Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Integrated Stem Education On Student Achievement In Magnet Schools, Holly Esquia Gerlach

Dissertations

In an ever-changing world, scientific advancement and innovation are critical in maintaining national security, economic competitiveness, and quality of life for our global society. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been a priority within educational reforms for well over a decade. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of integrated STEM education on student achievement results in English language arts, mathematics, and science. The single overarching question of this program evaluation is: Does integrated STEM education impact the achievement outcomes in reading, mathematics, and science for students in fourth and fifth grades? Related research questions …

Autoethnography: A Self Reflection Of The Benefits In Attending A T-Stem High School, Adriana Garza

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnography is to analyze the benefits I obtained as a bilingual, first-generation, Hispanic student by attending a STEM high school. PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School provides an Early College experience as well as a Bilingual STEM environment in a district located at La Frontera. This autoethnography uses two techniques to collect data: artifacts and reflective journals. As the researcher, I self-reflected and analyzed my own success story which will be viewed through a Narrative Inquiry lens to answer two questions 1) to what extent has the STEM model/ curriculum influenced my academic …

Possible Self Dynamics Of Community College Students Engaged In 3d Printing In Informal Environments, Lawrence Ralph Nightingale Jr.

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The overall number of students from diverse backgrounds and women that graduate from community college with degrees in high paying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is unacceptably low. The number of opportunities to gain exposure to STEM-based expressions of technology to overcome the dearth of exposure in high school is limited in community college. 3D Printing uses computer-controlled machines to build physical objects one layer at a time starting from the bottom up. The computer-controlled nature of 3D Printing provides a low risk, low cost platform to exercise elements of computer programming and engineering.

This study was a …

Teacher Characteristics And Blended Learning Adoption In Stem-Focused Charter Schools, Omer Faruk Polat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As an innovative teaching strategy, blended learning provides an environment where students are able to receive individualized instruction based on their needs. Even though the number of schools that adopt blended models of instruction has been increasing nationwide, the number of studies that explore the relationship between teacher characteristics and blended learning use is limited. This quantitative survey study explored the relationship between selected characteristics of teachers and the levels of blended learning adoption in charter schools with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focus. The concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) was used as a theoretical lens as it provided tools …

A Qualitative Case Study Research Investigation Of Youth Outcomes During An Appalachian Water-Quality Citizen Science Program, Jessica Kaplan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Citizen science has grown in the past decades to not only include everyday people in research, but also varying levels of engagement with diverse opportunities for participant learning and growth. However, few studies reflect the actual learning outcomes of educational citizen science specifically in youth. This single case study research study focuses on assessing learning and other outcomes of an environmental education, collaborative citizen science program with youth in Morgantown, West Virginia. In this study, a water quality monitoring citizen science program focused on Deckers Creek in Morgantown, WV was adapted for a high school afterschool club. Potential outcomes of …

Student Retention In An Introductory Stem Course: A Mixed Methods Study Of Student Motivation And Teaching Approaches, Lina Wang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is vital to all students. Student motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, have been found to be very influential in how successful a student is in a STEM classroom (Krapp, 2007; Lamb, Annetta, Meldrum, & Vallett, 2012; Schoon, Ross, & Martin, 2007; Skinner, Saxton, Currie, & Shuststerman, 2017). The current study examined what correlations, if any, we present between teaching approaches, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation of students in an undergraduate, non-major, introductory chemistry course at a mid-sized, four-year university in the Midwestern United States. In the focus groups, students were highly motivated by …

Self-Efficacy Of Endorsed And Nonendorsed Elementary Teachers Of Gifted Students In Stem Education, Lianna L. Moss-Everhart

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared elementary endorsed and nonendorsed teachers of gifted students in science, mathematics, and STEM self-efficacy as well as self-reported use of STEM instructional strategies in central Virginia. The survey, adapted from the T-STEM survey by the Friday Institute at NC State University, focused on self-efficacy and use of STEM instructional strategies. ANOVAs, univariate linear analyses, were conducted on 39 responses to compare teachers’ self-efficacy and use of STEM instructional strategies. ANCOVA and moderated regressions were used to compare the groups of teachers while controlling for the variables of grade level, years of experience, and recent STEM training. Multiple …

Adolescent Adventures In Geology: Impacts Of Geoscience-Focused Stem Education Combined With Recreation Activities On Adolescents’ Perceived Self-Efficacy, Lauren Janowicz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Quality, informal learning techniques combined with outdoor adventure recreation, or adventure STEM programming, is a potentially powerful complement to and extension of formal education (Fu et al., 2015). To address this underexplored field, West Virginia University (WVU) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) partnered to create a geology STEM, outdoor adventure recreation camp. This thesis research project employed qualitative directed content analysis to examine the potential impacts of this adventure STEM program on participants’ perceptions of their outdoor recreation (OR) self-efficacy (Bandura, 1994; Mittelstaedt et al., 2009). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 adolescent participants with an average age …