Education Commons^™

Theoretical Stem Program Proposal, Nancy L. Ledbetter

Transformations

Many schools are turning towards STEM to help students prepare for the future and to mend deficits in science and mathematics programs that are proving less than successful. This article provides background, theoretical support, and a plan for how to transform a school from a traditional model to a model STEM school.

‘Speaking Truth’ Protects Underrepresented Minorities’ Intellectual Performance And Safety In Stem, Avi Ben-Zeev, Yula Paluy, Katlyn L. Milless, Emily J. Goldstein, Lyndsey Wallace, Leticia Márquez-Magaña, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Mica Estrada

Publications and Research

We offer and test a brief psychosocial intervention, Speaking Truth to EmPower (STEP), designed to protect underrepresented minorities’ (URMs) intellectual performance and safety in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). STEP takes a ‘knowledge as power’ approach by: (a) providing a tutorial on stereotype threat (i.e., a social contextual phenomenon, implicated in underperformance and early exit) and (b) encouraging URMs to use lived experiences for generating be-prepared coping strategies. Participants were 670 STEM undergraduates [URMs (Black/African American and Latina/o) and non-URMs (White/European American and Asian/Asian American)]. STEP protected URMs’ abstract reasoning and class grades (adjusted for grade point average [GPA]) …

Design And Assessment Of Deep And Active Learning In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Education, Juhong Christie Liu Ph.D., Elizabeth Johnson Ph.D., Jin Joy Mao Ph.D.

Libraries

This presentation draws academic significance from a focused literature review and initial data for learning design in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The presenters will discuss strategies of fostering deep, active learning, alignment with assessment, and development of assessment instruments and methods. The presenters will share the design and development of an assessment kit to measure learning outcomes that matter in the 21st century STEM education. Through shared evidence and interactive reflection, the audience will take away up-to-date design strategies for deep and active learning as well as assessment in STEM education. The project is sponsored by National …

The Engineering Admissions Partnership Program: A Navigation Strategy For Community College Students Seeking A Pathway Into Engineering, Marcia R. Laugerman, Mack C. Shelley, Steven K. Mickelson, Diane T. Rover

Diane Rover

This paper presents the evaluation of a program designed to improve transfer outcomes for community college students pursuing an engineering degree. The program, the Engineering Admissions Partnership Program (E-APP), was designed to improve the navigational success of community college transfer students through connections to the university. These connections include coordinated academic advising, peer-mentoring, campus visits, and online social and professional networks. The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of the E-APP and its interventions, which will be measured by increased participation rates and increased university retention rates for E-APP participants. Outcome data for the students are analyzed …

Stitching Codeable Circuits: High School Students' Learning About Circuitry And Coding With Electronic Textiles, Breanne Krystine Litts, Yasmin B. Kafai, Debora A. Lui, Justice T. Walker, Sari A. Widman

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Learning about circuitry by connecting a battery, light bulb, and wires is a common activity in many science classrooms. In this paper, we expand students’ learning about circuitry with electronic textiles, which use conductive thread instead of wires and sewable LEDs instead of lightbulbs, by integrating programming sensor inputs and light outputs and examining how the two domains interact.We implemented an electronic textiles unit with 23 high school students ages 16–17 years who learned how to craft and code circuits with the LilyPad Arduino, an electronic textile construction kit. Our analyses not only confirm significant increases in students’ understanding of …

I Would Teach It, But I Don't Know How: Faculty Perceptions Of Cultural Competency In The Health Sciences, A Case Study Analysis, Andrew J. Young, Michelle L. Ramirez

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

This paper presents results from a survey of faculty perceptions of cultural competency training at “Health Sciences University,” a small, private university in a major city in the Northeastern United States. We found high levels of support among faculty for cultural competency training for students in bench and health sciences broadly, though data suggests that faculty are unsure how to effectively teach cultural competency and how to evaluate its effectiveness. Placing this data alongside literature exploring the lack of diversity and a “chilly climate” in STEM and health science disciplines for marginalized groups, we argue for 1) a need to …

The Role Of Residential Communiies For The Academic And Social Success Of Undergraduate Women In Stem Majors: The Case Of A Public University In Ethiopia, Frehiwot Wuhib Wuhib

Dissertations - ALL

This study is an exploratory case study which explored the residential environment of an Ethiopian public university on its role for the social and academic integration of undergraduate women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. It also explained how the social and academic integration of the women contributed for their overall college success.

