Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

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 (ETD)

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 …

Evaluating I2s2: An Inquiry-Based Indigenous Science Program For Years 5 To 9, Caja Gilbert

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

The Indigenous STEM Education Project, funded by BHP Billiton and implemented by CSIRO, aims to increase participation and achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and career pathways. It consists of six programs that cater to the diversity of students as they progress through primary, secondary and tertiary education and into employment. One of these programs is I2S2 (Inquiry for Indigenous Science Students). I2S2 is an inquiry-based science program for Years 5 to 9 that has involved over 7600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and 1154 teachers since 2016. It …

A Systematic Review Of Studies On Educational Robotics, Saira Anwar, Nicholas Alexander Bascou, Muhsin Menekse, Asefeh Kardgar

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

There has been a steady increase in the number of studies investigating educational robotics and its impact on academic and social skills of young learners. Educational robots are used both in and out of school environments to enhance K–12 students’ interest, engagement, and academic achievement in various fields of STEM education. Some prior studies show evidence for the general benefits of educational robotics as being effective in providing impactful learning experiences. However, there appears to be a need to determine the specific benefits which have been achieved through robotics implementation in K–12 formal and informal learning settings. In this study, …

Ocean Underwater Scene Dioramas Of First Graders With Submarine Porthole Views, Ksenia Zhbanova, Audrey C. Rule, Denise A. Tallakson

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

Ecology education of the younger generations is vital for worldwide change of people’s attitudes toward nature warranted by the current global ecological crisis. Yet, this goal needs to be addressed through age-appropriate activities that are educational and engaging. This practical article focuses on dioramas of ocean reef life made by first graders. This arts-integrated project served two main purposes: 1) education of primary students about ocean ecology and helping students realize their roles in saving nature 2) increasing student science content knowledge. Additionally, several other benefits of making dioramas emerged during this project, including highly creative student products, genuine interest …

Editorial: Developing Creativity Through Stem Subjects Integrated With The Arts, Ksenia Zhbanova

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This issue of the Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions is focused on creativity - one of the most highly-desirable 21^st Century skills on personal and global levels. Time, pedagogical knowledge, and resource constraints limit the number of opportunities for teachers to develop creativity in students. In this editorial, creativity development steps and strategies are illuminated along with specific roles of STEM subjects and the arts in development of student creativity. The processes of creativity development used in STEM and the arts are compared to each other and to the non-subject-specific creative process model of Root-Bernstein and Root- …

Developing An After-School Program To Increase Stem Interest, Awareness And Knowledge Of Minority Females In A Title I Middle School, Steven R. Terrell Ph.D., Deirdre Krause Ph.D., Bruce G. Campbell Ed.D.

FDLA Journal

Educators, politicians and industry professionals note that the number of opportunities for workers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields grow exponentially over time. Accordingly, emphasis is placed on our schools to produce graduates capable of filling these positions. While these efforts are promising, there is a notable absence of females and minorities in the STEM professions. In an attempt to understand the reasons for this disparity, many educators believe a lack of interest in the STEM field begins at an early age, and disenfranchised students are not afforded the opportunities given to students in more affluent areas …

Moderating Effect Of Homeschooling On Retention And Academic Achievement Of Stem Majors At A Private, Faith-Based, Liberal Arts College, Aresia Watson

Dissertations

Previous research has indicated that homeschooling is a growing trend within the U.S. Previous research has also indicated that less than one half of students who begin a STEM major at postsecondary institutions will complete their degree. This study sought to look at the possible moderating effect homeschooling has on the academic achievement and retention of STEM majors at a private, faith-based liberal arts college using a modified version of Tinto’s Model of Student Departure.

