2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Professional Development for STEM Teachers in Rural Counties to Broaden Participation in Engineering

Presented at Principal Skinner's Secrets: Cultivating STEM in Remote Locations, Steamed Hams!

The research design for the STEM Excellence in Engineering Equity (SEEE) Project is intended to lay the groundwork for further research and development by 1) identifying indicators of successful model implementation, 2) assessing the feasibility of implementing the curriculum in rural science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) secondary classrooms, and 3) collecting initial data on the program’s effect on the classroom environment and student’s engagement and interest in engineering. To meet this objective, the research team employed an iterative cycle of development review, testing and revision of the various program components.
Over the last two years of this NSF BPE grant, the program team (engineering faculty and engineering students from rural high-schools, a nonprofit, research partner and advisory board) developed and refined a professional development (PD) program to guide rural-area secondary school teachers to integrate evidence-based engineering content, effective pedagogical practice and innovation indicators of education equity. The NEIR (Normalize, Empower, Inclusive, Relevant) model focusses on classroom equity integrated with the engineering design process used to connect science, technology and math content. Two PD workshops (ranging from 2-3½ days, supplemented by year-long Faculty Learning Communities) have trained twenty-five teachers from seventeen different schools (four counties), and eight returning teachers; in addition, six administrators from two different counties participated in various components of the PD program.
In terms of the three objectives for the research plan, the research study identified the following findings:
1. Indicators of successful model implementation emerged from teacher’s feedback on how their classes changed through their use of the NEIR model. The changes observed by the teachers included:
a. The teacher’s role in the classroom changed from providing answers and instructions to serving as a facilitator and advisor, allowing students to work on challenges and failures on their own and with their peers.
b. Projects that engage student in problem solving and the design process rather than kits or high structured activities
c. Examples of how the teachers use NEIR in the classroom
d. Classroom activities that required collaboration among all students, which included changes to classroom organization
2. Assessing the feasibility of implementing the curriculum in rural STEM classrooms: Teacher’s feedback during learning community sessions, interview and focus group responses, and responses to the Stages of Concern (SOC) questionnaire from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) suggest that teachers were engaged with the program and found the model usable and feasible to implement.
3. Collecting initial data on the program’s effects on the classroom environment and student’s engagement and interest in engineering: the researchers collected evidence on changes to the classroom environment through feedback from teachers. All teachers indicated that use of NEIR model and the engineering design process increased student engagement and enthusiasm for coursework overall but acknowledged that engagement for some classes and students remains a challenge.
This paper will describe the details of the NEIR model, engineering curriculum, PD, teacher and student survey results, and lessons learned from this innovative approach to equity in engineering education in secondary schools.

Authors

Dr. Taryn Melkus Bayles University of Pittsburgh [biography]

Taryn Melkus Bayles is a Professor, Teaching Track, in the Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh, and serves as the Undergraduate Program Director. She has spent part of her career working in industry with Exxon, Westinghouse, Phillips Petroleum and Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (now NETL). Her industrial experience has included process engineering, computer modeling and control, process design and testing, and engineering management. She has also spent 25 years teaching Chemical Engineering at the University of
Nevada Reno, University of Pittsburgh, University of Maryland College Park and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Her current research focuses on Engineering Education and Outreach. The goal of this research is to increase awareness of and interest in pursuing engineering as a career, as well as to understand what factors help students be successful once they have chosen engineering as a major.
Ms. Claudia J. Morrell STEM Equity Initiative, LLC [biography]

Morrell’s decades of research and practice have focused on understanding and enacting strategies to increase access and educational equity for all students, including those traditionally underrepresented in rigorous courses and programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She knows that an education in a STEM field leads students to life enriching, family supporting, and community building careers. Morrell brings an entrepreneurial spirit to every effort she undertakes. From developing and leading a research center for advancing women and IT at the University of Maryland Baltimore County to creating an international effort on behalf of women and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the United Nations and the World Bank to serving as the Chief Operations Officer for the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE). Morrell has developed, led, and managed a number of multimillion dollar federal grants for STEM teacher professional development for Baltimore County Public Schools and NAPE, with resulting publications and professional learning. She began her career as a faculty member at the Community College of Baltimore County working with smart, capable, hardworking, and appreciative minority students who had somehow fallen through the educational cracks. That was her first glimpse into the failure of the education system from teacher training to student learning.

Morrell's quest has always been to answer the question, how do we as a country improve student outcomes in STEM for all students? How do we finally recognize and close gaps in performance? Her resulting lifelong exploration and collaboration with over 50 organizations and hundreds of individuals has led her to develop the NEIR System Change Model for Education. Her work continues.
Dr. Sandra Staklis RTI International [biography]

Sandra Staklis, Ph.D. is senior research education analyst at RTI International. She is a specialist in mixed-method research designs and has conducted evaluations of STEM education and career and technical education initiatives and programs for state, federal, and private clients, including the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the Citi Bank, Ford, and JPMorgan Chase foundations. For these clients, she designs and implements research project in collaboration with clients and partners, bringing together diverse stakeholders to create projects that result in meaningful and actionable findings.
Kevin A Jordan RTI International [biography]

Kevin Jordan is a research education analyst in RTI International’s Education Practice Area. He has over a decade of experience in education evaluation, research, and technical assistance with projects focusing on education policy, career technical education (CTE), and STEM.

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