There were three groups of participants; undergraduate women in STEM, female resident proctors, and relevant officials from the university and the Ministry of Education of the Ethiopian government. Each of the participants were interviewed on a one-on-one basis and the interviews were transcribed and coded …

Impacts Of Professional Development In Integrated Stem Education On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancy, And Stem Career Awareness, John Geoffrey Knowles

Purdue Polytechnic Doctoral Dissertations

This research analyzed the effects of teacher professional development and lesson implementation in integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) on: 1.) Teacher self-efficacy and their confidence to teach specific STEM subjects; 2.) Teaching outcome expectancy beliefs concerning the impact of actions by teachers on student learning; and 3.) Teacher awareness of STEM careers. High school science and technology education teachers participating in the Teachers and Researchers Advancing Integrated Lessons in STEM (TRAILS) project experimental group attended a ten-day summer professional development institute designed to educate teachers in using an integrated STEM education model to implement integrated STEM lessons. The …

Ouachita Students Present Research To State Legislators At Stem Posters At The Capitol, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

A group of 10 Ouachita Baptist University students and three faculty members participated in the annual STEM Posters at the Capitol event held recently in Little Rock. They were among 110 undergraduate students who presented at the event, which highlights undergraduate research in natural sciences and math to elected state officials.

Dr. Detri Brech, professor of dietetics, as well as Dr. Nathan Reyna and Dr. Ruth Plymale, associate professors of biology, accompanied the students, who presented seven posters to high school students, other undergraduate students and professors, the media and Arkansas government officials at the capitol in Little Rock. Fifteen …

Reasons For Their Departure: A Look At Undergraduate Women Who Abandon Stem Majors, Nicole S. Rombach

Masters Theses

Despite surpassing undergraduate men in degree completion, undergraduate women are still underrepresented in certain STEM majors and depart from these fields at higher rates. Much of the existing research on this topic, however, is quantitative in nature and conducted at large research institutions. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the reasons why undergraduate women switched from STEM to non-STEM majors at a large, Midwest liberal arts institution. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to identify the reasons students identify as important in their decision to switch majors, the ways in which gender might have been tied to …

An Exploratory Study To Understand Elementary School Students’ Conceptions Of Food Chains, Shelby Snowden

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Research has shown that elementary school is a critical time to pique children’s interest in science. However, many enrichment activities known to pique this interest in young children are not available to students of low socioeconomic status, English Language Learners, racial minorities, and students with disabilities. This has encouraged many higher education institutions to develop STEM outreach programs. Because of the cognitive gap between STEM professionals and young children and the logistics of implementing student-centered activities in heterogeneous classrooms, programs usually consist of activities that impress students with “sophisticated” science but are beyond the cognitive levels of most students and …

21st Century Education: The Importance Of The Humanities In Primary Education In The Age Of Stem, Christine M. Reiter

Senior Theses

Taking into consideration the global shift towards innovation and technological development, the rapid changes in the global economy, and the United States Department of Education’s attempts to find a one-size-fits-all solution for America's education woes, our national focus has shifted towards the STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This shift to STEM-focused education has challenged the role of the Humanities in American education, introducing concerns that the overwhelming emphasis on STEM disciplines has pushed the arts, Humanities and human sciences off to the side or even completely out of the picture in American classrooms. In our everchanging technology-focused world, …

The Correlation Between Extracurricular Stem Activities And Students With Disabilities, Karin Fisher

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conference (2017-2019)

Students with disabilities perform below their non-disabled peers in science (National Science Foundation, 2015). The purpose of the exploratory research was to determine if informal science learning activities offered in Florida districts make a difference on the performance of students with disabilities (SWD) on the 2015 8th grade Florida science assessment using quasi-experimental research methods. After determining a statistically significant difference does exist on the difference between students with and without disabilities on the 8th Grade Florida Science Assessment, the researcher determined if STEM personnel track the number of students with disabilities who participate in STEM activities. The number and …

