My Code Isn't Working! Mathematics Teachers' Adaptive Behaviors During an Engineering Design Challenge (Fundamental)

Abstract With increased demand for K-12 students to learn about microelectronics, teachers are encouraged to implement complex technological content into their classrooms. As part of a microelectronics workforce development effort, high school mathematics teachers teamed with researchers to create an integrated engineering design curriculum unit which was then implemented in their classrooms. During the microelectronics-focused lessons, technical issues arose that caused student disconnect and loss of interest in the moment. In response, teachers pivoted to get students reengaged. This research paper will use a framework of adaptive expertise, with subthemes of flexibility, deeper understanding, and deliberate practice, to explore how mathematics teachers made appropriate moves in light of technological issues. The research questions for this study are: How and why do high school mathematics teachers adapt when experiencing technological issues during an integrated microelectronics, engineering, and mathematics curriculum unit? How do these adaptations help students reengage in the curriculum? To study how the two teachers navigated unexpected technological issues, researchers analyzed whole class-focused video data and post-implementation reflections. To understand how engagement and interest of students changed with the activities, researchers analyzed whole class-focused video data. We found that the teachers made masterful moves to reengage students by altering the design challenge to focus on the development of a testable stress intervention method instead of a testable device, but also that the teachers may need experience with deliberate practice in the area of technological integration in order to become more comfortable integrating microelectronics in their mathematics classrooms. When students showed frustration with the sensor, code, or micro:bit, the teachers used different strategies to reengage their students such as, explaining that although the technology they had access to was temperamental they should imagine the client they were working with used a more reliable model. Post-implementation reflections help show why teachers made adaptations in their classrooms. This research adds to the understanding of how mathematics teachers deal with unexpected issues to reengage students as they integrate engineering and technology in their classrooms. This paper will also explore the areas where mathematics teachers need more support to be able to be adaptive experts in their classrooms when implementing new engineering integration-based pedagogies.