Education Commons^™

The Impact Of An Integrative Stem Educational Approach On Wonder Within A Catholic School, Carrie Kavanaugh Brun

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explored the challenge of evoking wonder among fourth graders within one Catholic School, using an integrative STEM educational approach. Cognitive constructivism, social constructivism, and situated learning theory guided this qualitative case study. Twenty-one students learned about the Fibonacci sequence and Golden Ratio while engaging in nature walks, group work, and journaling. Students were tasked with creating a 3D design, utilizing the Engineering Design Process. Qualitative data were generated through student journals, practitioner reflective notes, and classroom observations and videos. Analysis and interpretation of the data indicated that (a) nature evokes wonder, (b) students create learning through …

Considering Systems Of Power And Black And Latine Students’ Belonging In Stem, Korinthia D. Nicolai

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on (a) exploring the need for and strategies to facilitate the integration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and educational psychology and (b) supporting Black and Latine students through examining the impact of systems of power via the integration of belonging and Critical Race Theory. This dissertation follows a three-paper format. In Paper 1, we recognize that psychology researchers can use CRT to explore race and racism. However, psychology scholars may confront growing pains when integrating CRT due to their respective inquiry worldviews–postpositivism and critical–which result in several tensions. These tensions may limit the uptake of CRT in …

A Critical Perspective On Supporting Parents In Facilitating Informal Steam Learning On Children's Early Literacy Development, Suzanne G. Alexandre

Theses and Dissertations

Considering that parents/caregivers and home environment play an influential role in a child’s school readiness and future academic success, this study sought to support parents in using facilitation strategies to engage their child in informal learning at home. In order to examine if access to support for parents of preschoolers influenced parents’ confidence in their ability to facilitate informal learning at home, the project used informal STEAM learning, for context. The study also examines the potential impact of informal STEAM learning on children's school readiness and early literacy skills and the intersections of parent involvement, STEAM, and school readiness through …

The Experience Of Teaching Disengaged Students In Stem: Examined Through The Lens Of The Abc Engagement Framework, William Randall Hjorth

Theses and Dissertations

Young people today are increasingly disengaged from their education. Studies indicate that of all school subjects, American students struggle to engage in STEM subjects more than others. For decades, we have known that student engagement/disengagement impacts teachers. Researchers have also claimed that engagement/disengagement can be described as a construct made up of affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions (ABC). However, we do not understand how teachers experience student disengagement in these three areas. At a crucial time in education, investigation into the experiences of teachers with disengaged students is needed to uncover insights which may help us understand how teachers interpret …

The Evolution Of Contextualized, Discourse-Based Professional Development To Support Elementary Teachers In The Implementation Of Conceptual Mathematical Teaching Practices, Jennifer Aren Kueter

Theses and Dissertations

This holistic, mixed-methods action research case study aimed to determine the influence of professional development on participants' mathematical teaching practices and how the changes influenced students’ opportunities for discourse. In this two-year study, participants engaged in two professional development phases and implemented new conceptual teaching practices. Quantitative data were collected through surveys and observations. Qualitative data were collected through observations and interviews. Phase-one findings showed that while teachers changed their practices, they were not proficient in conceptual and discourse-based teaching practices. A second phase of professional development occurred using a Community of Practice model. Phase-two findings showed conceptual teaching practices …

Predicting How Science Self-Efficacy And Identity Contributes To Postsecondary Stem Degree Selection, Bo Jason Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the earliest indications that a student may be interested in STEM paths is the students’ own self-efficacy for science as well as how they may see themselves in a STEM career as part of their science self-identity (Schlegel et al., 2019). Currently, there is a need to contribute to research that can assist agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Education and the National Academy of Sciences in advising the nation, including high schools and postsecondary institutions on ways to increase the enrollment of students in STEM-related careers. This study examined the extent to which …

The Impact Of Environmental Education Delivery Methods And Outreach Messaging On Attitudes, Interests, And Intended-Behavior Changes Toward Nature, Vanessa Elizabeth Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) is important for environmental awareness and stewardship. Involving youth and adults in EE ensures current and future generations will conserve natural resources. This thesis explores impacts of delivery methods on participants’ environmental attitudes and behaviors toward nature through middle school classroom- and camp-based EE instruction, focus group interviews with rural minority youth, and adult responses to aquatic conservation outreach messaging. I observed no difference in environmental attitudes between online versus in-person delivery of EE lessons for middle-schoolers. Outdoor-based learning may be more impactful for EE than experiential, classroom-based learning. Focus group outcomes suggested youth EE programs should …

