Education Commons^™

Understanding The Relationship Between Organic Chemistry Misconceptions And Students’ Chemistry Self-Efficacy In Higher Education Organic Chemistry Courses, Lauren A. Dudley

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Organic chemistry is accepted as a crucial part of science higher education funneling students into many career opportunities such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical industries. Students attempting organic chemistry courses in higher education are among a plethora of majors including biology, chemistry, health science, and engineering. However, organic chemistry as a course has stayed fairly stagnant for the past 50 years. Students in this course typically resort to rote-memorization and often regard the course itself as insurmountable. To answer the decreasing retention rates seen across the United States, the research revolving around organic chemistry knowledge and teaching methodologies has increased …

Investigating Correlations Among A Growth-Mindset Intervention, Students’ Math Anxiety, And Students’ Math Self-Efficacy, Anna Grace Chamberlain

Honors Projects

This paper details the methodology, data, and conclusions of a research study investigating the correlations among a growth-mindset intervention, math anxiety, and math self-efficacy. The study found that teaching students about mindset through an intervention approach did not make a significant difference in students’ math anxiety or math self-efficacy. Teacher-centered factors are discussed as having a greater impact on students’ math anxiety and math self-efficacy.

Women Pursuing An Agricultural Systems Technology Degree, Tanya Milam

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This phenomenological research study examined the factors influencing women to pursue an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) degree and their self-efficacy in that field of study. Two research questions guided this study and data was analyzed from interviewing women enrolled in an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) program at a mid-western university. The resulting four categories of Agricultural Experiences, Aptitude, Support, and Motivation were broken down into themes. The results were also applied to the theoretical framework of self-efficacy associated with career choice theories. Limitations of scope and generalizability indicate that further investigation of this topic is highly recommended.

Keywords: …

Exemplary High School Teachers’ Practice Of Embedding Career Exploration In Stem Curricula, Cara Pekarcik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of individuals entering the workforce with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is low across the United States. Although exposure to STEM careers through the intentional integration of career exploration can positively influence career choice, most student exposure to STEM career exploration occurs in after-school programs and dedicated summer programs but is limited in the general education curricula. The purpose of this study was to understand how and why high school STEM teachers embed career exploration into curricula even though local and national standards do not include these objectives. The conceptual framework for this …

Investigating The Influences Of Summer Experiences On Students' Self-Efficacy In Stem, Olivia Palicki

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Improving high school students’ interest and confidence in STEM is a national priority. Educators and stakeholders in educational policy have pressed for increasing opportunities to engage students in authentic science experiences and focus on teaching 21st century skills. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how a summer research experience may have influenced high school students’ self-efficacy and career interests in STEM subjects and practices as well as identifying what students learned from their experience in the program. Pre/post program surveys were analyzed to measure change in student attitudes towards STEM and to capture students learning outcomes from …