Abstract

Public schools in the U.S. have been charged with increasing the number of students who excel in science and math in an attempt to steer more students to STEM careers and thus meet the demands for a highly technical and globally competitive workforce. Consequently, teacher preparation programs must change. Earlier research indicates that female teacher candidates in particular may have reservations about teaching engineering design due to stereotypes about engineers and engineering. In a critical feminist study, we explored female elementary teacher candidates’ attitudes and self-efficacy for teaching engineering concepts. We used interviews and observation to examine preconceived ideas about engineering and to explore how thinking changed after instruction, modeling, hands-on practice in their methods courses, and application in elementary classrooms. Our findings demonstrate the importance of addressing teacher candidates’ initial fears and self-doubt in order to build confidence and excitement about incorporating engineering in the elementary classroom.