Independent sample t-tests were used to compare means and intercorrelations of homeschooled students and traditionally schooled students in unmatched and matched samples for several academic …

Stem Ready: Inspiring And Preparing Undergraduate Students For Successful Volunteerism In After-School Stem Programming With Marginalized Youth, Bailey N. Wagner

Community Engagement Student Work

The activities in which children and youth engage while outside of school hours are critical to their development, highlighting the need for quality afterschool programs that engage students – regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or minority classification. STEM Ready set out to study the effectiveness of an experiential education pedagogy approach in the design of a professional workshop for undergraduate volunteers who work directly with these marginalized populations in afterschool programs. This project hosted a training that gave the opportunity for afterschool volunteers to come together to be trained on STEM curriculum that has been developed in collaboration with …

Stem Conference 2019, Stem Conference

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Conference Program with all presentations

Teaching Stem For The Public Good, Rita Basuray

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

No Bones About It: How Digital Fabrication Changes Student Perceptions Of Their Role In The Classroom, Alexandria K. Hansen, Jasmine K. Mcbeath, Danielle B. Harlow

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This study used cultural historical activity theory to make meaning of a digital fabrication project situated in the complexity of a classroom. Using an ethnographic perspective, we observed 14 students (aged 13–14) in a middle school’s creative design and engineering class inspired by the Maker Movement. Working with the classroom teacher, a professional stuntman tasked students with fabricating a prosthetic bone for use as a movie prop using their understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Teacher interviews and student focus groups revealed differences in perceptions between their science class and engineering class. Additionally, affordances and constraints of the 3D …

Report From The Stem 2026 Workshop On Assessment, Evaluation, And Accreditation, Rebecca Bates, Angela Arnold, Cary Komoto, Peggy Brickman, R. Alan Cheville, Elizabeth Longley, Jose Mestre, Mihaela Sabin, James Warnock

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

A gathering of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) higher education stakeholders met in November 2018 to consider the relationship between innovation in education and assessment. When we talk about assessment in higher education, it is inextricably linked to both evaluation and accreditation, so all three were considered. The first question we asked was can we build a nation of learners? This starts with considering the student, first and foremost. As educators, this is a foundation of our exploration and makes our values transparent. As educators, how do we know we are having an impact? As members and implementers of …

Gender Disparity In Stem: Evidence From India, Abha Bhagat, R Vijayaraghavan

Teacher India

Although India has made strides in the education of girls, performance and participation of women in stem are still a challenge. An examination of the IBT data shows that performance disparities in mathematics and science between girls and boys grow as students proceed from primary to secondary level.

Report From The Stem 2026 Workshop On Assessment, Evaluation, And Accreditation, Rebecca Bates, Angela Arnold, Cary Komoto, Peggy Brickman, R. Alan Cheville, Elizabeth Longley, Jose Mestre, Mihaela Sabin, James Warnock

Reports

A gathering of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) higher education stakeholders met in November 2018 to consider the relationship between innovation in education and assessment. When we talk about assessment in higher education, it is inextricably linked to both evaluation and accreditation, so all three were considered. The first question we asked was can we build a nation of learners? This starts with considering the student, first and foremost. As educators, this is a foundation of our exploration and makes our values transparent. As educators, how do we know we are having an impact? As members and implementers of …

The Effect Of Stem And Non-Stem Education On Student Mathematics Ability In Third Grade, Elke Hyacinth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although early mathematics instruction is predictive of future mathematics achievement, the effects of STEM-based mathematics instruction on mathematics gains in elementary school have been largely unexplored. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether mathematics scores from third grade student state-mandated standardized mathematics test differ between students who were enrolled in STEM schools and students who were enrolled in non-STEM schools in the largest school district located in a Southwestern state in the United States. Polya's problem-solving heuristics formed the theoretical framework because of their relevance to concepts on the third grade mathematics test. Two research questions focused …

Science Expectancy, Value, And Cost Profiles And Their Proximal And Distal Relations To Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Persistence, Tony Perez, Stephanie V. Wormington, Michael M. Barger, Rochelle D. Schwartz-Bloom, You-Kyung Lee, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Despite efforts to attract and maintain diverse students in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline, issues with attrition from undergraduate STEM majors persist. The aim of this study was to examine how undergraduate science students’ competence beliefs, task values, and perceived costs in science combine into motivational profiles and to consider how such profiles relate to short-term and long-term persistence outcomes in STEM. We also examined the relations between underrepresented group membership and profile membership. Using latent profile analysis, we identified three profiles that characterized 600 participants’ motivation during their first semester in college: Moderate All, Very …

Project-/Problem-Based Learning In Stem: Impacts On Student Learning, William D. Euefueno

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the impacts of STEM project-/problem-based learning (PBL) on students. Topics includes prototyping as a key transition element for PBL process which develop self-efficacy individually; use of PBL as a dynamic learning process, allows learners to gain experiences with real-world applicability; and PBL skillsets that requires students to use critical-thinking processes. It mentions that PBL's goal is to make behavioral changes by long term training.

