Rutgers University Research Experience For Teachers In Engineering: Preliminary Findings

In addressing the nation’s need for a more technologically-literate society, the Rutgers University Research Experience for Teachers in Engineering (RU RET-E) is designed to: (1) engage middle and high school math and science teachers in innovative “green” engineering research during the summer, and (2) support teachers in integrating their research experiences into their academic year, precollege classrooms. The current paper addresses the following two questions: (1) To what extent did RU RET-E impact participants? and (2) To what extent did participants implement resulting lesson plans? During the 2011 summer, seventeen math and science teachers (RU RET-E Fellows) engaged in “green” research alongside faculty and graduate students. Teachers were required to apply to the program in pairs as one math and one science teacher from the same school. The rationale was that the team would develop interdisciplinary lessons and that teachers would have a colleague at their school who shared the same experience as supports during the school year. The paper provides an overview of the summer experiences and the academic year follow-up activities. Data from the pre- and post-surveys and follow-up questionnaire about lesson implementation are presented. Preliminary data evidences that RU RET-E was successful in enhancing teachers’ understanding of engineering and supporting them as they designed lessons for their precollege classrooms. Most notably, teachers’ confidence in their ability to define engineering, describe what engineers do, generate challenging problems for advanced students and integrate engineering into their curriculum increased significantly.