2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work in progress aims to analyze the educational tools and methodologies used in pre-university education, with the goal of providing university faculty with a clear understanding of the educational background of students in STEM fields. This includes the projects they have been involved in, the resources they have used, and the most effective methodologies. Additionally, this work aims to identify and highlight existing networks within the surrounding educational system (omitted for blind revision). This will allow university instructors to consult and draw inspiration from these networks to enhance their own teaching practices.
Motivation: In recent years, educational innovation has experienced significant growth, driven by the need to adapt teaching to current demands. New methodologies are being implemented that promote active student participation, while shifting the teacher’s role toward that of a facilitator. This change in the educational paradigm responds to the need to move away from traditional methods, where the teacher was the central figure, and students played a passive role, focused on memorizing content. Now, skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving have become key elements to be developed. While universities are adopting these new methodologies, it is essential to consider the students' previous experiences. Many students have already encountered these methods in primary and secondary education. This presents a challenge for university faculty, as some students transition from active learning environments to more traditional, passive ones. Therefore, university instructors must adapt their strategies to accommodate students who are already familiar with active learning methodologies.
As preliminary results, we found that the most commonly used methodologies in our country (omitted for blind revision) are project-based learning (PBL), gamification, and service-learning. There are networks and programs that have been implementing these innovative methodologies in primary and secondary education classrooms for years. These initiatives have enabled many students to enter university with substantial experience in these pedagogical techniques.
For future work, a study will be conducted with STEM students to identify the methodologies they have encountered both before and during their university studies. The study will also examine whether they perceive differences in their motivation and learning due to the use of more traditional methodologies.
The work would be presented as a Lightning talk