ASSESSING STEM LITERACY IN AN INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

This mixed methods study investigated methods for assessing STEM literacy amongst middle grades students participating in an informal learning environment, specifically, a summer STEM camp. Adopting a situated perspective on STEM literacy, this dissertation employed psychometric techniques and discourse analysis to answer the overarching research question: How can STEM literacy amongst middle school students be assessed in the context of a summer STEM camp? An integrated review of literacy within and across STEM disciplines first offered a new direction for conceptualizing STEM literacy. With this understanding, subsequent research methods applied novel approaches for investigating STEM literacy in the context of a summer STEM camp. Quantitatively, various measurement models were tested for reasonableness in representing pre- and post-survey data to show a two-tier bifactor solution can be used to model the chosen quantitative survey. The calibrated data was represented by four correlated primary factors (science literacy, technological literacy, mathematical literacy, and engineering literacy) and four uncorrelated specific factors, orthogonal to the primary factors. The final four specific factors were characterized by affective components related to definitions of literacy in STEM disciplines and STEM literacy more holistically including: (1) self-efficacy/perception of ability, (2) attitude and interest (willingness to engage, career belief, disposition), (3) role and utility of STEM in society, and (4) sense of community. Qualitatively, written reflection data were analyzed by first dichotomizing qualitative themes and then by using three of Gee’s inquiry tools (1999, 2005, 2011): situated meanings, social language, and Discourses; to analyze three of Gee’s building tasks of language (1999, 2005, 2011): significance, practices, and identities. Aspects of STEM literacy that involve knowledge and skills related to STEM activities were the focus of analyzing qualitative data. The findings from the discourse analysis suggest the style of language supportive of emerging STEM literacy can be understood through the context for learning; the enactment of STEM identities and STEM practices allow for this emergence as students utilize STEM language. The combination of psychometrics and discourse analysis to analyze data collected during STEM camp allowed for investigating how different research tools can offer insight into assessing different aspects of STEM literacy. This research offers applications of research methods to data collected in an informal learning environment to investigate how STEM literacy can be assessed. The overall conclusion involves the recognition of the complexity in understanding STEM literacy amongst middle school students and the need to consider knowledge, skills and dispositions when assessing STEM literacy. Possible implications of the work to assess STEM literacy in an informal context are discussed. Recommendations for designing and implementing assessment to measure STEM literacy in an informal learning environment are made. Ultimately effective consistent methods for measuring STEM literacy could shape learning opportunities for K-12 students to achieve STEM literacy as an outcome and promote equitable educational experiences for all students

Using Inclusive Design to Improve the Accessibility of Informal STEM Education, for Children with Visual Impairment

In this research paper, STEM workshops are designed to provide experiences for twenty-five blind and visually impaired children at a summer camp, with STEM activities that are engaging and fun as well as educational. The aspiration is that the participants should have equitable experiences to their peers without visual impairment, so that they may get the same enjoyment from the STEM workshops as any other participants. Another research goal is to investigate the accessibility features of various commercially available robots, and consider the stability of accessibility features as robots are updated and replaced over time. An analytical autoethnographic approach and an Inclusive Design Model are used, which employ the researcher’s experience as a blind person and children’s feedback to inform ongoing design revisions to the Informal STEM Education activities. Children experimented with playing with and programming robotic toys such as a Bee-bot, Cubetto, Cubelets and Lego Mindstorm EV3, using modified mats and building materials. Video recording, group interviews and direct observation were the data collection tools used. Although all of the STEM education tools used in this study required at least some modification to make them more accessible for the participants, the amount of modification needed varied widely. Some tools were nearly accessible out of the box, while others could not easily be made accessible at all. This suggests many avenues for future research into the accessibility of tools for STEM education, especially robots. The inclusive design of some potential STEM education activities which were not tested, for lack of time, are also described

Through the Lens of Latinas: The Influences of an Out-of-School Time STEM Program

