The Center for Technology and School Change (CTSC), at Teachers College, Columbia University, is implementing a four-year implementation research initiative, Systemic Transformation of Inquiry Learning Environments for STEM (STILE 2.0), during which project partners develop, investigate, and refine a transformative approach for advancing STEM learning experiences in K-8 schools.  The STILE 2.0 “research and development” initiative is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1621387).

Throughout the project term, design-based implementation research (DBIR) helps to refine the overall STILE model and the embedded professional development approach.  The professional learning component is built on core elements of the Center’s Innovating Instruction model and supports the capacity of teachers to design authentic, transdisciplinary STEM projects.

The previous STILE 1.0 study (also funded by NSF) revealed that teachers tended to follow a basic trajectory or pathway for STEM learning, regardless of their entry point into the process or the recursive nature of the elements themselves. This pathway traced the development of teachers as they built their knowledge, began to design projects, and became advocates for school change.  STILE 2.0 is advancing these developmental findings, and using this pathway to inform a curriculum or suite of resources for building teachers’ capacities in STEM.

The major goals of the project are as follows:

1. To understand the extent to which critical components of the STILE prototype support teacher change across diverse teacher orientations and school contexts.
2. To identify the extent to which teachers follow through with the STILE initiative.

1. To identify characteristics of teachers for whom the STILE approach is particularly effective.
2. To determine the impact of the STILE implementation on teachers.

1. To identify structural changes made at the building level as a result of STILE implementation.
2. Develop a preliminary, adaptable curriculum for building teacher capacities in STEM.

For an additional look at the STILE 2.0 project, see our video presentation in the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase.