Abstract: Abstract To facilitate identity exploration and career interest among underrepresented racial and gender minorities, a week-long Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) summer camp was designed in alignment with Projective Reflection’s (PR) theory of identity exploration and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The camp included the choice between three different space themed STEM tracks: astroengineering, astrophysics, and astrobiology which embedded project-based pedagogy with collaborative, hands-on experiences that immersed the students into STEM roles. Eighteen middle school students’ data including surveys, focus group interviews, observation notes, student journals, and artifacts were collected and analyzed using a concurrent mixed-methods design. The data was organized and analyzed in three time points “starting self”, “exploring possible selves” and “new self” using the four constructs of PR. The results showed no significant change in the survey due to the small sample size but meaningful mean changes in constructs of PR which were further supported by qualitative findings. The qualitative findings were also in line with previous research in which the interest is a mediator in developing identities toward STEM careers. The type of activities and the design features of the curriculum were also shown to be effective in developing integrated identity exploration. PubDate: 2019-08-08
Abstract: Abstract Minority research and training (MRT) programs have been used across U.S. colleges and universities as a method to close the educational achievement gap and generate a highly skilled and diverse workforce. Previous studies have improved our understanding of the need to diversify the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and the various interventions that have been developed to support these efforts. However, there is still little evidence about what strategies are most effective in promoting interest, continuation, and matriculation into STEM graduate programs among underrepresented groups. The study herein utilized a case study design with a mixed methods approach to evaluate the program impacts and outcomes of an MRT program at a research-intensive institution in the southern part of the U.S., and for program replication. This evaluation study examines the types of activities and services provided, the measurable outcomes of those activities and services, the resources used to deliver the services, the practical problems encountered, and the ways in which problems were resolved. PubDate: 2019-08-06
Abstract: Abstract This study examined kindergarten teachers’ attitudes toward and confidence with implementing integrated STEM education in early childhood classroom settings. Data were collected through a self-report survey completed by 430 kindergarten teachers across China, as well as face-to-face interviews with 14 teachers from six provinces. The results revealed that the participating kindergarten teachers tended to have positive attitudes toward early childhood STEM education. However, the majority of the kindergarten teachers were not confident with implementing STEM education in their classroom settings. Regional differences were evident in the data: Kindergarten teachers from eastern region of China reported a higher level of confidence than teachers from central and western regions. Moreover, kindergarten teachers’ years of teaching experience and level of education were not found to be associated with their attitudes toward or confidence with STEM education. This paper concludes with a discussion of the potential challenges for STEM education in Chinese kindergartens based on the findings from this study. Implications and suggestions for future research are proposed. PubDate: 2019-07-24
Abstract: Abstract Clinical interviews are a research instrument for STEM education that elicit a variety of conceptual dynamics. While some efforts have been made to document what conceptual dynamics take place in such interviews, more remains to be done. This article describes conceptual dynamics observed in two cases where high school students were interviewed and responded to discrepant embodied experiences where what they predicted would take place physically differed from what actually took place. One case involves discussing and enacting projectile motion. The other case involves discussing and trying different configurations of bicycle gearing. The cases illustrate a short-term conceptual change in response to the discrepant experiences in which the same explanatory elements remained in their explanations over time, but how various ideas and perceived attributes of the situation were organized changed. Together, these cases illustrate an additional trigger for conceptual dynamics that have been as yet undocumented in literature about interviews. PubDate: 2019-07-09
Abstract: Abstract We compared 236 geoscience instructors’ histories of professional development (PD) participation with classroom observations using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) that describe undergraduate classes as Student-Centered (score ≥ 50), Transitional (score 31–49) or Teacher-Centered (score ≤ 30). Instructors who attended PD (n = 111) have higher average RTOP scores (44.5 vs. 34.2) and are more frequently observed teaching Student-Centered classes (33% vs. 13%) than instructors with no PD (p < 0.001). Instructors who attended PD that is topically-aligned with content taught during the classroom observation are likely to have RTOP scores that are higher by 13.5 points (p < 0.0001), and are 5.6 times more likely to teach a Student-Centered class than instructors without topically-aligned PD. Comparable odds of teaching Student-Centered classes (5.8x) occur for instructors who attended two topical PD events but were observed teaching a different topic. Models suggest that instructors with at least 24 h of PD are significantly more likely to teach a Student-Centered class than instructors with fewer hours. Our results highlight the effectiveness of discipline-specific PD in impacting teaching practices, and the importance of attending more than one such PD event to aid transfer of learning. PubDate: 2019-05-01
