2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Poster: Zone of Self-Efficacy Development (ZSED) Model: A Framework for Teacher Growth in Community-Relevant Engineering Design (CRED) Implementation.

Presented at Student Division (STDT) Poster Session

Abstract

The poster introduces the Zone of Self-Efficacy Development (ZSED). This conceptual framework aims to explain how teachers build confidence to implement new classroom instructional approaches through professional development (PD) and applies it to PD for Community-Relevant Engineering Design (CRED). ZSED fills a gap: PD often emphasizes instructional frameworks and content, whereas the phased development of teacher self-efficacy necessary for sustained classroom implementation remains underexplored. Drawing on an integrative synthesis of established learning theories, the framework is theoretically grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive self-efficacy theory, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, and Kolb’s experiential learning theory.

ZSED conceptualizes teachers’ self-efficacy development as a progression across five iterative zones: Unfamiliarity, Engagement, Integration, Application, and Mastery. Each zone represents a distinct set of awareness, confidence-building, autonomy, and instructional agency, rather than a separate PD session. Bandura’s theory explains shifts in efficacy beliefs across zones; Vygotsky’s ZPD informs the graduated scaffolding and social support required at early stages; and Kolb’s experiential learning theory justifies the necessity of classroom-based enactment in later zones. The framework was developed through a comparative analysis of these theories and their alignment with patterns reported in CRED and STEM PD literature.

This paper presents ZSED as a conceptual and design framework rather than a validated model. Its primary contributions are to guide PD designers in aligning support with teacher developmental states and to provide researchers with a structured lens for studying teacher learning in engineering education. Implications for empirical validation, replication, and future mixed-methods studies are discussed. The framework is intentionally presented as provisional to invite critique, refinement, and collaborative empirical testing.

Authors

Adesola Samson Adetunji University of North Dakota [biography]

Adetunji Adesola is a graduate research assistant in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of North Dakota and works at the Center for Engineering Education Research (CEER). His research focuses on culturally relevant engineering design, engineering identity development, and promoting equity and inclusion in K-12 STEM education. He employs mixed methods approaches to advance engineering workforce development and foster inclusive practices within engineering education.
Dr. Frank M. Bowman University of North Dakota [biography]

Dr. Frank Bowman is Thomas C. Owens Endowed Chair of Chemical Engineering, Professor, and Chair in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of North Dakota. He holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology and a B.S from Brigham Young University
Julie Robinson University of North Dakota [biography]

Dr. Julie Robinson is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Dakota and the Director of UND’s Center for Engineering Education Research. Her research explores strategies for broadening access and participation in STEM, focusing on culturally relevant pedagogy in science and engineering. She also investigates strategies for increasing representation in STEM through teacher professional learning opportunities and by exploring the impact of group gender composition on girls’ motivation and engagement. Dr. Robinson is a PI and Co-PI on several NSF sponsored grant projects which focus on teacher professional learning and self-efficacy with implementing culturally relevant engineering education, connecting to place and community, and centering culture and Indigeneity within STEM education. Dr. Robinson has over twenty years of K – 12 teaching experience, including seven years as a teacher leader of professional development in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics, and in elementary science and engineering pedagogy.
Adesikeola Olateru-Olagbegi University of North Dakota [biography]

‘Sike Olateru-Olagbegi is a doctoral level student in Education, Health and Behavior Studies (EHBS) with specialization in Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the University of North Dakota (UND). She is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center for Engineering Education Research (CEER), UND. Sike’s research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of microlearning interventions in diverse settings. Her research interests include Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Workforce Education and Development, Problem-based Learning, and Interdisciplinary Education.

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