Evaluating STEM Education in the U.S. Secondary Schools: Pros and Cons of the «Project Lead the Way» Platform

Authors

  • Melissa Stebbins
  • Tatiana V. Goris Pittsburg State University , USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v9i1.9277

Keywords:

Project Lead the Way (PLTW), K-12, American Secondary Education, Engineer-ing and Technology Education

Abstract


Starting in 1990-s, the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program became one of the most known and favorable interdisciplinary STEM platforms in K-12 education in the United States. Moving away from the traditional classroom, PLTW focuses on the integration of several subjects into one. It includes various hands-on-activities that, according to PLTW mission, help to develop deeper practical hands-on skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In nowadays, PLTW is a nationally recognized curriculum, which offers many opportunities for teachers, as well as students, developing engineering skills and preparing the youth for college and upcoming STEM-oriented carriers. However, despite of its popularity, various factors (such as the cost of PLTW equipment, supplies, and software, as well as support of school administration) might signif-icantly influence quality of PLTW teaching.

Author Biography

Tatiana V. Goris, Pittsburg State University , USA

Tatiana V. Goris is an Assistant Professor at Pittsburg State University, Kansas, teaching graduate courses in "MS in Technology" program. Previously Dr. Goris hold an appointment of Clinical Assistant Professor at School of Engineering Technology at Purdue University , Indiana, USA. She taught various disciplines in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technology. Dr. Goris obtained her PhD at Purdue University in 2012 . She also holds MS in Electronics Engineering from Taganrog Institute of Technology (Russia).

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Published

2019-02-22

How to Cite

Stebbins, M., & Goris, T. V. (2019). Evaluating STEM Education in the U.S. Secondary Schools: Pros and Cons of the «Project Lead the Way» Platform. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP), 9(1), pp. 50–56. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v9i1.9277

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Papers