When Teachers Get It Right: Voices Of Black Girls’ Informal Stem Learning Experiences, Natalie S. King

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This paper is a part of a larger research study exploring the STEM learning experiences of Black girls who participated in an informal STEM program – I AM STEM. Through the process of reflection and co-construction of counterstories, Black girls reclaimed authorship of their lives. They identified three major attributes of teachers who promoted their academic success and engagement in STEM learning as ones who (a) responded to their needs and built a community of learners, (b) interacted with their parents in a professional manner, and (c) encouraged them to think critically and creatively during the lessons. Excerpts of 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 …

The Importance Of Extracurricular Stem Activities For Students With Disabilities, Karin Fisher

Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conference (2017-2019)

Students with disabilities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers (National Science Foundation, 2015). The underrepresentation is a problem because the nation’s competitiveness depends on diverse individuals with STEM knowledge, skills, and abilities to drive innovation that will need to new products and economic growth (Business higher Education Forum/A Policy Brief, 2014; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016; National Science Board, 2016). The author discusses the importance of engaging students with disabilities in informal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics activities.

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 …

Colleges Must Focus More On Helping Graduates Find Jobs, Aaron Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Students Explore Fossil Creatures Of The Cambrian Period Burgess Shale Through Model-Making, Andrea Anderson, Ksenia Zhbanova, Phyllis Gray, Jolene K. Teske, Audrey C. Rule

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This practical article features an arts-integrated science unit on fossils of the Burgess Shale for fourteen elementary/ middle school students at a weeklong summer day camp. The day camp had a theme of recycling, reduction and reuse; all of the fossil models had substantial recycled components to support this theme. Next Generation Science Standards were supported by the course activities in which students examined fossil specimens, images, and comparative modern relatives to determine the anatomy and lifestyles of Burgess Shale Cambrian Period fossil animals (e.g., Olenoides trilobites, Anomalocaris, Canadaspis, Opabinia, Wiwaxia, Hallucigenia) through making scientific …

Ecosystem Food Web Lift-The-Flap Pages, Dana L. Atwood-Blaine, Audrey C. Rule, Hannah Morgan

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

In the lesson on which this practical article is based, third grade students constructed a “lift-the-flap” page to explore food webs on the prairie. The moveable papercraft focused student attention on prairie animals’ external structures and how the inferred functions of those structures could support further inferences about the animals’ diets. In general, most students made simple causal connections between an animal’s observable characteristics and the food it would probably eat. Some students were also able to make multi-agent connections to develop a more complex mental model of a food web. Ultimately, the lift-the flap project was engaging to students …

Flipping About The Sun And Its Pattern Of Apparent Motion, Crystal Betts, Allison Pattee

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

Arts integration has shown to enhance student comprehension, retention, and engagement, while connecting to rich science content. The integration of the Next Generation Science Standards and the National Arts Standards into a first grade lesson illustrated how the arts enhanced the students’ understandings of the sun’s apparent motion during the day, an idea that is difficult for many young children to grasp. In this project students explored the sun outdoors throughout the school day to document changes by tracing their shadows in chalk and by making a shadow clock. Students also applied the information they learned to the creation of …

Editorial: The Journal Of Stem Arts, Crafts, And Constructions As An Ideal Venue For Showcasing Application Of The Next Generation Science Standards, Dana L. Atwood-Blaine

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

The Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions is an ideal venue for disseminating new ideas, lessons, and research developed in response to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This editorial explains how arts integration is well-suited to addressing the Science and Engineering Practices and the Cross-cutting Concepts. The research articles in this issue provide evidence that arts integration is also effective at improving student retention of disciplinary content over time. Using specific examples from the articles in this issue, this editorial elaborates on the three-dimensional nature of NGSS and how the integration of arts, crafts, and constructions into science …

