Propellers: Why Do They Work?

In order for technology and engineering education (T&EE) students to meet the design challenges of this century, T&EE teachers will need to deepen their content pedagogy in the areas of science and math. This raises the question: Will the need to deepen content pedagogy initiate a process of change that transforms technology and engineering teachers into STEM educators? If this is true, then the concept of STEM education will also change--from content that is integrated into core academic subjects to a body of knowledge that can stand on its own; as a capstone course in early college programs, and/or as the center of learning communities from middle school through the university level. The purpose of this article is to deepen the content pedagogy of STEM and technology and engineering educators so that students--future marine and aeronautical engineers--will not only know how to design propellers, they will understand the scientific principles underlying these designs. (Contains 7 figures and 4 photos.)