Abstract: Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine creative thinking and learning in arts-infused education by using the invention kit Makey Makey as a platform for Human-Centred Design Instrument (HCDI). Data were collected from 249 adolescents (n = 249) from a Hong Kong secondary school in a participatory design format. They were selected for the STEAM project, which is provided through the school curriculum to examine the level of attitude change towards creativity through the creation of human-centred musical instruments for different age cohorts, including children (aged 3–6), adults and elderly people (aged over 65). The research objectives were concerned with the development of collaborative creative thinking through an HCDI and with how students combined and transformed new knowledge for everyday application with meaning – a breakthrough in musical instrument design for human needs. Questionnaires, observation and interviews were conducted to examine the students’ level of creative thinking. Based on a modification of the creativity measurement framework from the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS), a significant increase in the attitude change of students’ creativity was shown from the paired-sample t-test in the dimensions of originality, flexibility, fluency and elaboration through the STEAM project. PubDate: 2019-04-01
Abstract: Abstract The rapidly evolving and global field of STEM education has placed ever-increasing calls for interdisciplinary research and the development of new and deeper scholarship in and for STEM education. In this editorial, we focus on the topic of thinking, first with a brief overview of related studies and conceptions in the past. We then problematize a traditional conception of thinking in the context of STEM education, and propose possible alternative perspectives about thinking areas for future research. PubDate: 2019-04-01
Abstract: Abstract The present study used 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data to determine the impact of school organizational factors on secondary STEM teacher retention in the post-NCLB era. Researchers utilized teacher and principal instruments from the SASS to measure the retention of grades 9–12 STEM teachers (n = 920). Due to the nested nature of teachers within schools and based on previous retention research, multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the proportion of variance in STEM teacher retention across schools. The study focused on identifying the proportion of variance in STEM teacher retention that was attributable to school differences, as well as the effect of school climate on STEM teacher retention, controlling for teacher and principal characteristics. The study’s most important finding was that having a principal who majored in a STEM subject had a positive and significant effect on the retention of secondary STEM teachers. PubDate: 2019-04-01
Abstract: Abstract Meeting the current demand for STEM graduates requires significantly increasing the number of students majoring in STEM fields. One program designed to increase the number of STEM majors is Project Lead The Way (PLTW). Using statewide data from Indiana, this research examined the effects of PLTW participation in high school on the likelihood of majoring in STEM during college. Propensity score matching and weighting were used to provide a rigorous evaluation of PLTW that would allow causal inferences to be made about program effectiveness. Results indicated that PLTW participation significantly increased the likelihood that students who attend college will major in a STEM discipline. The results also indicated a dosage effect for PLTW participation. Specifically, completing one PLTW course increased the likelihood of majoring in STEM by 0.16, and completing two PLTW courses increased the likelihood of majoring in STEM by 0.27. Completing three or more PLTW courses increased the likelihood of majoring in STEM by 0.38. Tests of the conditional independence assumption also revealed that it was unlikely that these results were the product of external, unmeasured variables. Thus, it appears likely that PLTW participation has a direct, causal effect on majoring in a STEM discipline during college. PubDate: 2019-04-01
Abstract: Abstract A need exists for impactful interdisciplinary collaborations between STEM and Education departments to build successful STEM teacher education programs. Within extant literature, few studies have examined the qualities that make STEM and Education collaborations possible for the purpose of STEM teacher preparation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the motivation, development and sustainability of collaborations between STEM and Education faculty and university supervisors to better enhance STEM teacher education programs. This study analyzes the dynamics between STEM and Education faculty and university supervisors at seven universities with Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Programs within the state of Texas. Through a qualitative multiple-case study research approach, we collected data through focus group interviews, archival information, and field notes. Our exploratory study yielded three main findings to include the following: (1) characteristics of impactful STEM-Education collaborations; (2) impact of STEM-Education collaborations; and (3) common STEM-Education collaboration constraints. Based on the findings from this study, implications for universities, institutional leaders, students, and the grant foundation are discussed. PubDate: 2019-04-01