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) have been the foundation for discovery and technological innovation in the United States. The United States considers STEM education as a national priority to compete in the global economy and protect the nation’s innovation ecosystem. The high demand for careers in STEM fields promotes the importance of STEM education. However, Latinos, as the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, face many challenges in STEM education relating to a lack of progress, degree attainment, and participation in STEM professions. This research aimed to explore the learning experience in an out-of-school (OST) STEM program, called “Girls in STEM”, and how it influenced Latinas’ self-efficacy, interest, and career development. The research focused on a single-case study of a STEM OST program in South Texas and utilized eight embedded cases to explore three research questions. The sample for this study consisted of 41 middle school and high school girls (grades 7 to 12) who had long-term participation experiences in the STEM program. The data for this qualitative study consisted of in-depth interviews, presentations from art-based activities, and visual arts. Followed by the case study design, the researcher purposefully sought in-depth information from embedded “unit of analysis,” which represented eight participants in the study (Yin, 2013, p. 23). Each case presented different aspects to answer research questions. The researcher analyzed interviews and art-based activities from participants through the lens of social cognitive theory and social cognitive career theory (Bandura, 2001; Lent et al., 1994). The findings explored Latinas’ learning experiences in an OST STEM program. Participants expressed the program created a beneficial learning environment for them, where they engaged in various activities and interacted with adults in the program. The learning experience, as the starting point of SCCT model, had influences on the development of self-efficacy and the formation of interests. In this study, the integration of different subjects, opportunities for collaborative work and conversational interactions with professionals, are three characteristics of cultivating Latinas’ interest in STEM. Additionally, many girls in this study noticed the stereotypes of women in STEM, and gender bias exists in many STEM fields. Socioeconomic status may limit Latina’s options and affected their career development

Insights from Two Decades of P-12 Engineering Education Research

The 21st century has seen a growing movement in the United States towards the adoption of engineering and technology as a complement to science education. Motivated by this shift, this article offers insights into engineering education for grades P-12, based on a landscape review of 263 empirical research studies spanning the two decades from January 2000 to June 2021. These insights are organized around three core themes: (1) students’ understandings, skills, and attitudes about engineering and technology; (2) effective methods of P-12 engineering education; and (3) benefits of P-12 engineering education. The insights are captured in the form of evidence-based claims summarized as a set of ten findings. The findings start with the recognition that students at all age levels in the United States—though not in many other countries—have narrow conceptions of technology and engineering. A key finding is that for students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, it is important to develop their interest at an early age. Several findings address effective strategies for engaging students in engineering, both in schools and in afterschool and summer programs. These include generalizable teaching methods suitable across a wide range of educators and students, as well as topical approaches around specific themes such as the design of robots, or biomedical devices. One of the most encouraging findings is that multiple methods have successfully addressed a major social inequity: improving the attitudes, STEM skills, and career aspirations of girls, students of color, and students from low-income families. The last group of findings addresses the benefits of engineering education including not only increased knowledge and skills, but also lifelong skills such as teamwork, communication, and creativity, as well as persistence, motivation, self-confidence, and STEM identity. We hope that these insights may be of value to researchers, educators, administrators, and policy leaders

Selected NSF projects of interest to K-12 engineering and technology education

The National Science Foundation (NSF) portfolio addressing K-12 engineering and technology education includes initiatives supported by a number of programs. This list includes projects identified by searching lists of awards in the respective NSF programs as well as projects suggested for inclusion by researchers, practitioners, and program officers. The list includes projects concerned with standards in technology education, teacher professional development, centers for learning and teaching, preparation of instructional materials, digital libraries, and technological activities in informal settings, as well as small numbers of projects in several other areas. This compilation provides current information on projects of interest to educators, instructional designers, consultants, and researchers who are concerned with the development, delivery, and evaluation of instruction to develop technological literacy, particularly in K-12 engineering and technology education. Projects are grouped under headings for each program providing primary funding. Within each program, the award numbers determine the order of listing, with the most recent awards at the beginning of the list. Each award entry includes the project title, NSF award number, funding program, amount of the award to date, starting and ending dates, the principal investigator (PI), the grantee institution, PI contact information, the url of the project Web site, a description of the project’s activities and accomplishments, relevant previous awards to the PI, products developed by the project, and information on the availability of those products

