Browsing by Author "Roehrig, Gillian H."

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A Closer Examination of Earth and Life Science Teachers' Science and Engineering Integration
(Springer, 2025) Aydin Gunbatar, Sevgi; Ozturk, Nilay; Roehrig, Gillian H.
This research investigated how middle school science teachers integrated engineering into their planned science instruction and the extent to which they conceptually linked science to engineering following participation in a professional development program. Video recordings of six teachers' classroom implementation of teacher-designed units were the main data sources (i.e., more than 3000 min). Additionally, the integrated STEM unit plans were used as a secondary source. A deductive analysis of the data showed that the extent and timing of engineering integration and the extent of conceptual connections between science and engineering varied in six teachers' classrooms. All teachers started the instruction with an engineering design challenge. However, only two teachers integrated engineering throughout the unit. Five out of six participants identified opportunities for students to redesign their engineering solutions both in the unit plan and their unit implementation, whereas one teacher gave students a chance to redesign but it was not stated in the unit plan. Regarding science and engineering integration during the unit implementations, two teachers made topical connections, and only one teacher established deep conceptual connections. The findings of the study reported the difficulty of engineering integration both in earth and life science content domains and showed an urgent need for further teacher professional development programs that explicitly focus on how engineering and science are conceptually linked.
A Closer Examination of the Stem Characteristics of the Stem Activities Published in Nsta Journals
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2024) Gunbatar, Sevgi Aydin; Kiran, Betul Ekiz; Boz, Yezdan; Roehrig, Gillian H.
Background Based on the literature review, shared characteristics of integrated STEM (I-STEM) curriculum includes an engaging and motivating context, student participation in engineering design activities, opportunity to redesign, engaging in mathematics or science content, having student-centred pedagogies, and teamwork and communication. These principles and more were used to analyse STEM activities published in NSTA journals. Purpose It was to determine the extent to which the STEM activities published in three NSTA journals (Science and Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher) between the years 2013 and 2020 reflected the shared characteristics of I-STEM education. Sample A total of 161 STEM teaching activities were analysed during the study. Methods A STEM rubric (abbreviated as RACSTEM) developed by the authors. Expert panel reviews and intercoder agreement calculations provided support for the content validity and reliability of RACSTEM. The rubric was composed of seven main categories, namely, integrating different disciplines, real-world problem, learner-centeredness, teamwork, communication, redesign, and assessment. STEM activities were analysed based on RACSTEM through content analysis and reported using descriptive statistics. Results Different combinations of STEM and non-STEM disciplines were integrated into the activities. 76% of the activities included real-world problems. Learner centred strategies (e.g. project-based learning) were utilized in 81% of the STEM papers. In 94% of the papers, students mostly participated in group work. Analysis revealed that 58% of the papers asked learners what they would change at the redesign stage. Finally, in the assessment aspect, the most problematic one, results showed discrepancies between the integrative nature of STEM and its assessment. Conclusion It was unclear how many I-STEM activities were published in NSTA publications that fit the requirements for I-STEM once the NGSS was launched. The findings of this study, as well as the development of the RACSTEM instrument, seem to have the ability to resolve ambiguity.
Elaborating Nature of Engineering Through Family Resemblance Approach
(Springer, 2023) Aydin-Guenbatar, Sevgi; Roehrig, Gillian H.
With the release of Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and Next Generation Science Standards (2013) documents, engineering was integrated into science teaching. With that emphasis, teachers require to incorporate engineering practices and nature of engineering into their practice. Most of the attention has been given to the iterative engineering design process through which engineering solve a client's problem. However, understanding of what engineers do and how they do it, it is necessary to focus on nature of engineering. Given the limited emphasis put of the nature of engineering construct, the goal of this paper is to utilize the family resemblance approach lenses to characterize the construct based on Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophical work. We aim to frame the nature of engineering and draw a holistic view of engineering by elaborating on cognitive, epistemic, and social-institutional aspects of engineering for K-12 students, which provides a comprehensible theoretical justification of the construct.
Elementary Science Teachers' Engineering Integration After Long-Term In-Service Training Program With and Without Curriculum Material Support
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2025) Ozturk, Nilay; Aydın-Gunbatar, Sevgi; Roehrig, Gillian H.
Background and PurposeAs a response to the need for effective engineering integration in K-12 science classrooms, teachers should be supported with rich professional development (PD) with diverse components (e.g. curriculum material support). Grounded in the framework for quality K-12 engineering education, this study explores how elementary science teachers integrated engineering into science lessons after participating in PD and the nature of engineering integration with additional curriculum material support (CMS).Design/MethodIn this single-case study with multiple embedded units of analysis, three teachers' 79 classroom video recordings were analyzed using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Engineering Design with the engineering design process and engineering habits of mind components.FindingsAnalysis showed that teachers spent time on each design component in both PD Year and CMS Year, with an increase for at least half of the components in the CMS Year. Across all the observations in both years, the most common engineering design process component was researching possible solutions to the engineering challenge. Compared to the PD Year, teachers' engineering habits of mind integration improved greatly in the CMS Year. Regarding engineering design and science concepts integration, observations became more balanced, moving away from the independent ends of the continuum in the CMS Year.ConclusionsLong-term PD was effective in supporting teachers' integration of engineering design components. Providing CMS had the greatest impact on the integration of engineering habits of mind components. Along with PD, curriculum support with explicit indication of how and when to incorporate engineering with habits of mind components was beneficial for teachers.