The National Science Foundation has awarded the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station $1.2 million for the project “Preparing Prospective STEM Teachers to be Effective in Teaching Engineering Concepts & Design in Middle and High Schools.” Directed by Principal Investigator Dr. Garth V. Crosby, an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution (ETID), the initiative focuses on the critical need for highly qualified engineering educators in secondary classrooms.
The program will develop engineering and engineering technology undergraduates as skilled educators by combining strong technical skills with training in pedagogy, intensive classroom field experiences, clinical practice and mentoring. Partnerships with nearby school districts will support the field-based training. Upon graduation, students will be qualified STEM professionals who are well-equipped to teach students who represent the full spectrum of talent for the next generation of engineers.
Placing highly trained engineering educators in secondary-level classrooms may result in increased retention and graduation rates in undergraduate engineering degree programs, potentially increasing the number of dynamic and innovative employees in STEM fields. “To create the workforce the United States needs to be competitive in the 21st century, we will need capable engineering teachers in our secondary schools to create the foundation and excite our next generation of innovators,” said Texas A&M’s Associate Provost for Academic Enhancement Dr. Michael Johnson, who is a co-principal investigator on the project and ETID professor.
The project includes scholarships of almost $20,000 per year over five years for at least 20 undergraduate students who are pursuing degrees in engineering, engineering technology, science or mathematics while also obtaining secondary school teaching certification. This financial support, made possible by the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, aims to alleviate student loan burdens, enabling educators to focus on their teaching careers.
Crosby stated, “This support will provide a significant incentive to recruit students to the STEM Educator track of ETID’s Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology program. This track embeds a STEM teacher certification in the curriculum, allowing students to graduate with their engineering technology degree and their certification to teach engineering, mathematics and physical science at the secondary level.”
In addition to Johnson, co-principal investigators are Dr. Michael de Miranda, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, and Dr. Bugrahan Yalva, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture. Additional team members are Kenric Davies, program coordinator of aggieTEACH-Arts & Sciences, and Shelly Tornquist, director of Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach. The researchers will analyze outcomes of the project, such as exploring the dual development of engineering and teaching identities among participants and how this dual formation impacts their retention and persistence as STEM teachers.
Funding for this research is administered by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering.