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The low number of students studying or applying for STEM subjects and workforce demand has been prioritized in almost all countries' policies. This study intended to examine factors that influenced American and Turkish students to pursue a degree or career in STEM related fields. Participants of the study were 86 high-ability students selected from two high schools in the United States (n = 39) and Turkey (n = 47). A five-part survey was used and its original version was administered to American participants while its translated version was conducted to Turkish students. Results revealed that self-motivation was found to be the most influential factor of STEM interest for American students while mother was for Turkish students. In addition, regarding primary reasons for interest in STEM career, self-motivation was the most important reason for interest in STEM career for American students while income of occupation was the one for Turkish students. By stimulating needs for STEM fields, this study will help increase the awareness of the gap between growth in graduates and STEM-related vacancies. Academic institutions will potentially use findings of this study to revise their enrollment policies, with the aim of enhancing enrolment for STEM areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because there is, currently, no education system for primary school students in grades 1-3 who have specific learning disabilities in Turkey and because such students do not receive sufficient support from face-to-face counseling, a needs analysis was conducted in order to prepare an adaptive, web-assisted learning system according to variables determined by the extent of learning disabilities. The scope of this study was limited to dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia. Data were collected from five subject area experts (psychologist and special education specialists) using semi-structured interview forms including open-ended questions, 15 parents, at least one of whose children has a specific learning disability and six classroom teachers via surveys including open-ended questions in the 2011-2012 academic year. A matrix diagram was prepared in order to analyze the data with a holistic approach and to show dependability and credibility of the study. The study revealed three main findings: a lack of information / interest about specific learning disabilities, the inadequacy of the Turkish Ministry of Education Specific Learning Disabilities Support Education Program, and the inadequacy of applications, both within and outside the classroom. The findings also showed that the students with specific learning disabilities need a web-assisted system that should be adaptive and which can be used both in school and at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasing influence of technology and the explosion in data collection demands, the acceptance and assimilation of new paradigms and technologies require today's educators, researchers, and evaluators to consider alternative tools, and apply them effectively. One of these alternatives, handheld computers, also known as personal digital assistants (PDAs), makes the benefits of computerized data collection more accessible to field-based researchers. An evaluation of handheld computers as data collection tools in research settings requires an understanding of their use from different perspectives in existing research. This review examines the willingness of teachers to adopt handheld data collection systems by focusing on 5 main features: (a) ease of use, (b) usefulness, (c) subjective norms, (d) intention to use, and (e) dependability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the use of handheld computers for data collection. It mentions that handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) are seen as more affordable and effective than laptop and desktop computers. The article also discusses the factors affecting the effectiveness of PDAs including interoperability and accuracy.

The article offers information on SKeVA©, a web-based science assessment system which provides students increased exposure to science vocabulary. SKeVA also gives students a chance to better understand TAKS science materials and enable data-based decision making at district, school and classroom levels. SKeVA, which contains more than 1,500 key vocabulary items aligned with TEKS or TAKS objectives, consists of two different test functions: the Pre-Post and the Progress Monitoring testing. Pre-post measures students' knowledge before the instruction while the Progress Monitoring System repeatedly measures students knowledge to know their progress.

This study explores the characteristics of after-school program activities at a charter school in the Southeast US highlighting students' experiences with and gains from these after-school program activities. A qualitative case study design was employed to understand students' views and opinions regarding the activities and their learning trajectories. Study data were collected through formal and informal observations, one-on-one semistructured interviews, and field notes. The study's findings indicated that such activities emphasize open-ended and collaborative scientific investigations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and provided an arena for students to demonstrate various uses of 21st century skills. We have described and explained: (a) the importance of collaborative learning groups, (b) the popularity of after-school program activities, (c) interest in STEM fields, and (d) activities' contribution to developing 21st century skills. These findings show that STEM related activities have the potential to promote collaborative learning and inquiry as well as to contribute to the development of 21st century skills. These findings have also been discussed in light of how STEM related after-school program activities support students' learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]