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This paper presents an overview of the findings and implications of an ongoing 5-year collaborative action research project conducted by university faculty and classroom teachers in a large urban school district in the southeastern United States. Based on the premise that participation in research empowers teachers to take action to improve schools, the project both supports and encourages the involvement of practicing classroom teachers in research projects. The document provides a framework for examining: (1) the development of a teacher-mentor model that offers a foundation for school improvement by enhancing teachers' research interests; and (2) the capability of teachers to conduct and do research (an analysis of requirements). A prototype model for developing the capability of teachers to do research is described. The model advocates some form of apprenticeship and focuses on the means through which a collegial relationship (teacher-researcher) can evolve into a type of apprenticeship relationship (apprentice-mentor) through which teachers can pursue the substantive knowledge and research tools they need to become colleagues as practicing researchers in the field of science education. (LL)

The session will report on the success and lessons learned from the five-year implementation of a collaborative DOE project between two Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) State Colleges and an HSI university with a combined 140,000+ undergraduate students. The session will also report on revising a Systemic, Evidenced-Based, and Student-Centered (SE-SC) framework due to the COVID-19 situation over the last two years. The original aim of the SE-SC framework was to maximize the number of academically-talented, Hispanic students who complete their AA degrees at State Colleges and transfer to a 4-year institution to complete their BS degree and are careerready to enter engineering and computer science (ECS). The revised SE-SC framework addresses the online education challenge of the project due to the COVID-19 situation. The session will report on how the professional relationships among three large post-secondary institutions have evolved and how the partners have become more intentional about project outcomes. In addition, the design and implementation of articulation agreements have increased programmatic alignment, a more seamless and easy-to-navigate transfer process for students. Furthermore, the collaboration to reach out to industry partners has increased the authenticity of experiences provided to the students across all three institutions. The session will also report on the faculty's adaptation of their instructional practices to include using newer digital technologies for hybrid and remote learning while maximizing student interests and motivating degree completion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Project success has been assessed by applying quantitative and qualitative measures, informal assessments, and anecdotal records. The institutional infrastructure in supporting diverse student interests and success in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science degree programs and their career pathways are presented. Other institutions interested in promoting STEM programs may replicate the implemented model due to its effectiveness, as reported in the session. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the summary of a successful five-year (2013-2018) collaboration among two state colleges and a recent Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) university with a combined 140,000+ undergraduate students. The initial project entitled " Computer Accelerated Pipeline to Unlock Regional Excellence" (CAPTURE) sponsored by the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) has addressed curriculum mapping and articulation from two State Colleges to a 4 year institution to support student degree completion in computer science and engineering programs. In addition, this paper reports on the success of first two years of a United States DOE Title III project built upon the CAPUTURE initiative for Hispanics and low income students. The collected data for the past five years (2013-2018) validates the effectiveness of the proposed initiative in increasing both the student pipeline and graduation rates. The process has also deepened our understanding of the needs of students in terms of how to better align student career aspirations with industry workforce needs. The effectiveness of the collaborative model could be replicated among other institutions interested in promoting engineering degrees among Hispanic and low income students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of the first two years of a 5-year USDOE project designed to increase the graduation rates of students transferring from two-year (state) community colleges to major in computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering (CS). The initial two years of the project focused on the design and piloting of academic support components to improve student success rates in mathematics and computer science gateway courses that provide a foundation for subsequent success in upper division CS courses leading to an undergraduate degree. Working in collaboration with state colleges, this paper overviews the design and piloting of the project mentor support model including the project gateway course refinement component that provides the setting for mentor utilization. Discussed is the role of the mentor component in relation to other key project components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the faculty knowledge of Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) and the actual classroom environment has not been researched in engineering disciplines in terms of student outcomes. While research supports the relationship between motivation and student learning, little empirical research has focused on the combined components of SDT (autonomy, competence and relatedness), faculty knowledge of SDT, its translation into undergraduate engineering instruction, and the impact on student learning. The research design and measurement framework are developed through collaboration among the researchers from Engineering, Psychology, and Education. This project also takes advantage of current standards and techniques employed in the field of Social-Cognitive Psychology. From a broad perspective, this field provides a framework to guide and support how individuals (faculty and students) perceive, interpret and remember their interactions with each other. This paper overviews the initial faculty perceptions of autonomy and aspects of the SDT faculty workshop. Additionally, it presents analyses from three waves of student surveys from over 250 undergraduates that were conducted in Fall 2013 through Fall 2014. Forty-three (64%) engineering faculty participated across the same period of time. Analyses highlight the relationship between faculty knowledge and student perception of the classroom learning environment as they relate to student learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is part of NSF Grantees' Poster Session at the ASEE 2014 Annual Conference, and describes a recently funded project (October 2013) under the Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education (RIGEE) program. It is hypothesized that there is disconnect between the principles outlined in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the actual classroom environment, thus creating a barrier to intrinsic motivation needed for student learning. The proposed work is an empirical investigation to explore this disconnect in the context of undergraduate engineering education. The primary tasks will be to (i) assess the Faculty knowledge of SDT; (ii) develop a measurement framework to assess the classroom environment as it relates to SDT; and (iii) determine the association among Faculty knowledge of SDT, student motivation, learning environment, and student learning. The research design and measurement framework are developed through a meaningful collaboration between the researchers from Engineering, Psychology, and Education. This takes advantage of current standards and techniques employed in the field of Social-Cognitive Psychology. Since the beginning of this project in Fall 2013, a total of 104 undergraduate students and 50 engineering Faculty at Florida Atlantic University participated in the study, and the preliminary findings will be presented in this conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]