Orlando Ayala

About

Orlando Ayala’s research sits at the intersection of engineering education, teacher preparation, and K–6 STEM integration, with a particular focus on robotics and coding. His work explores how interdisciplinary collaboration—especially between undergraduate engineering students and preservice teachers—can enhance learning and teaching in these fields. Ayala’s most cited paper (6 citations) presents preliminary findings from an NSF-supported project where engineering and education students co-taught robotics to fifth graders, revealing shared challenges in preparing undergraduates for real-world STEM instruction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he adapted this program to a virtual format, documenting in a case study (2 citations) how a preservice teacher, an engineering student, and a fifth grader engineered robotic flowers via Zoom—demonstrating resilience and innovation in hands-on STEM learning. His most recent work (2025, 2 citations) examines how context shapes preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching engineering and coding, addressing critical gaps in K–6 STEM standards implementation. Ayala’s contributions are notable for bridging engineering and elementary education, fostering authentic teaching experiences, and advancing equitable access to STEM learning.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   What do Undergraduate Engineering Students and Pre-service Teachers Learn by Collaborating and Teaching Engineering and Coding Through Robotics?

   6 citations · 2020
2. 2
   “Zooming In” on Robotics during COVID-19: A Preservice Teacher, an Engineering Student, and a 5th Grader Engineer Robotic Flowers via Zoom

   2 citations · 2020
3. 3
   Teaching to whom and with whom: the role of context in developing preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching engineering and coding via robotics

   2 citations · 2025

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links