Educator Capacity Building In PreK-12 Engineering Education

This 18-month project, overseen by the National Academy of Engineering in partnership with the Board on Science Education, will conduct extensive data gathering to better understand the current and anticipated future needs for engineering-literate PreK-12 educators in the United States and how these needs might be addressed. The data will be evaluated by a committee of experts appointed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the final product will be a consensus report containing the committee’s findings and recommendations.

The project responds to the growing visibility and importance of engineering in formal and informal PreK-12 education, including through the recently published Next Generation Science Standards, as well as research suggesting the number of educators prepared to teach PreK-12 engineering is quite small relative to likely demand. The project plan includes a detailed review of the literature; a comprehensive scan of existing engineering pre-service teacher education programs and in-service professional development opportunities; and two public workshops.