Search

The LBJ Institute for STEM Education & Research at Texas State University launched a threeyear research study to examine how university Maker Spaces might affect student identity formation and self-efficacy, and how these experiences can be leveraged to serve as a potential pathway to engineering. The primary experimental work for this research aims to: 1) discover key concepts and principles that particularly enable a more diverse group of students to leverage creativity and innovation toward success in engineering careers; 2) discover specific learning models that involve both STEM university students and pre-service teachers in order to develop teamwork, self-efficacy, communication, and identity formation in the Maker environment; 3) pilot instruments to measure the impact of such programs on students' self-efficacy, communication, and identity formation and 4) understand to what extent students who use the maker space for a class project become regular users of the space. This paper reports on the progress and findings from the first year of implementation. Maker Space user log in data will be analyzed as will preliminary results of student surveys. Further, the paper will describe the integration of making-based projects into engineering design and educational technology courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many agree that one of the main challenges to increasing the number of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career seeking individuals and increasing the retention of students preparing for this fields, is the lack of information and therefore low student motivation toward these careers. Students may also hold misconceptions regarding the nature of technological careers and this may also dissuade them from participating. Exposing students to green energy and sustainability topics as a STEM context may be a motivating approach and when coupled with clarifying career information, it may sharpen much of the generally ambiguous knowledge on these topics. The understanding students gain might then change their attitudes regarding STEM careers and lead to pursuit of academic studies leading to these careers. The Re-Energize program is a multi-university intervention program aimed at increasing and retaining the number of historically underserved and underrepresented minority students seeking STEM degrees at four community colleges. Re-Energize offers cutting-edge workforce development training programs in green technology and practices (GTP). The GTP training programs are introduced into existing college science and engineering courses as a means to broaden the scope of students' exposure to these topics. The impact on students' attitudes towards topics in sustainability, green energy, career interests and their desire to pursue a higher education is analyzed using pre and post survey data. This is a preliminary phase of the project, however, findings indicate that students' attitude and concerns are influenced positively and follow-up data collection will confirm what academic and career choices these students make. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the percentage of women in STEM majors at Texas State University, a large Hispanic Serving Institution, significantly lower than the percentage of women attending the university in general, the authors sought to understand this gap by studying the perspectives of undergraduate women who have successfully persisted in a STEM field of study at the same university. Specifically, the goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of what experiences women credited for influencing their self-efficacy, the development of their career interest goals and their academic course outcomes as related to studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This study is unique in that it was also designed to identify experiences that appear to contribute to women's identity development and self-confidence and includes a substantial representation of Latina women's voices. Data was collected and analyzed to identify if similar patterns exist between subjects and if so, which are the greater influencers in their decision to select a STEM major and to persist beyond the critical first two years of undergraduate studies. The literature of socialization and identity development as related to women as STEM learners in diverse communities is reviewed. This study begins to create an understanding of how women think about their multiple social identities (field of study, gender, culture, etc.). Focus group strategies for obtaining in-depth feedback regarding young women's attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and behaviors are discussed. Observations and recommendations regarding the research methodologies for study design and data analysis are presented with particular attention to the rationale for cultural responsive practices in qualitative research. A mixed methods research approach including the use of surveys and focus groups was used to collect student perceptions from junior and senior status students in STEM fields of study. Preliminary results indicate that students identify early personal experiences as building their self-confidence and contributing to their identity development. Drawing on self-perception theory, women appear to develop a more robust sense of persistence and feel that they fit into STEM; even when faced with sexism from other students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Chicago, Illinois comprehensive informal learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach program for kindergarten through grade 4 (K-4) students is described along with the program's theory of change and findings based on the participation of more than 200 urban minority students and their parents over a four-year period. This NSF-funded informal learning program was grounded in parental engagement theory of planned behavior and integrated both active-learning pedagogies and in-situ professional development for teachers. A unique age-appropriate science, engineering and technology integrated curriculum was delivered as a series of Saturday workshops set in a community science museum. Each year, cohorts of K-4 African American and Latino students and their parents participated in eight 3-hour workshops comprised of student/parent sessions of hands-on science and engineering activities as well as separate parent awareness and development sessions in STEM education and technology skill development. Mixed methods research methodology is used to measure the program's contribution to the advancement of the program goals. This program has incorporated major findings of more than 10-years of research that suggests that improving children's academic outcomes are much more effective 1 when the family is actively engaged. This program has offered opportunities for parents to work along side their children; provided strategies promoting positive parental/child engagement; and provided ongoing training and professional development for project teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]