Science Through Art: Motivating Gifted And Talented Students, Ksenia Zhbanova

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

Gifted and talented students have unique characteristics and needs. Arts Integration is an effective differentiation strategy that helps meeting these students’ needs. STEM subjects are easily and organically integrated with the Arts because scientific and artistic inquiry are very similar. This practical article describes an arts-integrated project that provided the gifted and talented participants with an increased level of challenge, an opportunity for self-expression and for building social skills, amplified motivation, and a chance to deepen and demonstrate their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, social studies and English Language Arts. In this project, identified gifted students completed figural transformations …

Students' Perceptions Of Stem Learning After Participating In A Summer Informal Learning Experience, Thomas Roberts, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Maureen Cavalcanti, D. Craig Schroeder, Ashley Delaney, Lydia Putnam, Chase Cremeans

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Background: Informal learning environments increase students’ interest in STEM (e.g., Mohr‐Schroeder et al. School Sci Math 114: 291–301, 2014) and increase the chances a student will pursue a STEM career (Kitchen et al. Sci Educ 102: 529–547, 2018). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an informal STEM summer learning experience on student participants, to gain in-depth perspectives about how they felt this experience prepared them for their in-school mathematics and science classes as well as how it influenced their perception of STEM learning. Students’ attitudes and perceptions toward STEM are affected by their motivation, experience, …

The Educational Emphases Of Science Teachers In Us Evangelical Protestant High Schools, Albert Cheng

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

I examine the educational emphases of science teachers in Evangelical Protestant (EP) schools, including (1) teaching basic content knowledge, (2) improving scientific reasoning skills, and (3) presenting real-world applications of science. Using a nationally representative sample of US ninth-graders, I find differences in these educational emphases between science teachers in EP schools and science teachers in secular private, Catholic, and public schools. I also find suggestive evidence that differences in STEM-related student outcomes across school sectors, which have been demonstrated in prior research, are associated with cross-sector differences in the emphases of science teachers.

Development And Validation Of The Value-Expectancy Stem Assessment Scale For Students In Higher Education, Joseph Appianing, Richard Van Eck

Teaching, Leadership & Professional Practice Faculty Publications

Background: Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs are expected to make up a significant portion of the U.S. workforce. Unfortunately, the trend in retaining students in STEM majors has been going down. If higher education institutions are going to retain more students in STEM majors, it will be important to understand who leaves STEM fields and why. More than 32% of women college students who declare a STEM major are likely to switch to non-STEM majors before they graduate, whereas only 25% of their male counterparts do so, and women may be as much as 1.5 times more likely …

Incorporating Diegetic Elements To Increase Engagement In Games For Engineering Education, Katherine Smith, Yuzhong Shen, Anthony W. Dean

VMASC Publications

One of the difficulties in developing educational games is maintaining player engagement. This engagement is critical for games to provide effective learning experiences. One way to increase engagement in games is to limit interruptions during game play. In educational games, this can be accomplished by incorporating learning or problem-solving elements diegetically. Diegetic elements are those that are part of the game scene. With this in mind, a series of games for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has been developed focusing on content in courses that are prerequisites to the engineering curriculum. These games cover topics in pre-calculus, calculus, …

Challenges In Stem Learning In Australian Schools, Michael J. Timms, Kathryn Moyle, Paul R. Weldon, Pru Mitchell

Policy Insights

Australian STEM education seems caught in a whirlpool of problems that are contributing to one another. Student engagement and performance in STEM are declining, but we do not have the supply of qualified teachers we need to improve learning. The STEM curriculum is unbalanced and fragmented, leading to less interest among students. It is not possible to break out of the downward cycle from within the current system and it requires policy changes that address the issues raised in this report. This means developing well-considered, systemic and joined-up policies that address the following challenges: Improving student outcomes, building the STEM …

