2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Due to the increasing demand for a diverse, STEM-competent workforce, many universities are participating in engineering and physics outreach activities for K-12 students. Despite the proliferation of these outreach programs, the fundamental learning and social theories that guide development of high-impact outreach experiences can be unclear, hindering their transferability. The purpose of this literature review was to identify, categorize, and compare pedagogical theories and frameworks behind university-driven, K-12 engineering and physics outreach programs. This review can act as a guide to future outreach initiative development, implementation, and assessment, especially for new faculty who may feel overwhelmed by the number and breadth of outreach programs to review.
Using our institution’s library discovery service, 216 articles with the subjects containing outreach, AND engineer* OR physics, AND theor* OR framework OR model, were screened. In reviewing these articles, a great number of articles were found that described what was done in an outreach program; fewer described why fundamentally things were done that particular way. Using the screening criteria of university-driven K-12 physics or engineering informal education, we included 37 articles in this review that presented a theoretical basis or framework for developing or assessing engineering or physics outreach programs. The theories were separated into five predominant learning theories: cognitivism, constructivism, contextualism, experientialism, and humanism. In addition to an overarching learning theory, all articles also indicated other frameworks that shaped the lens through which they considered the outreach activities.
This review article introduces and compares learning theories that universities are currently using to design, implement, and assess outreach activities, as well as highlights which theories may be most aligned with specific outreach goals. Ultimately, the varied learning, social, and logical models being used to shape engineering and physics outreach which can aid in program transferability are showcased along with how pedagogical theories can advance the goals of engineering and physics outreach programs.