This award provides funding for a three year continuing award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Site program at the University of Oklahoma (OU) entitled, "RET Site: Strengthening a K12 Learning Community through Engineering Research", under the direction of Dr. Chen Ling.
The goal of this OU-RET in Engineering program is to expand and strengthen the K12-University learning community established in a prior successful RET program, by including more members, building deeper and more vibrant relationships, and further enriching the effective and meaningful long-term professional collaborations based upon engineeirng research and STEM teaching.
OU-RET Outcome Report The University of Oklahoma-RET program funded by NSF (Grant #EEC-1009984) has three major goals: 1) engage secondary science and math teachers in engineering research; 2) assist teachers in integrating their research experiences into authentic, inquiry-based curricula with formative assessment; and 3) bring teachers and OU engineering faculty into a shared-learning community, strengthened and sustained, to support goals of integration and implementation. The OU-RET program conducted 6-week summer programs during the summers of 2011, 2012, 2013. Thirty-two math and science teachers with diverse backgrounds, from 20 high schools and one middle school in Oklahoma, participated in the program. The schools included urban, suburban and rural schools with diverse student bodies. There were 11 teachers in the first year, 15 teachers in the second year, and 16 teachers in the third year. The RET teachers were engaged in authentic research in five engineering disciplines including Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Structural Engineering. Of the 32 teachers, 6 teachers attended two separate years, and two teachers repeated all three years. Overall, the OU-RET program provided a unique learning opportunity to strengthen high school teachers’ engineering knowledge and skills by engaging them in engineering research. Teachers conducted research in engineering labs, presented their research findings to peer teachers, and developed lesson plans for their classrooms. Additionally, they were trained to develop professional proposals and to use web-based resources for teaching engineering concepts such as TeachEngineer® and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). The year-long activities were the result of plans described in Engineering Research Implementation Project (ERIP) proposals developed by each teacher for his/her own classroom. Each teacher developed lesson plans for integrating engineering research and concepts into their curriculum and submitted them to the faculty mentors for review and evaluation. All but two teachers’ proposals were funded by the OU-RET program. Equipment worth of $29,426.05 was awarded to 27 teachers’ schools for implementation of the ERIPs. These grants gave teachers the opportunity to share their newly-found enthusiasm in engineering research with their high school students by leading students through engineering projects using scientific inquiry methods designed as a result of their RET experience. During the RET program, qualitative and quantitative data were gathered in digital form using surveys, journals, discussions, project document uploads, audio recordings of on-site observations, closure interviews, and focus groups to provide a robust portrait of participant activities and perspectives. Based on analysis of the data, it was found that teachers who negotiated and communicated their perceptions and needs, developed most successfully in the RET program. Technology-based communication supported the transfer of the engineering research experience to classrooms. Teachers and mentors learned from each other, producing change in both K-12 and university instruction. It was also found that in terms of designing RET program, connectedness via multiple methods is key to good communication. This connectedness can be achieved through face-to-face meetings and digital links, in initial and repeated contacts. Communication was critical to strengthen teachers’ efficacy, sense of community, and their integration of engineering principles. The combination of continuous communication and social support bolstered resilience and innovation for teachers faced with implementation challenges. The OU-RET program has achieved its three major goals. As a result of this three-year program, 32 Oklahoma math and science high school teachers were trained with engineering research experiences, and enthusiastically revitalized their curriculum with engineering-related activities. Through the development of inquiry-based lesson plans and equipment grants to support these lesson plans, new relationships were fostered among the learning community of K-12 teachers, university professors, and K-12 students. Through the engagement of this learning community, K12 students across the state are building a better understanding of engineering research and engineering as a career option. Findings from this program were published in journal and conference proceedings to benefit design of similar programs.
