Education Commons^™

Help Or Hindrance: Latinx College Graduates’ From Stem Majors Perceptions Of University Culture Following Vincent Tinto’S Theoretical Framework Of Student Persistence, Carmen Gonzalez, Carmen Lucia Gonzalez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how Latinx college graduates who have achieved STEM degrees perceive the culture of their university and the STEM program they were enrolled in as supporting or not supporting a Latinx college student’s persistence to graduation.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological approach was the methodology selected for this study. This phenomenological research captured and described the lived experiences of study participants through interviews and artifacts.

Findings: The findings of this research illustrate (a) Research participants all perceived that creating relationships with STEM program faculty was important in supporting them toward degree completion, …

Academic Achievement And Participation In Out-Of-School Educational Robotics Competitions For High School Latino/A Students In Southern California, Jesus Ulloa-Higuera

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in academic performance in mathematics as measured by class grades between high school Latino/a students in Southern California who participated two consecutive years in robotics competitions and high school Latino/a students who did not participate. A secondary purpose was to examine the difference in mathematics academic performance between Latino and Latina students who participated in robotics competitions. A third and final purpose was to describe the experiences of Latino/a college students who participated in robotics competitions and how those experiences influenced their interest in pursuing a STEM college …

Self-Efficacy Of Early Childhood Teachers In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Ariella Rachel Donnelley Smith

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the self-efficacy of early childhood teachers toward STEM subjects as measured on the Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes toward STEM Survey (T-STEM) and to explore factors that influence this confidence.

Methodology. A quantitative approach with two open-ended items was selected for this study, seeking to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data from participants. This approach allowed for multiple viewpoints to be expressed, with the qualitative data collected simultaneously with the quantitative data, and the former designed to illuminate reasons influencing the latter in a complimentary approach. The population for the study included …

Engaging Hispanic Science Learners Within California’S Central Valley: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Perceptions Of High School Teachers Relative To Advanced Placement Science Courses, David Menshew

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the engagement of Hispanic Advanced Placement science learners in California’s Central Valley as perceived by high school teachers.

Methodology: The mixed method study surveyed 20 Advanced Placement science teachers from the region of interest. Likert surveys were used to determine: 1) their perceptions of the engagement of Hispanic students by the AP Program, and 2) barriers presented by the AP Program. Quantitative results indicated teacher support for the AP Program and few barriers as currently administered. A focus group of 12 teachers recruited from the 20 surveyed provided qualitative …