Safer Engineering and CTE Instruction: A National STEM Education Imperative. What the Data Tells Us

Overview & Synopsis

For decades safety has been an integral component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and CTE (career and technical education) instruction. Given today's litigious society, safety in P-12 STEM education and CTE has received greater attention. This in part is the result of the rise in popularity of collaborative learning environments like makerspaces and fabrication labs (Fab Labs). While safety has been recognized as critical to hands-on interdisciplinary teaching and learning experiences relative to STEM and CTE, there is limited research data to support appropriate recommendations for safety policies and practices. This book utilizes findings from one of the most extensive national P-12 STEM and CTE safety research studies to date (718 teachers across 42 states) to provide practitioner friendly safety recommendations with suggested resources. The recommendations provide implications for state education departments, professional associations, school districts/boards of education, administrators, and teachers to make data informed decisions regarding safety policies and practices to enhance STEM and CTE instruction. [This book was published in partnership with the Division of Experimentation and Laboratory Oriented Studies (DELOS) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and National Safety Consultants, LLC.]