Volume 7, Issue 1, Catherine Scott

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field is greatly promoted as a career path for students in recent years, and the demand for individuals specializing in STEM disciplines is expected to rise. Often, when considering STEM, one thinks of careers related to medicine, laboratory settings, or the pure sciences. However, in examining only these aspects of STEM, we may errantly overlook the impacts that P-20 education may have in using STEM as a means for improving student lives. One unique aspect of STEM is its role in helping to improve our well being as individuals and society as a …

Social Justice Driven Stem Learning (Stemj): A Curricular Framework For Teaching Stem In A Social Justice Driven, Urban, College Access Program., Paul E. Madden, Catherine Wong, Anne C. Vera Cruz, Chad Olle, Mike Barnett

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

This article presents the curricular framework for a social justice driven STEM curriculum (i.e., S_TEMJ) within an out-of-school time program for Boston Public high school students (i.e., College Bound) at Boston College. Starting with a discussion of the authors’ ideological positionality within critical social justice discourses, the authors share how Bronfenbrenner’s (1994) General Ecological Model provides a conceptual framework for operationalizing social justice inquiry with and through STEM. Positioning this curriculum within the College Bound program’s overall design gives readers a sense of how the program’s College and Career, Identity and Society, and S_TEMJ curriculums work …

"Returning To The Root" Of The Problem: Improving The Social Condition Of African Americans Through Science And Mathematics Education, Vanessa R. Pitts Bannister, Julius Davis, Jomo Mutegi, Latasha Thompson, Deborah Lewis

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

The underachievement and underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines have been well documented. Efforts to improve the STEM education of African Americans continue to focus on relationships between teaching and learning and factors such as culture, race, power, class, learning preferences, cultural styles and language. Although this body of literature is deemed valuable, it fails to help STEM teacher educators and teachers critically assess other important factors such as pedagogy and curriculum. In this article, the authors argue that both pedagogy and curriculum should be centered on the social condition of African Americans – …

Editor's Introduction, Catherine Scott

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

This issue of Catalyst aims to present a collection of works that examines the role of STEM education in aiding in these opportunities not only for the PK-12 classroom, but also in the college classroom and through pre-service educator training.

2017 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"This is IMSA's 30th year of leading in educational innovation and the 29th year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! Welcome to another year of profound investigation and discovery! In these pages, you will find exciting abstracts on a variety of fantastic studies done by IMSA's great minds."

Stem Center For Student Retention And Success: A Proposal, Madhu Dhar Ph.D

Higher Education Student Work

The STEM pipeline, a commonly used analogy (Kuh, 2006; Tierney, 2000), has been shrinking. Furthermore, degree attainment for women and underrepresented minority students in STEM are even lower than for undergraduates as a-whole (National Science Foundation, 2007). With low numbers of students enrolling in STEM fields and even smaller numbers of women and minorities in the STEM pipeline, colleges and universities need to pay particular-attention to retaining the students they have. This capstone proposes a STEM Center that provides an infrastructural support for undergraduate students in the School of Science and Engineering at Merrimack College. The Center will consolidate programs …

Collaborating With Theatre, Nature, And Stem: A Multigenerational Family Event, Anni K. Reinking, Michael J. Vetere Iii, Jay C. Percell

Faculty Publications - College of Education

Family engagement can take many different formats, including community events. In this study, the researchers designed an event to encourage multigenerational family involvement using STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and DAT (developmentally appropriate theater). The study was also designed in an outside environment to encourage interactions with nature and outdoor physical activity. The researchers found that families enjoyed the event and understood the academic and social benefits of nature and arts based education. Overall, this study continues a conversation focused on the importance of engaging families in nature and art based activities.

Perceived Self-Efficacy And Student-Teacher Relationships Among Diverse Title I Students’ Achievement In Science, Triaka A. Larry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The need for more diversity in STEM-related careers and college majors is urgent. Self-efficacy and student-teacher relationships are factors that have been linked to influencing students’ pursuit of subject-specific careers and academic achievement. The impact of self-efficacy and student perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviors on student achievement have been extensively researched in the areas of Mathematics and English, however, most studies using science achievement, as a criterion variable, were conducted using non-diverse, White upper middle class to affluent participants. In order to determine the strength of relationships between perceived science self-efficacy, and student perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviors as factors …