Research, evaluation, and assessment studies are integral to the development of the Engineering is Elementary curriculum, and an important facet of the team’s curriculum development philosophy. The EiE team believes that a high-quality curriculum is one that is well-researched and thoroughly tested at all stages, from basic understanding of what students and teachers know about engineering and technology to the first brainstorm to the published product. From its inception in 2003-2004, the Engineering is Elementary project has been committed to creating high-quality teacher guides and professional development for teachers and a world-class curriculum for students through multiple cycles of research, development, testing, and improvement.

All EiE units are thoroughly tested and evaluated at all stages of development. In the earliest stages of development, proposed subject matter is researched in the scientific literature and supplemented by interviews and focus groups with teachers and students to solidify our understanding of the content area, student readiness and ability, and grade-level needs. Once a unit has been drafted, it is first tested in the classroom by experienced pilot teachers, observed and evaluated by EiE team members, revised, and further tested. At the same time, student assessments that address the learning objectives of the unit as well as key science and mathematics skills and concepts that will be reinforced are developed and validated with the target audience. In the second year of development, each unit is tested with a wider national audience, and student learning is assessed with the pre- and post-assessments developed in the first year, and compared against a matched national sample of classrooms collecting control data.

A sampling of our current research questions includes:

• What do students know about engineering and technology?
• How does the EiE curriculum affect what students know about engineering and technology?
• How does the EiE curriculum affect students’ understanding of related science and mathematics topics?
• How does the EiE curriculum affect students’ attitudes towards STEM activities and careers?
• How does the EiE curriculum impact the understanding and attitudes of female students, students of color, low-income students, and other populations underrepresented in STEM fields?
• How does EiE professional development affect teachers’ pedagogy for STEM topics?
• How does EiE professional development affect teachers’ attitudes towards teaching engineering and technology in their classrooms?

Formal Findings and Publications