 2007). …

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