2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Development of K-12 STEM Teacher Self-Efficacy through Participation in Goldberg Gator Engineering Explorers Summer Programs (RTP)

The Goldberg Gator Engineering Explorers (GGEE) Summer and Afterschool Programs are informal learning programs hosted at schools in communities across Florida with the support of the Engaged Quality Instruction through Professional Development (EQuIPD) program at the University of Florida. These programs are designed to provide programming, computational thinking, and engineering design opportunities for middle school students and their teachers. Teachers selected by their respective schools or youth organizations to facilitate programs came from various backgrounds, subject areas, and prior experience with programming. Training and support were provided to ensure that these teachers were equipped with both the content knowledge and the confidence to facilitate the program. An IRB study explores the development of teacher self-efficacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) after participating in the preparation and facilitation of the GGEE summer programs. This paper discusses relationships between teacher self-efficacy and participation in the GGEE summer program and other relevant factors that may impact teacher self-efficacy, such as prior experience, coding skills, and subject area focus. There were significant increases in teachers’ coding skills and overall self-efficacy in STEM after participation in the summer program training and facilitation. Teachers shared how participating in the program impacted the way they think about their teaching and how they intend to implement STEM concepts from the program into their classrooms.

Authors

Krista Dulany Chisholm http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3799-290X University of Florida [biography]

Dr. Krista Chisholm is a Research Assistant Scientist working for the EQuIPD grant at the University of Florida. She currently manages the development and deployment of the grant's K-12 Programs which include the Goldberg Gator Engineering Explorers Summer Program and the Powering the Community: AI Design Contest in school districts across Florida. She was previously the Lead Instructional Specialist on the EQuIPD grant coaching K-12 teachers in Florida and providing professional development. Dr. Chisholm excels in using a system thinking approach to support teachers and students to create understanding through conceptual modeling. She has experience in creating professional learning experiences, designing coaching systems, and developing frameworks and lessons. Her research interests include STEM education, system thinking, conceptual modeling, and coaching.
Sarah Louise Langham University of Florida [biography]

Sarah Louise Langham is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelors of Science in Materials Science and Engineering. She is a format and content reviewer for EQuIPD grant Data Science/AI curriculum development. She is also researching polyelectrolytes and rheological behavior under Dr. Neitzel at the University of Florida. Her interests are polymer chemistry, additive manufacturing, and data analytics.
Kassandra Fernandez http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1101-5219 University of Florida [biography]

Kassandra Fernandez is a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, where they are pursuing their PhD in Engineering Education. They graduated from Miami Dade College with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, and from the University of Florida with an M.S. in Microbiology and Cell Science. They have worked as a science teacher at a Title I school in Homestead, FL and as an adjunct Microbiology professor at a Hispanic-serving community college in Miami, FL. As an educator, they utilized equitable teaching practices and encouraged student agency to ensure positive learning outcomes. Their first year of PhD research focused on undergraduate student perceptions of social responsibility in STEMM, with special emphasis on science communication and policy advocacy, as well as the intersection of institutional culture and transformational change towards cultivating more inclusive and equitable access for underrepresented STEMM students. They are currently exploring undergraduate perceptions of STEM mentorship within student organizations and near-peer mentorship between undergraduate student mentors and K-12 student mentees within educational out-of-school time STEM programs. Outside of their research, they are the Founding President of the Policy Advocacy in Science and Engineering (PASE) student organization and Vice President of the Engineering Education Graduate Student Council at the University of Florida.
Dr. Nancy Ruzycki http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7516-2985 University of Florida [biography]

Dr. Nancy Ruzycki, is the Director of Undergraduate Laboratories and Faculty Lecturer within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida Herbert Wetheim College of Engineering. Her focus is on developing curriculum, professional development and coaching models focused on use of system thinking and conceptual pedagogical practices.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025