Abstract: Abstract Although researchers have proposed different definitions for Computational Thinking (CT), one commonality across these definitions is the emphasis on having students formulate and solve problems in various learning environments, including programming. The continuing attention to CT highlights the need for studies that examine students’, especially elementary students, problem-solving processes. The current study investigates how fifth graders engaged in CT problem-solving activities in a programming environment. Focusing on multiple representations embedded in the CT problem-solving processes, we analyze data of fifth graders who were engaged in a pair-programming robotics interview. In the interview, students navigate multiple representations, such as task instructions, a coding window, and outputs, and in the case of robotics programming activities, a physical robot. The results show that as students were participating in a variety of coding and problem-solving practices, they were interpreting and navigating information within the code window, across the code window and task instructions, across the code window and physical robot, and across all three representations. Informed by these findings, we propose a framework to conceptualize how elementary students interpret and navigate multiple representations in CT problem-solving processes, which could guide future studies in analyzing problem-solving processes in similar contexts. Implications on the importance of multiple representations in programming may apply to other CT learning environments as well. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract As STEM education matures, the field will profit from tools that support teacher growth and that support rich instruction. A central design issue concerns domain specificity. Can generic classroom observation tools suffice, or will the field need tools tailored to STEM content and processes' If the latter, how much will specifics matter' This article begins by proposing desiderata for frameworks and rubrics used for observations of classroom practice. It then addresses questions of domain specificity by focusing on the similarities, differences, and affordances of three observational frameworks widely used in mathematics classrooms: Framework for Teaching, Mathematical Quality of Instruction, and Teaching for Robust Understanding. It describes the ways that each framework assesses selected instances of mathematics instruction, documenting the ways in which the three frameworks agree and differ. Specifically, these widely used frameworks disagree on what counts as high quality instruction: questions of whether a framework valorizes orderly classrooms or the messiness that often accompanies inquiry, and which aspects of disciplinary thinking are credited, are consequential. This observation has significant implications for tool choice, given that these and other observation tools are widely used for professional development and for teacher evaluations. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract Reforms in STEM education call for the broad implementation of student-centered strategies and instructional technologies support this integration. An instructional technology that has received much attention in the last decade is student responses systems, or “clickers”. There is little literature that has examined the widespread diffusion of clickers and their appropriate use. This cross-sectional survey study explores use of clickers in postsecondary settings across multiple disciplines, how clickers are used, and why faculty chose to use (or not) clickers. Survey responses revealed that clickers were differentially used by faculty based on discipline. Logistic regression determined class size as the only predictor of clicker use. Implications are discussed in terms of providing professional development to impact instructor knowledge and beliefs towards instructional technology. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract As students encounter functional relationships in almost every grade, functional thinking is fundamental for students to participate in mathematics education and sciences successfully. Nevertheless, a lot of students develop misconceptions and face problems working on functional relationships appropriately. Thus, the encouragement of students’ functional thinking seems to be crucial. This study investigates whether the functional thinking of sixth graders should be fostered in a learning environment using real materials or computer-based simulations (GeoGebra). Furthermore, it is analyzed whether the media lead to different effects. A pre-post-test-intervention study (N = 282, two experimental groups: material vs. simulations, control group) was conducted. In the following article the two experimental groups will be focused on. The collected data was analyzed with Item Response Theory. A 2-dimensional Rasch model to determine the person ability with respect to functional thinking was estimated. By the use of plausible values, we conducted a mixed ANOVA. The difference concerning functional thinking between the experimental groups was compared. Even though both media led to a significant increase in functional thinking, the increase of the simulation group was significantly higher. Thus, results indicate that fostering functional thinking with simulations seems to be superior to the use of real materials. