Using Pre-engineering Curricula in High School Science and Mathematics: A Follow-up Study

More engineers are needed in today's workforce but the number of students pursuing careers in engineering is not increasing. The Pre-Engineering Instructional and Outreach Program, established to inform students, teachers, parents, and school counselors about careers in engineering, provides teachers with pre-engineering curriculum to increase students' interest in engineering by emphasizing connections between science and mathematics and real-world engineering. A follow-up study of high school science and mathematics teachers who attended the program in 2003 was conducted. Teachers' attitudes to and knowledge about engineering careers, concerns about implementing the curricula and preparedness to teach were examined across two academic years. Significant increases were found in students' attitudes to and knowledge about engineering careers during the school year after teachers attended the program. The attitudes to and knowledge about engineering careers for students taught by some of the teachers during the second year were significantly higher than for students taught by colleagues who didn't attend the program.