Teacher Productive Resources for Engineering Design Integration in High School Physics Instruction (Fundamental)

Recent reform efforts to embed engineering design instruction in K-12 science have provided an impetus for high school physics teachers to teach engineering design alongside content physics. This study, part of a larger participant observation dissertation study of engineering integration in high-school physics, investigated how a physics teacher, “Leslie,” integrated engineering design into a projectile motion lesson to address the question of how a physics teacher’s existing resources, or bits of knowledge and reasoning, help the teacher be productive in teaching engineering design in physics class. Some of Leslie’s inquiry facilitation commitments and habits of mind such as requiring student reasoning, not giving away steps or answers, requiring good data, giving up teacher authority, providing rich contexts, constructivist and social constructivist mindsets, and a growth model of learning assisted her as productive resources in teaching her first engineering design challenge. This study suggests that teachers who may feel confused or overburdened with the engineering design reform effort may be able to draw upon their existing resources, especially those affiliated with inquiry instruction, to push through feelings of discomfort during engineering design instruction such as unexpected student divergence, requirements of engineering design processes, and time restrictions. Reform implementation researchers, teacher educators, and engineering professional development providers should also acknowledge the role that resources may play in reform implementation and encourage teachers to find and call upon resources they already have that align with engineering integration reform to help them out.