Status of Elementary Teacher Development: Preparing Elementary Teachers to Deliver Technology and Engineering Experiences

Overview & Synopsis

For over a century, teacher preparation programs (TPPs) have experienced peaks and valleys in preparing preservice teachers to deliver technology and engineering (TE) experiences in elementary classrooms. Calls to integrate engineering concepts into elementary education (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009; Kimmel, Carpinelli, Curr-Alexander, & Rockland, 2006)--especially as it relates to the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS; NGSS Lead States, 2013) and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education--compels TE teacher educators to evaluate their curricular programs relative to elementary education. To assist teacher educators in this self-assessment, the Teacher Preparation Committee of the Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education undertook a mixed methods study, the purpose of which was to identify and characterize the models of teacher preparation programs that prepared preservice elementary teachers to deliver TE experiences in elementary classrooms.