Through the STEM-C Partnerships: MSP program, the Teachers and Engineers Collaborating in STEM Elementary Teacher Preparation (TEC-STEM-ETP) project will design a new model of teacher preparation at Iowa State University which infuses engineering design concepts into the elementary teacher preparation program, as well as emphasizes the knowledge and skills associated with scientific concepts appropriate for elementary school students. This project addresses the critical need for well-prepared elementary teachers to have confidence in and a commitment to engaging their students in experiential learning of essential scientific and engineering concepts in the early grades. The TEC-STEM-ETP is a Partnership among Des Moines Public Schools, the largest school district in the State of Iowa, and Iowa State University, with the School of Education, the College of Engineering, the Engineering and Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC), and the Center for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education (CESMEE) working in collaboration.
Designed to make lasting changes to the elementary teacher education program at Iowa State University (ISU), this project will: 1) align ISU elementary teacher education STEM curricula with state and national standards, and incorporate engineering design into the elementary teacher education program; 2) create a program for pre-service and in-service teachers to work in partnership with ISU Master's level engineering graduate students (TEC-STEM Fellows) on a regular weekly basis during the student teaching semester; 3) infuse engineering concepts into the elementary school curriculum in the Des Moines Public Schools; and 4) create a dual-listed undergraduate/graduate course, Engineering and Public Outreach, for engineering students. TEC-STEM-ETP utilizes a novel triad approach, consisting of a pre-service teacher, an in-service teacher and a Master's level engineering student to work collaboratively in a 3rd through 5th grade classroom to teach science well, and implement engineering concepts, mathematics and technology as recommended by the Next Generation Science Standards and required by the Iowa Core Curriculum. The involvement of engineering students in working with elementary pre- and in-service teachers, their students, schools and the community, as well as the Master's level Engineering and Public Outreach course addresses a secondary but important intent of this project to develop communication and public engagement skills of fledgling engineers. The research agenda of TEC-STEM-ETP will determine the effectiveness of this approach to improve elementary teachers' STEM practice and efficacy and to determine reciprocal effects on the engineers. Thus this project stands to make a contribution at the local level, in that there will be an innovative elementary teacher preparation program involving engineering as a legacy. It will also make a national contribution to educational/organizational research as the evidence of the impact of this work, which engages STEM disciplinary faculty members (Environment Physiology, Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Physics, Chemical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering) working with education faculty and school district personnel, is studied during its development and implementation.
