Technology & Engineering Studies BS Teaching
Program Purpose
Program Purpose
The primary purpose of the Technology and Engineering Studies (TES)-Teaching program, is to prepare men and women of sound character to teach technology and engineering in grades 6-12. These men and women are expected to lead their profession, advance technological literacy, and carry forth the mission of BYU: to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life (BYU Mission Statement). By receiving an education in a learning environment that is spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, and character building, TES-Teaching graduates will obtain the skills they need for lifelong learning and service in the education profession (BYU Aims Document).
Program Educational Objectives
The Educational Objectives of the Technology and Engineering Studies-Teaching program apply to graduates in the years following their graduation. These graduates will:
- Remain committed to and exhibit lives of faith in Jesus Christ and service to family and community (including church);
- For those entering the teaching profession, demonstrate effective teaching skills and pursue professional development to enhance student learning;
- Demonstrate effective reasoning and communication skills, continue to be informed about contemporary and global issues, and pursue life-long learning;
- Be effective and innovative in developing and implementing solutions to open-ended problems (technical and/or non-technical), and thereby contribute to the improvement of society. In doing this, graduates will draw on the foundation of a broad university education and of excellent preparation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics);
- Exemplify sound ethics, be professionally responsible, interact effectively with others, appreciate their contributions, and contribute to their growth and development.
Curricular Structure
TES-Teaching faculty teach an integrated core of TES-Teaching courses that provide students with a unified experience in conceptual knowledge and technology content through model teaching. TES-Teaching is a composite major. TES-Teaching faculty work in conjunction with faculty in the David O. McKay School of Education and personnel in the Utah State Board of Education to certify graduates to teach technology and engineering courses in grades 6-12. Students gain technological expertise through courses taken from TES and other faculty in the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering. The professional core classes are taught both by Secondary Education and Technology and Engineering Studies faculty (See Program Map). Numerous factors contribute to the curriculum in the Technology and Engineering Studies-Teaching program at BYU. These include:
- Alignment with BYU Mission and Aims;
- A commitment to maximizing resources at BYU;
- National accreditation standards for Secondary Education;
- National Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL - International Technology and Engineering Educators Association);
- BYU-Public School Partnership Commitments (https://byupartnership.org/about-us);
- BYU Professional Teacher Candidate Assessment Standards (Note: These align with the Utah Effective Teaching Standards);
- Technological advancements and social responsibilities.
Co-curricular activities that support the goals and aims of the TES-Teaching program and University are coordinated with the BYU student chapter of the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) and include socials, service projects, and regional and national competitions.
The BYU catalogue contains details about the Technology and Engineering Studies-Teaching program: Catalog Information
The BS in Technology and Engineering Studies-Teaching degree requirements are shown in the: Major Academic Plan
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
The "Expected Learning Outcomes" are categorized into TCK (Technical Content Knowledge) and PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge), Shulman, 1986. They define the outcomes that students teaching technology and engineering should possess when they leave the university and enter the workforce. Each course has a set of competencies that are a subset of one or more of the expected learning outcomes described below. The competencies are assessed by course instructors and students using the following metrics: Praxis Exam, Coursework, TCA, and EDA. Each metric is defined below.
Praxis Exam is mapped to International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA) Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL).
TCA is the BYU Professional Teacher Candidate Assessment and is mapped to the BYU Public School Partnership Committments.
EDA is the Educator Disposition Assessment aligned with CAEP Standards for teacher canidate evaluation.
Technical Content KnowledgeTechnical Content Knowledge (TCK) refers to a teacher's deep understanding of the technical concepts and skills within a specific content area, especially in subjects like engineering, technology education, computer science, or career and technical education (CTE).
PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) is the intersection of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. It refers to a teacher's understanding of how to teach specific content in ways that make it understandable to learners
Evidence of Learning
Direct Measures
PCK:
Successfull assessment of pedagogy competencies as evidenced by the BYU Professional Teacher Candidate Assessment (BYU TCA) completed by the mentor teacher and university supervisor during pre-clinical (TES 378 - Practicum) and clinical (TES 476 - Student Teaching) experiences.
EDA (Educational Dispositional Assessment): The EDA is a disposition measurement tool designed by Almerico, Johnston, and Wilson at the Educational Dispositional Assessment Consultants, LLC. The EDA is designed to help faculty evaluate teacher candidates by measuring nine dispositions over twenty-seven items. The EDA uses a three-point scale ranging from "Needs Improvement" to "Meets Expectations" to score candidates on the various items.
