I-Corps: Exploring Technology Innovation Opportunities for Early Childhood STEM Professional Development

East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is vast. Our product aims to improve early childhood STEM learning by supporting the preschool workforce. Children's development in math and science at the end of preschool predicts how well they will do in multiple subjects later in school. Our professional development tools will empower teachers to provide rich early STEM experiences so that all children, regardless of background, have the opportunity to be better students. These experiences also build habits of mind, inquiry, and interest in STEM, which can result in a stronger, larger, and more innovative STEM workforce. The business could develop a national footprint that employs educators and experts from across the country to provide professional development, online supports and resources, and innovative technology to educators, school districts, and other preschool education organizations. The reach and impact of the project could expand rapidly through emerging technologies. The business can fulfill a massive need in our society to improve early childhood education by providing quality professional development and support for those educating our youngest learners. This I-Corps project will explore the commercial potential of our preschool professional development model and resources, SciMath-DLL. A variety of methods for program delivery, including direct to consumer, partnerships with schools, and outright licensing to schools could be utilized. Our model includes workshops, model lesson plans, professional learning communities, and individual reflective coaching across a range of STEM content. SciMath-DLL resulted from two DRK-12 early childhood STEM education research grants in which we developed the model and evaluated the positive changes in teachers, coaches, and children. In the first development project, results showed strong positive impacts on educators' confidence and teaching and coaching practice, and perceived improvements in children's skills and learning. Emerging findings from the second experimental study, show significant gains by the SciMath-DLL educators in terms of increased knowledge about STEM subjects and how to teach them to diverse student populations, and improved attitudes and beliefs about the ability of children to learn and apply STEM concepts. These results suggest that the SciMath-DLL program improves the quality of teaching, improves the quality of the help and guidance for teachers, and ultimately improves early childhood STEM education for children. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.