Iowa State University SYMBI GK-12 Program: A Case Study of the Resident Engineer's Effects on Eighth Graders' Attitudes Toward Science and Engineering

Abstract

Symbi, Iowa's NSF GK12 program, is a partnership between Iowa State University and the Des Moines public school system in an effort to develop innovative and engaging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities for middle school students. STEM graduate students are selected to serve as resident scientists or engineers and spend one full day each week throughout the academic school year in a middle school science classroom. These GK12 Fellows engage the students by providing inquiry-based learning experiences and authentic demonstrations, which bring relevance by relating the science curriculum to real world challenges. In addition, the Fellows serve as role models for STEM based occupations and encourage the students to develop the skill-sets they will need to be competitive in the 21st century global economy. Each Fellow's research background provides a unique venue for enhancing the classroom curricula. Here we present a case study showcasing the activities and interactions of Symbi GK12 Fellows in the classroom with implications for other partnerships between graduate students and middle schools. In this case study, the primary research focus of the author, a GK12 Fellow, is on materials science and engineering, a field completely absent from middle school curricula. By providing hands on demonstrations and reliable scientific expertise, 8 th grade students showed a significant increase in not only academic understanding but also in attitudes toward science and engineering related fields. These findings were supported through pre-and post-survey instruments, and student testimonies. These results suggest that middle school students benefit from the involvement of the resident engineer in the classroom.