As students move through the TES teacher preparation courses, an EDA assessment is completed at pre-clinical (TES 276), Practicum (TES 378) and Clinical/Student Teaching (TES 476) experiences. Candidates must recieve an 80% score or higher to successfully pass the EDA and continue the path to licensure.
TCK:
Praxis II. To demonstrate mastery of course content as related to the Standards for Technological Literacy and to be considered "highly qualified" in the technology content area, Technology and Engineering Studies-Teaching students are required to take the Praxis II Technology Education test. Students typically take this test during the clinical (TEE 378) transition point. To be considered "Highly Qualified" by the Utah State Office of Education, students must score at least a 159 on this test.
Coursework. Successful completion of course assignments and exam as measured by course GPA.
Indirect Measures
Advisory Board. TES faculty have and will continue to use an advisory board consisting of school administrators, state directors, public school teachers, and current and former students to obtain data related to program strengths and weaknesses.
Senior Exit Survey. Prior to graduation, a questionnaire with items related to program strengths and weaknesses is administered to each graduating student. The responses to this questionnaire are then discussed with each student during an exit interview conducted by the program chair.
National Survey of Student Engagement. The university has participated annually in this national assessment since its inception in 2000. The survey is viewed as an excellent process measure of the learning environment and assists in providing multifaceted measurement of institutional performance regarding the university's mission, aims, and objectives. Questions focus on areas of student engagement which empirical research has shown to be predictive of success in achieving important learning outcomes. Student engagement is at the heart of how and why students learn and is a good indicator of what is being learned.
University Student End-of-Course Survey (Student Ratings System). Brigham Young University administers a separate end-of-course survey to students. This survey allows for more open-ended responses and provides insight into the effectiveness of teaching. Students have an opportunity to respond to the effectiveness of learning activities, fairness of grading procedures, explanation of concepts, usefulness of feedback, degree of student involvement, time spent on homework and reading assignments, etc. Students may also include free-form comments about the course.
BYU Senior Survey. The Senior Survey was developed by a faculty led committee within BYU and measures the extent to which seniors feel their university experience fulfilled the university's stated mission, aims, and objectives in their lives. The survey is aligned to 24 constructs which operationalize these stated goals. Many of these constructs map to specific program and degree goals. Issues of student engagement such as student-faculty interaction, and active learning experiences, which are closely tied to student learning, are a prominent part of the survey. Other items ask seniors to estimate the impact of their overall experience and specific facets of their undergraduate experience on their spiritual, character and intellectual development. This survey provides a comparison between TES seniors and all BYU seniors on issues of student engagement and achieving institutional objectives, and indicates that TES students generally compare favorably with their counterparts across campus.
BYU Alumni Questionnaire. The Alumni Questionnaire is a descriptive instrument that also maps to the 24 constructs incorporated into the Senior Survey that operationalize the university's stated goals and objectives. Many of these constructs have direct linkage to program goals and intended learning objectives (e.g., communication skills, thinking habits/skills, technological skills, etc.) This questionnaire is administered to alumni three years after graduation and has been administered each year since 2000.
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
Semester Evaluations: At the end of each semester, the department faculty reviews all of the faculty and student course assessment documents for that semester. As part of the assessment process, instructors for the courses are also asked to provide information on how the previous year's action items were addressed during the current semester. Student and faculty evaluations are compiled in a relational database so that the analysis can take advantage of many different kinds of comparisons including trends in evaluations with time, instructor, course, etc. The department faculty also compiles a list of action items from this analysis.
Annual Evaluations: The faculty analyzes data generated from all of the direct and indirect assessment tools listed above annually. If necessary, there are, in general, two kinds of recommendations that are made. The first is a recommendation for modifications in course purpose, educational objectives, and program outcomes that require department faculty consideration. Issues generated from this analysis are added to the action items list generated from the semester evaluations. The faculty then reviews the action list before Fall Semester classes begin. The second is a recommendation for changes in program statement of purpose, goals, and/or curriculum which all require department faculty and subsequent college and university consideration.
Any recommendations for changes in program issues are submitted to the department faculty for consideration. If changes are approved, they are forwarded to the College Curriculum Committee for further consideration and then, if approved, to the University Curriculum Committee.