ABSTRACT

Research Findings: High quality STEM professional learning is necessary for supporting early educators to implement early childhood STEM education in ways that promote young children’s development. This is particularly important for educators serving young children of color or from under-resourced backgrounds who have few STEM early learning opportunities. The STEM Lab intervention was designed to address multiple barriers early educators face regarding STEM education by providing designated time, space, materials and professional learning for teachers targeting STEM education. This study engaged 47 preschool educators serving primarily African American and Latinx children from under-resourced families in the STEM Lab intervention. Observational data identified higher quality teacher-child interactions in the STEM Lab lessons compared to regular classroom experiences, particularly for instructional quality. While STEM opportunities were rare in the regular classroom, multiple observations across the school year in the STEM Labs found that teachers used a range of quality science and engineering practices in the STEM Lab and improved in their skills across the school year. Practice or Policy: The STEM Lab intervention demonstrates promise for engaging educators and young children in quality science learning opportunities. Administrative policy is necessary to promote STEM Lab experiences.

摘要

研究成果：高质量的 STEM 专业学习对于支持早期教育工作者以促进幼儿发展的方式实施幼儿 STEM 教育是必要的。这对于为有色人种或资源贫乏背景的幼儿提供服务的教育工作者尤其重要，因为他们很少有 STEM 早期学习机会。STEM 实验室干预旨在通过为针对 STEM 教育的教师提供指定的时间、空间、材料和专业学习，解决早期教育工作者在 STEM 教育方面面临的多重障碍。这项研究吸引了 47 名学前教育工作者参与 STEM 实验室干预，主要为来自资源贫乏家庭的非裔美国人和拉丁裔儿童提供服务。观察数据表明，与常规课堂体验相比，STEM 实验室课程中的师生互动质量更高，尤其是教学质量。虽然普通课堂上的 STEM 机会很少，但整个学年 STEM 实验室的多次观察发现，教师在 STEM 实验室中使用了一系列高质量的科学和工程实践，并在整个学年中提高了他们的技能。实践或政策： STEM 实验室的干预措施表明了让教育工作者和幼儿获得优质科学学习机会的希望。行政政策对于促进 STEM 实验室体验是必要的。