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BackgroundIncreased emphasis on accountability in education reform and evidence-based practices underscores the need for research on the implementation of K-12 curricular innovations. However, detailed accounts of research examining fidelity of implementation for K-12 STEM curricula remain relatively scarce. This paper illustrates the application of one frequently cited framework for exploring fidelity of implementation, the innovation implementation framework. The paper describes how this framework was applied to identify and describe the implementation of critical components of a newly developed middle school STEM curriculum.ResultsDrawing on classroom observations, student interviews, and teacher interviews, the paper provides illustrative findings and practical examples of methodology and instruments employed over the course of a 2-year study of curriculum implementation. The paper discusses three ways in which the innovation implementation framework enhanced our understanding of curriculum implementation: specifying critical components of the curriculum and their enactment, informing instrument design and data collection, and revealing implementation patterns.ConclusionsThis paper provides support for the use of the innovation implementation framework to study the implementation of curricula developed within the context of research-practice partnerships. In addition to illustrating the application of the innovation implementation framework, the paper extends previous implementation work focused on efficacy and effectiveness studies to demonstrate the practical advantages of studying fidelity of implementation in the context of design and development projects.

There is growing enthusiasm for STEAM education in preparing students for an increasingly complex world. However, implementing STEAM in the classroom can be challenging for educators, as it may require collaboration across disciplines, increased workload, and understanding the nature of STEAM integration. This paper details a mixed-methods evaluation of a year-long STEAM teacher training program, in which a STEM teacher and an arts teacher collaborated to design and implement integrated STEAM lessons at each of the nine participating schools (n = 17). The training program consisted of a 5-week summer professional development experience, followed by ongoing financial, material, and pedagogical support during the school year, made possible by the partnership of the schools, a university, and community organizations. Findings from surveys, focus groups, and written reflections suggest that, despite certain challenges, aspects of the training program supported teacher implementation of STEAM. Participation in the program impacted teachers’ collaboration, pedagogy, self-efficacy, and arts integration practices. The findings offer insight into the forms of support that teachers deem important in STEAM teacher training programs and the benefits of such a program for teachers’ professional development.

BackgroundThe Noyce Scholarship Program was created to attract and retain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in high-need schools. Teacher support networks, and specifically mentorship support, have been linked to increased retention of high-quality teachers in the classroom. Using a sample of Noyce teachers, we used a multilevel model to explore how the characteristics and composition of novice teachers’ support networks are related to the likelihood that they receive mentorship support, and further, how characteristics common among Noyce programs are related to mentorship support.ResultsFindings suggest that the characteristics and composition of a teacher’s network, as well as certain Noyce program characteristics, contribute to the likelihood that teachers receive mentorship support from their larger support network.ImplicationsThe results of this study highlight the importance of considering how the design of teacher preparation programs may contribute to continued mentorship support for early career teachers, and ultimately, their retention in the classroom.

Typical approaches to assessing students’ understanding of the engineering design process (EDP) include performance assessments that are time-consuming to score. It is also possible to use multiple-choice (MC) items to assess the EDP, but researchers and practitioners often view the diagnostic value of this assessment format as limited. However, through the use of distractor analysis, it is possible to glean additional insights into student conceptualizations of complex concepts. Using an EDP assessment based on MC items, this study illustrates the value of distractor analysis for exploring students’ understanding of the EDP. Specifically, we analyzed 128 seventh grade students’ responses to 20 MC items using a distractor analysis technique based on Rasch measurement theory. Our results indicated that students with different levels of achievement have substantively different conceptualizations of the EDP, where there were different probabilities for selecting various answer choices among students with low, medium, and high relative achievement. We also observed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in student achievement on several items when we analyzed the data separately by teacher. For these items, we observed different patterns of answer choice probabilities in each classroom. Qualitative results from student interviews corroborated many of the results from the distractor analyses. Together, these results indicated that distractor analysis is a useful approach to explore students’ conceptualization of the EDP, and that this technique provides insight into differences in student achievement across subgroups. We discuss the results in terms of their implications for research and practice.

K-12 teacher professional development in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) is often utilized to enhance teachers’ abilities to use STEAM pedagogical methods in the classroom. One such program is GoSTEAM, a five-year initiative centered on K-12 teacher professional development in STEAM. Teachers participating in GoSTEAM collaborate on the implementation of STEAM lessons and activities with an Innovator-in-Residence, who is an individual with experience in a STEAM field, often from a local community organization or university. This study analyzes focus group findings from teachers and school administrators to assess how the partnership with the Innovator-in-Residence impacts teachers’ professional development in STEAM. The findings suggest teachers and administrators perceived there to be several impacts on teachers’ professional development as a result of the partnership, such as the development of STEAM skills and making connections between STEAM, district standards, and real-world concepts. As such, the results of this study indicate that a teacher’s professional development in STEAM can be impacted by an ongoing partnership and collaboration with community partners and those experienced in STEAM fields.