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract Although Evidence-Based Instructional Practices (EBIP) generally improve students’ performance in STEM, traditional lecturing remains the most common instructional practice in postsecondary settings. This study examines an institutional change program that organized STEM faculty into communities of practice (CoPs) to facilitate the adoption and spread of EBIP in postsecondary classrooms. In this program, CoPs were mentored by faculty members who have a track record as advocates for high-quality teaching. In order for practices to spread, knowledge about those practices needs an avenue to spread. We hypothesized that CoP mentors provide these avenues by creating bridging ties between the disparate CoPs, thus spanning structural holes. To test the hypothesis, a sociometric survey was administered to document 100 faculty members’ social interactions concerning teaching. A Monte Carlo permutation test revealed that the mentors significantly increased the density, connectedness, and centralization of the institutional change program’s teaching social network more than any other random selection of faculty members. We also found that CoP mentors were the most likely individuals to connect otherwise unconnected CoP participants. These findings suggest that the CoP mentors played an important role in providing the bridges that can facilitate the spread of knowledge about teaching innovations across the network. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract This narrative review addresses emerging application of user experience (UX) design principles within education contexts, particularly science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education settings. In this review, “UX design” is employed as an umbrella term to describe design philosophies, approaches, and tools that have originated within technology product design-related fields, namely user-centered design and human-computer interaction. UX design implies commitment to user-focused approaches to product development; UX design commonly includes construction and use of specific design tools (e.g., personas, scenarios, and usage models) that synthesize and contextualize product users’ goals, needs, wants, and behaviors in memorable and empathic ways. This review not only explores implementation of UX design tools and frameworks within education settings, but also examines the methods that have used to develop and implement UX design tools from data generated with students and faculty. Findings reveal that, although nascent, current scholarship provides evidence to support use of UX design tools and approaches to promote instructional innovation and the transfer of research to promote institutional change. To advance these purposes, STEM scholarship should focus on providing methodological detail and evidence of assessment of outcomes related to UX implementation. The results further suggest that future work in this area should explore novel approaches for representing UX design tools contextually within STEM settings. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract This study examined the design cognition and achievement results of both kindergarten and fourth grade students engaged in engineering design-based instructional activities. Relationships between design cognition and student grade level, as well as quality of student work, were investigated. 30 concurrent think-aloud protocols were collected from individual primary students as they worked in groups to design and make a solution to a design task. The concurrent think-aloud protocols were examined and coded to determine the duration of time the participants devoted to a pre-established set of mental processes for technological problem solving. Significant differences between kindergarten and fourth grade participants were found in the amount of time various cognitive processes were employed. Fourth grade students dedicated significantly more time to the mental processes of Creating, Defining Problems, Measuring, and Testing than kindergarten students. In addition, when examining the think-aloud protocols along with the evaluations of the participant’s design work, it was found that more time devoted to the cognitive process of Managing could be a significant predictor of lower design achievement. These findings can highlight potential areas for improving educational practice based on the cognitive abilities of students at different grade levels and the quality of their design work. As engineering design-based activities become more prevalent for the teaching of STEM-related content and practices, the results of this research, and the employed methodology, may demonstrate a promising practice for better understanding and assessing such education efforts. PubDate: 2018-12-01
Abstract: Abstract This paper focuses on the role that off-topic talk can play in a classroom. Although such talk has been typically ignored in the undergraduate STEM education literature, we argue that it can be highly consequential to the learning environment and thus should be taken into account. To study off-topic talk, we followed four groups throughout the semester in an upper-division Foundations of Geometry course, analyzing the talk in terms of student goals and gender. We focus on how such talk could influence the building of trust and power dynamics in small group interactions. We found that off-topic talk was prevalent (>30% of talk) and played a variety of roles in group discussions. PubDate: 2018-12-01
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