Date of Award:

8-2023

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

Committee Chair(s)

Max Longhurst

Committee

Max Longhurst

Committee

Colby Tofel-Grehl

Committee

Kimberly Lott

Committee

Erin Riverts

Committee

Suzie Jones

Abstract

Science educators are tasked with enacting The Next Generation Science Standards that include engineering core ideas and practices. Many teacher preparation programs and content courses do not include or require engineering design leading many science teachers to believe they are unprepared to teach engineering design. The lack of experience and belief of being unprepared to teach engineering design results in preservice educators’ lack of engineering design teaching self-efficacy. Preparation programs inclusion of efficacy in is essential to understanding later enactment. This mixed-method case study researched the engineering design teaching self-efficacy of eleven preservice educators during an engineering design unit taught in a science methods II course at a university in the western U.S. The changes in preservice educator self-efficacy over the development and delivery of an engineering design unit was explored to describe fluctuations and elements of the engineering design unit that influenced efficacy. This researcher triangulated journals, focus groups, journey maps, video protocols, and instructor session notes to better describe the influence of the elements of an engineering design unit on preservice educator efficacy development. The analysis revealed that the engineering design unit included elements that facilitated sensemaking leading to task competency beliefs. These engineering designs teaching self-efficacy beliefs developed over time with wavelike fluctuations. Preservice educator engineering design teaching self- efficacy progresses from onset, developing, emerging, to maturing. Fluctuation in efficacy is consistent with progression if preservice educators receive mentorship to facilitate sensemaking through the process. To reach the efficacy maturing stage, teachers need the autonomy to enact engineering design curriculum and needed science education reforms. It is expected that a description of developmental engineering efficacy will assist professional learning instructors and curriculum developers to increase enactment of engineering design in secondary science classrooms. Student engagement and engineering literacy may result when teachers have increased engineering design teaching self-efficacy.

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