Black Girls Speak STEM: Counterstories of Informal and Formal Learning Experiences

This study presents the interpretations and perceptions of Black girls who participated in I AM STEM – a community-based informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program. Using narrative inquiry, participants generated detailed accounts of their informal and formal STEM learning experiences. Critical race methodology informed this research to portray the dynamic and complex experiences of girls of color, whose stories have historically been silenced and misrepresented. The data sources for this qualitative study included individual interviews, student reflection journals, samples of student work, and researcher memos, which were triangulated to produce six robust counterstories. Excerpts of the counterstories are presented in this article. The major findings of this research revealed that I AM STEM ignited an interest in STEM learning through field trips and direct engagement in scientific phenomena that allowed the girls to become agentic in continuing their engagement in STEM activities throughout the year. This call to awaken the voices of Black girls to speak casts light on their experiences and challenges as STEM learners ⎯ from their perspectives. The findings confirm that when credence and counterspaces are given to Black girls, they are poised to reveal their luster toward STEM learning. This study provided a space for Black girls to reflect on their STEM learning experiences, formulate new understandings, and make connections between the informal and formal learning environments within the context of their everyday lives, thus offering a more holistic approach to STEM learning that occurs across settings and over a lifetime

The engineering design process as a model for STEM curriculum design

Engaging pedagogics have been proven to be effective in the promotion of deep learning for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. In many cases, academic institutions have shown a desire to improve education by implementing more engaging techniques in the classroom. The research framework established in this dissertation has been governed by the axiom that students should obtain a deep understanding of fundamental topics while being motivated to learn through engaging techniques. This research lays a foundation for future analysis and modeling of the curriculum design process where specific educational research questions can be considered using standard techniques. Further, a clear curriculum design process is a key step towards establishing an axiomatic approach for engineering education. A danger is that poor implementation of engaging techniques will counteract the intended effects. Poor implementation might provide students with a fun project, but not the desired deep understanding of the fundamental STEM content. Knowing that proper implementation is essential, this dissertation establishes a model for STEM curriculum design, based on the well-established engineering design process. Using this process as a perspective to model curriculum design allows for a structured approach. Thus, the framework for STEM curriculum design, established here, provides a guided approach for seamless integration of fundamental topics and engaging pedagogics. The main steps, or phases, in engineering design are: Problem Formulation, Solution Generation, Solution Analysis, and Solution Implementation. Layering engineering design with education curriculum theory, this dissertation establishes a clear framework for curriculum design. Through ethnographic engagement by this researcher, several overarching themes are revealed through the creation of curricula using the design process. The application of the framework to specific curricula was part of this dissertation research. Examples of other STEM curricula using the framework were also presented. Moreover, the framework is presented in such a way that it can be implemented by other educational design teams

Old Dominion University\u27s Engineering Summer Camp\u27s Effect on Students Interest in Engineering

The problem of this study was to determine parents\u27 perceptions of their child\u27s experience in Old Dominion University\u27s engineering summer camps to determine if their child generated an interest in engineering as a career choice

Preparing STEM Teachers for Integration of NGSS: a Summer Workshop Development

The increasing emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in United States and across the world created the demand for STEM education to start as early as elementary school. Especially in the past decade, the demand for middle schools and high schools to increase the involvement of the STEM components in their curriculum has been on the rise. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)(http://www.nextgenscience.org/) are testimonial to this demand and need. With the fast-pace the NGSS are being adopted by different states, the expectations from science, engineering, and technology teachers to develop and design their courses to reflect the new standards and meet the updated goals increased. To support teachers with the necessary resources and training, a Summer STEM training program and a set of STEM training modules have been developed by a 4-year accredited State College. This paper provides an overview of the STEM initiatives and a step-by-step approach of the design and development of the STEM modules to train K-12 teachers