Exploring Teachers’ And Administrators’ Perceptions Of Steam Education In K-12 Schools And Its Implications On The Development Of Steam: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method Design, Royce J. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed method design was to investigate, identify and document the similarities and differences in perceptions when implementing a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education between teachers and administrators at the K-12 level. Throughout this process, teachers’ and administrators’ beliefs and perceptions towards STEAM instruction were analyzed to determine how they perceived, interpreted, implemented and sustained this new initiative. The problem, however, is that studies have demonstrated that educators have a limited understanding of STEAM content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), as well as low self-efficacy in teaching STEAM concepts, which results …

The Role Of Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Efficacy For Course-Taking And High School Graduation Of English Language Learners, Yazmin Torres

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education may improve English language learners' academic achievement and high school graduation. In particular, it highlights the plight faced by ELLs in high schools regarding quality education that allows them to graduate on time and attend college. The analysis for this study is grounded on the self-efficacy component of Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1977), which focuses on the hypothesis that students are motivated by positive experiences that contributes to their academic success (Hsieh & Kang, 2010). Using Albert Bandura's self-efficacy framework and nationally representative data from the High …

Resilience In Early Second Career Stem Teachers Employed In Public Secondary Schools, Donald Selway

Theses and Dissertations

A troubling shortage of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) teachers exists in the United States. One solution to increase STEM teachers involves recruiting STEM professionals to transition from industry to K-12 teaching. Research indicates that fostering resilience is one way to help new STEM teachers’ retention and persistence in the field. This study explored individual and programmatic factors that increase early career and early second career K-12 STEM teachers’ resilience. Moreover, this research examined how strategic initiatives and programs assisted STEM professionals to build resilience as they transitioned into K-12 STEM educators.

This study utilized mixed-methods design to …

Latinas In Stem Education: Paying It Forward, Evangelina Guillen

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic female students are the minority population when it comes to taking higher level classes in the Science Technology Engineering and Math fields. According to Hinojosa, Rapaport, Jaciw, and Zacamy (2016), “STEM fields are defined here as majors in computer and information sciences, engineering and engineering technologies, biological and biomedical sciences, math and statistics, physical sciences, and science technologies” (p. 3). Traditionally, more boys enroll in STEM courses than girls. Hispanic and minority students, specifically Hispanic women, have been underrepresented in STEM education fields and careers. Why does STEM education matter for Hispanic female students? Because it gives Hispanic students …

The Perceived Impact Of Project-Based Learning (Pbl) On Middle School Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Identity And Engagement, Jonathan Olivera

Theses and Dissertations

Despite multiple calls to action, the United States educational system is not producing enough viable contributors in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These fields continue to grow, and the STEM workforce continues to expand. However, the pool of citizens prepared to enter these professions is not keeping up with the demand. Part of this issue can be attributed to a diminishing interest in STEM by students, particularly during their identity forming adolescent years. Active learning strategies have proven successful in preventing this decline with project-based learning (PBL) being one of the most successful active learning strategies. …

Professional Stem Identity, Achievement Goal Orientation, And Selfauthorship In Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Stem Students, Christopher King

Theses and Dissertations

Post-secondary education is meant to build the cognitive and professional growth of the students studying all subjects. Yet, little is known about the development of how students think of themselves as members of the field, nor how they develop from a young novice to a person eligible for employment. A lens of self-authorship was used to compliment and interpret data collected regarding how students think of themselves as member of the STEM community (STEM Identity) and how they perceive their achievement STEM Identity. There was a significant link between student-mentor experiences and a higher professional identity and more progress along …

A Narrative Study Of Secondary After-School Robotics Experiences In The Rio Grande Valley: Empowering Students' Academic And Life Skills Through A Constructivist Approach, Lorena Cristina Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

This narrative study investigated the experiences of three Hispanic students in South Texas who participated in after-school robotics programs in secondary school and discover the role these experiences had on their academic and life skills. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with one female participant and two male participants in the Rio Grande Valley. The data were analyzed using the NVivo software to identify patterns and themes amongst the participants followed by a narrative analysis of the participants’ stories, which was guided by the emerging themes.