Biologically inspired design (BID) in engineering is a convergent, systematic approach that uses analogies from biological organisms to develop solutions for human engineering and design problems. Based on outcomes from prior studies of integrating BID in higher education, incorporating BID into pre-college education is a logical evolution. For effective BID instruction of these convergent concepts in pre-college education, teachers need to be well-equipped with biological, engineering, and pedagogical knowledge, both in general and those unique to the convergent, still evolving discipline. In this paper, we investigate the Professional Learning (professional learning) environment designed to foster engineering teachers’ understanding of BID integration in engineering and to determine to what extent the evolving professional learning environment fostered engineering teachers’ conceptual knowledge of BID across the three-year project. This design study applies conjecture mapping with design-based research (DBR) to examine a professional learning environment that changed over three summers and its impact on teachers’ conceptual understanding of BID integration in engineering. The analysis indicates that a combination of experiential and informal learning experiences along with engagement in a formal design challenge promoted teacher enthusiasm and a conceptual understanding of BID across the three years. Professional learning fostered teachers’ understanding of BID integration in engineering and enabled them to integrate BID into their engineering teaching practice.

BackgroundA redesigned curriculum for teaching engineering graphics was adopted in an introductory mechanical engineering course. The rollout of this curriculum was staggered, allowing for comparisons of student perceptions across the newly revised and previous instructional approaches. The new curriculum borrows from content and pedagogy traditionally employed in industrial design courses. The discipline-based education research (DBER) framework was used to investigate the manner in which the new curriculum was implemented and student reactions to this change. By using this approach, the researchers were able to incorporate and emphasize the unique aspects of the subject matter itself, as well as the attributes of the engineering discipline in which the course was embedded.ResultsResults indicated that students exhibited positive reactions to the sketching instruction, as well as various other aspects of the course, and that reactions were generally more positive among students in the redesigned course.ConclusionsThe contributions of this paper are twofold: illustrating the application of a specific research framework and providing results of an investigation of a redesigned curriculum. The redesigned curriculum was generally received well by students, and the partnership between the education researchers and faculty proved fruitful in allowing for nuanced investigation of the course redesign. Practical considerations for undertaking this type of research are also outlined.

In our call for proposals, our aim was to explore and document how COVID-19 has impacted pre-college engineering education (Alemdar et al., 2021). During COVID-19, engineering pre-college educators quickly adapted to new learning environments and technologies for teaching and learning. It was important to document these adaptations and lessons learned in formal and informal learning settings. The papers that made up this special show how lessons learned during this challenging time can inform the future of precollege engineering education. The papers offer both theoretical argumentation and empirical evidence to support their answers to the question of how adaptations during COVID-19 impacted pre-college engineering learning. A recurring theme of these papers is that worthy pre-college engineering learning experiences are possible even during unprecedented times. In this paper, we reflect on the papers, their individual and collective findings, and we highlight the impact of COVID-19 on education.

We invite original manuscripts that explore and document how COVID-19 has impacted pre-college engineering education.

Aim/Purpose: The development of web-based platforms and curriculum resources, as well as the assessment of user interactions with these platforms, is critical to ensuring an optimal user experience. This study examines the redesign of a middle school engineering digital curriculum repository within the broader framework of curriculum implementation, with a specific focus on how teachers interact with and utilize its resources. Background: The redesign was in response to a scale-up implementation of a prior 4-year study, to accommodate a wide range of teacher users. The redesign process prioritized accessibility by embedding universal design principles into both the repository’s structure and accompanying teacher resources. These principles were used to create an adaptable and inclusive platform that meets the needs of a diverse user base. This paper outlines the key design considerations that informed the redevelopment, highlights improvements made in response to teacher feedback and examines how the repository supported instructional practices. Methodology: A qualitative user study was conducted with four middle school engineering teachers who used the redesigned repository for lesson implementation. Contribution: The study aims to provide insights into the practical application of universal design principles, addressing gaps in existing research on designing tools that accommodate varied learning needs. Findings: Findings revealed that integrating universal design principles reduced cognitive load by streamlining navigation and improving access to curriculum materials. Teachers reported that the redesign provided significant support for lesson preparation, thereby enhancing their ability to implement the curriculum in their classrooms effectively. Recommendations for Practitioners: These findings highlight the benefits of applying universal design principles to design web-based curriculum resources and platforms, thereby ensuring their accessibility and usability for all users. Recommendation for Researchers: Continuing to explore how web-based curriculum resources and platforms, designed based on the universal design principles, may improve inclusion among diverse populations and ensure the sustainability of their use. Impact on Society: This study underscores the potential of such designs to promote inclusion among diverse populations and discusses the implications for the long-term sustainability of websites developed with these principles. Future Research: Future research will continue to explore how universally designed web-based curriculum resources can enhance user experiences and foster equitable access to educational resources.