Addressing the Demand for Engineers by Teaching Engineering to Counselors and Teachers

Abstract

The future of America's global competitiveness depends upon a well-educated, technologically literate workforce. However, if proactive measures are not taken in the near future, the United States will face a serious shortage of scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians because high school students, especially those from underrepresented groups, are increasingly losing interest in these subjects. The key in reversing this trend lies in our ability to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects and professions in a more socially relevant, real-world context and to recognize the differences in learning styles and self-efficacy between males, females and minorities. As STEM teachers and school guidance counselors will be the catalysts for introducing students to engineering and technology subjects and careers, the Teaching Engineering to Counselors and Teachers (TECT) professional development workshop is being developed by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to strengthen the way in which high school teachers and counselors approach the integration of engineering based materials into their courses and counseling. The TECT workshop, a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded proof-of-concept project, incorporates the well-established STEM model that hands-on activities improve student learning and comprehension and builds upon another successful NSF sponsored project that funds high school clubs and summer camps focused on students who are underrepresented in engineering related majors. The TECT workshop makes use of the summer camps as a time to conduct concurrent teacher and counselor in-service education and promote best practices that reach across the diversity of student learning styles and interests. The first TECT workshop was held on July 23-27, 2007 and included 18 high school teachers and guidance counselors from nine local area high schools. This paper presents some of the results and findings derived from the first workshop.