The findings showed that the secondary after-school robotics programs played a role in …

High School Students’ Math And Science Motivation Profiles: Stability And Relationship With Their Stem Career Aspirations, Jiali Zheng

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation to study mathematics and science is an important influencing factor of career aspirations in STEM fields which predicts STEM major choice in college and STEM careers after graduation. Using restricted data from a nationally representative sample HSLS:09, the current study identified U.S. high school students’ motivation profiles in mathematics and science courses in 9^th and 11^th grade, examined the stability of these profiles across the two time points, and studied the association between 11^th grade motivation profiles and STEM career aspirations. Differences between male and female students in motivation profiles, profile stability and career aspirations were …

An Exploration Of A Researcher-Instructor Partnership In Implicit Racial Bias Awareness And Mitigation In College Stem Classrooms, Jacqueline Johnson Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Seventy-six percent of all minority students who enter college with declared majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not graduate with STEM degrees. Black students represent 40% of minority attrition from STEM. Implicit racial bias was indicated as a contributor to the challenges faced by Black students. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a researcher-instructor partnership brought awareness to and the potential for mitigation of implicit racial bias in course delivery and instructor interactions with Black students in STEM classes. A case study design was used over three phases to gather survey, observational, and interview …

A Case Study Exploring How The Zero Barriers In Stem Education Professional Development Program Affects Attitudes And Confidence Toward Teaching Stem Content To Students With Disabilities, Alison Dossick

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to assess how the Zero Barriers in STEM Education professional development (PD) course affected teacher attitudes and confidence in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content to students with disabilities. A convergent mixed-methods case study analysis was used. The research questions were devised by examining answers on a pre-survey and post-survey. Documentation included a full analysis of two pre- and post-surveys, teacher implementation logs, team action plans, program evaluations, and semi-structured interviews. Barriers included time to plan and implement the outlined strategies and administrative and colleague support. This research uncovered some of the difficulties of …

Proactive Interventions For Collegiate Success: Using Response To Intervention With College Students Of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, And Psychology, Jenna Cook

Theses and Dissertations

College student attrition can cause a multitude of issues for students and universities. When a student leaves a program, the student may have to take additional credits and thus spend more on tuition, and the program may lose funding due to reduced enrollment. At a small private university in New Jersey, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and psychology (STEM) students were more likely than non-STEM students to change degree programs and be deemed at risk of failing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a targeted response to intervention program that used academic coaching positively affected retention and persistence …

Improving Student Attitudes Towards Stem Education By Building Self-Efficacy Through Robotics Education, Kevin Obillo

Theses and Dissertations

The United States must grow its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) trained workforce in order to fill the jobs projected to be in demand. One of the ways in which this can be done is to tap into the vast population of minorities and women who are underrepresented in the STEM fields. The United States has been looking for ways to improve STEM participation in these groups for many years now, through outreach, legislation and innovative academic programs. The purpose of this research was to examine the impact that a robotics education enrichment program had on elementary, predominantly Latinx …

Collegiate And Post-Undergraduate Experiences Among African American Stem Alumni At The University Of South Carolina, Baindu Nallo

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the undergraduate and post-undergraduate experiences of African American STEM alumni from the University of South Carolina from a strengths-perspective. The method utilized for this qualitative study was phenomenological analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 African American alumni who graduated between 2010 and 2020 and majored in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). Critical Race Theory and community cultural wealth served as theoretical frameworks for this research. The findings indicate that African American students: 1) want to smoothly transition from high school to college curriculum being equally exposed to collegiate materials at the high …

Program Evaluation Of A Middle School Stem/Steam Program, Warren Richard Wintrode

Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with the Obama administration’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign in 2009, integrated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs have flourished in our nation’s schools. Designed to increase the number of STEM professionals in the workforce and contribute to the United States’ continued viability in the global economy, these programs promote inquiry-based, technology-driven learning in collaborative, cross-curricular projects. Some schools have added art, and liberal arts, to the curriculum, making them STEAM programs. Middle schools are a popular home for STEM and STEAM programs, serving as the connective tissue in the K-12 STEM/STEAM “pipeline.” To date, there have been relatively …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Influence Of A Stem Career Planning Course And Perceived Stress On Career Search Self-Efficacy And Retention In Engineering Undergraduate Students, Autumn Randell

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a) the influence of a STEM career planning course on undergraduate engineering students’ career search self-efficacy, b) the influence of perceived stress on building students’ career search self-efficacy, and c) the relationship career search self-efficacy had in predicting students’ odds of persistence in an engineering major. The researcher analyzed students’ week 1, week 6, and week 14 scores of career search self-efficacy and perceived stress. Data were collected from the Spring 2019 and Fall 2019 cohorts of a STEM career planning. As a result, the analysis included (N = 286) undergraduate engineering students. Repeated measures multilevel …

Cybersecurity Education In Utah High Schools: An Analysis And Strategy For Teacher Adoption, Cariana June Cornel

