| This case study examined a cohort of preservice teachers who participated in an innovative engineering course as a major component of their teacher preparation program. This course, used engineering as a context to teach science and technology concepts. The purpose of this case study was to describe the experiences and reactions of a cohort of preservice teachers enrolled in this engineering course. In addition, this study sought to gain a deeper understanding of how preservice teachers described and reported learning in this constructivist based engineering course. Data sources from this study included: classroom observations and interactions, field observations and notes, reflective journals, WebCT postings, project artifacts, and personal interviews.;Major findings from this case study included a deeper understanding of science, technology, and engineering reported by the majority of the preservice teacher participants. In addition, preservice teachers gained and reported more advanced strategies for problem solving, communicating, and working within a course that used a constructivist framework for learning. Results from this study suggest that engineering can provide a valuable context for preservice teacher preparation that involves learning and teaching of science, technology, and problem solving. |