Challenges In Stem Learning In Australian Schools: Literature And Policy Review, Michael J. Timms, Kathryn Moyle, Paul R. Weldon, Pru Mitchell

Program monitoring and evaluation

This literature and policy review outlines the complex context related to STEM learning in Australian schools and focuses on student outcomes, the teacher workforce and the curriculum. This paper also sheds light on possible policy directions by examining lessons from other countries. STEM education is a broad enterprise that starts in early childhood education, continues through the years of schooling and extends into tertiary education supported by contributions from extracurricular and enrichment activities, science centres and museums. However, the focus in this document is on primary and secondary schooling. Australian STEM education seems caught in a whirlpool of problems that …

Using The Soar Approach To Teach Middle School Students About Math And Science Concepts Found In Engineering, Rachael A. Wagner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In order to address the lack of knowledge about the engineering profession in middle-level students, the project described in this Honors Thesis was developed. Through the creation of an afterschool program centered on engineering, students were able to apply the math and science concepts covered to design, build, and test a bridge. One particular lesson from this after-school program was highlighted in this thesis, the lesson covering the Pythagorean Theorem, to demonstrate the use of SOAR methodology in the lesson’s development and later use in the classroom. The effectiveness of the Pythagorean Theorem lesson was evaluated positively based on the …

Impact Report 2018: Equity And Excellence, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Impact Reports

For over 30 years, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) has pioneered the future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education through its two legislative charges: 1) to provide a uniquely challenging education for students talented in the areas of mathematics and science; and 2) to stimulate further excellence for all Illinois schools in mathematics and science. IMSA champions these goals through:

• Residential education: Helping talented 10th-12th graders representing over 93% of Illinois counties to date reach their fullest potential.
• Student and educator outreach: Leading the charge to continually innovate K-12 STEM education, creating a strong and diverse …

Ten Years Of The Real World Design Challenge, Robert W. Deters, Brent Terwilliger, S.C. Kleinke, Ralph K. Coppola, Jeff Coppola

Publications

Preparing students to be successful in STEM careers is important to foster continued growth in the US and the world. The Real World Design Challenge is a high school design competition focused on the area of aviation. Students work in teams to solve a real world problem using professional tools. The 2018 challenge marks the tenth anniversary of this program. The first students to compete in this competition are now in the work force. This paper describes the background of RWDC, the different challenges that have been used throughout its ten years, the current precision agriculture challenges using UAS, and …

Reflections On Stem, Standards, And Disciplinary Focus, Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article offers information concerning STEM education, technology education discipline, and standards for technological literacy. It discusses a revision of the "Standards for Technological Literacy" transcending the existing K-12 focus as well as including PreK, informal and extracurricular technology education, adult learning, and other settings.

How The Arts Standards Support Stem Concepts: A Journey From Stem To Steam, Ksenia S. Zhbanova

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions

This issue of the Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions is focused on the effects of integrating arts with STEM areas, an important and widely-considered topic in education today. This editorial provides an overview of the current state of the arts and STEM areas integration paradigm, an analysis of the benefits of the arts integration with the STEM subjects, and an overview of the history of the arts anchor standards. Comparison and connections between the National Arts Core anchor arts standards, the scientific method, engineering design process, and the 5E learning cycle are also illuminated. Summaries of the practical …

A State-By-State Policy Analysis Of Stem Education For K-12 Public Schools, Courtney C. Carmichael

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For practitioners and policy makers across the nation, STEM education has a vague definition. This study looks at how all 50 states define STEM education in policy, using four models: (a) Disciplinary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics); (b) Integrated STEM focusing on combining two or more disciplines to produce critical thinking, real world application, and creative problem solving; (c) the Disciplinary and Integrated STEM model that acknowledges both to summarize programs at the state policy level; (d) the model with no definition of STEM education. The final results include 10 percent of states use the first model, 42 percent use …