Theses and Dissertations

The IT Education Specialist for the USBE, Brandon Jacobson, stated:I feel there is a deficiency of and therefore a need to teach Cybersecurity.Cybersecurity is the “activity or process, ability or capability, or state whereby information and communications systems and the information contained therein are protected from and/or defended against damage, unauthorized use or modification, or exploitation” (NICE, 2018). Practicing cybersecurity can increase awareness of cybersecurity issues, such as theft of sensitive information. Current efforts, including but not limited to, cybersecurity camps, competitions, college courses, and conferences, have been created to better prepare cyber citizens nationwide for such cybersecurity occurrences. In …

A Critical Walk Down Illinois Career Pathways, Michael Cermak

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) enrollments in Illinois public high schools. Emphasis is placed on considering how enrollments of students of color differs from their white peers. Gender and racial imbalances prove pronounced in STEM-related career pathways and reveal a large proportion of students of color enrolled in courses leading to low-skill, service-sector occupations. Given future economic and social implications, I recommend future researchers consider how students of color select and how underrepresented students are placed by institutional members and practices into CTE courses.

A Case Study Of Hispanic Stem Teacher Preparation, Pamela L. Groves

Theses and Dissertations

There is a shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers in the US (Aragon, 2016; National Science Board, 2003). Hispanics are underrepresented in STEM teaching (Aragon, 2016; Texas Education Agency, 2017; US Census Bureau, 2016b; US Department of Education, n.d.). In order to improve the state of STEM teaching in the US we must tap into this underrepresented group. This exploratory case study examined the experiences of Hispanic students pursing STEM teacher preparation and how the UTeachRGV program impacts student persistence and retention.

UTeachRGV is a STEM teacher preparation program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley …

From Seeds To Shoreline®: A Place-Based Approach To Impacting Student Engagement And Achievement, Molly Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

Place-based education refers to pedagogy that connects student learning with the local environment and students’ lives. Educators’ preoccupation with standardized test scores have increased the disconnect between formal education and student’s life experiences. Schools have developed systems of learning in isolated subjects through reading texts, listening to lectures, or watching videos rather than authentic, experiential learning. School districts have embraced a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and science) approach to education as a way of invigorating student learning. There are many approaches to integrating, hands-on, inquiry-based science lessons. As science PASS test scores have declined, educators are examining best STEM instructional …

Impact Of A Steam Lab On Science Achievement And Attitudes For Girls, Barbara Cifaldi

Theses and Dissertations

This research identifies a problem of practice with standardized science test scores declining over the last eight years. The Sea Turtle Elementary School for the Creative Arts (STESCA; pseudonym) schedule allowed 150 minutes per week for science instruction, compared with 450 minutes per week for mathematics instruction. Science instruction has been implemented primarily through direct instruction and the use of textbooks and videos. In addition to the limited instructional time for science and predominant use of direct instructional methods, there is a lack of racially diverse and female role models evident in the curriculum. With STESCA’s standardized science test scores …

Perceptions Of Belongingness In Stem Subjects And Career Development For Middle School African American Girls, Anya Woronzoff Verriden

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the hypothesis that African American girls’ early perceptions of support in middle school influences their narrowing or broadening of interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects and careers. As previously researched the belief that boys excel at math and science while girls do well in the humanities is not supported by findings. Therefore the purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of contextual factors such as teacher, parent, and peer support for African American middle school girls and their interest in STEM subjects utilizing a qualitative research method. Students are making decisions about their …

Examining Culture And Gender Roles In Latina Undergraduate Participation In Stem At Utrgv, Stephanie Garza

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to examine the role of familism and gender role beliefs on Latina pursuit of a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This study surveyed Latino/a undergraduate students at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley to determine the influence of socioeconomic status, familism and gender role beliefs on pursuit of careers in STEM. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Pan-Hispanic Familism scale, the Attitudinal Familism scale and the Gender Role Beliefs scale. Findings revealed how major selection and pursuit of STEM is affected by students’ income level, familism, gender, and gender role beliefs. Results …

Persistence In Stem: Development Of A Persistence Model Integrating Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations And Performance In Chemistry Gateway Courses, Shalini Srinivasan

Theses and Dissertations

STEM persistence has been an important issue, especially in the context of underrepresented groups based on race and gender. Researchers in the last decade or so have been examining the powerful impact that affective and cognitive factors can exert individually on performance and persistence. It is only reasonable to hypothesize that combining affective and cognitive measures would offer a more thorough understanding of factors that impact students’ performance and STEM persistence. Evaluating these outcomes in the context of gateway courses is particularly essential due to the non-negligible percentage of students who drop out of these courses or decide to change …