Colby Tofel‐Grehl
Papers
2
Total Citations
9
H-Index
2
About
Colby Tofel‐Grehl is a rising scholar in STEM education whose work centers on broadening participation in engineering and computing, particularly for young learners and historically underrepresented groups. Her research critically examines how K-12 students—especially girls—develop conceptions of engineers and engineering identity through hands-on, design-based learning. In her highly cited 2022 study, “Cookie-Jar Alarms,” she analyzed first-grade students’ gendered perceptions of engineers following a programming design task, revealing how early educational interventions can shape or challenge stereotypes. This work has garnered 7 citations and is foundational to understanding how even young children internalize engineering identities. Tofel‐Grehl also explores inclusive digital maker futures, as seen in her 2024 workshop on expanding the reach of low-cost programmable microcontrollers like the BBC micro:bit. Her contributions bridge critical theory and classroom practice, advocating for learning environments that foster equity, creativity, and technical fluency from the earliest grades. Through her scholarship, she is helping to reimagine who can be an engineer and what engineering education can look like in diverse, inclusive settings.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Imagining Inclusive Digital Maker Futures with the BBC micro:bit2 citations · 2024