Abstract
Using Teaching Portfolios to Revise Curriculum and Explore Instructional Practices of Technology and Engineering Education Teachers
Highlights
This paper reports on the use of teaching portfolios to assist in curriculum revision and the exploration of instructional practices used by middle school technology and engineering education teachers
The main goal of this project was to develop middle school technology and engineering (T&E) education units that emphasize the role of engineers in solving important global and communitybased problems
Both units incorporate the “informed design” curricular structure (Burghardt & Hacker, 2004), which first introduces students to the major design challenge, followed by a “progression of knowledge and skill builders (KSBs)” (p. 7), activities that provide the students with the prerequisite experiences, knowledge, and skills to deal with the design challenge from a STEM-informed knowledge and skill base with the aim of reducing the uses of craft-based and trial-and-error approaches to solving design challenges
Summary
This paper reports on the use of teaching portfolios to assist in curriculum revision and the exploration of instructional practices used by middle school technology and engineering education teachers. The second unit, Water: The World in Crisis, is focused on the development of water filtration systems to be used in countries afflicted with contaminated water sources Both units incorporate the “informed design” curricular structure (Burghardt & Hacker, 2004), which first introduces students to the major design challenge, followed by a “progression of knowledge and skill builders (KSBs)” The teachers participated in monthly WebEx phone conferences in which they reported on specific challenges in implementing the curriculum Based on these conversations and data gathered during the pilot study, the units were revised and improved, making them more accessible to both teachers and students. The following sections include descriptions of the development of the project’s instruments, including: EfA Design Teaching Standards, EfA Design Teaching Portfolio, and the EfA Design Teaching Performance Rubrics
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