Dr. Johannes Strobel, director of educational outreach programs for the Dwight Look College of Engineering and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), has been appointed to serve on the Committee on Guiding Implementation of K-12 Engineering Education in the United States.
The committee is part of a new initiative that will provide expert, research-based guidance to those involved in overseeing engineering education in kindergarten through grade 12. It is organized by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and sponsored by Chevron.
According to the NAE, engineering education is likely to become more prominent in science classrooms due to the recently published Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which will incorporate aspects of engineering into K-12 instruction. This new project will build upon scientific research that has identified best teaching approaches to help students make connections among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Findings on how to help educators gain knowledge and confidence to teach engineering successfully will also be incorporated.
Strobel is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Engineering, his research and teaching focuses on engineering as an innovation in P-12 education, policy of P-12 STEM education, how to support teachers and students' academic achievements through engineering, engineering 'habits of mind' and worldviews, empathy and care in engineering and the use of cyber-infrastructure to sensitively and resourcefully provide access to and support learning.