323,460 research outputs found

    Inquiry based science education in National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute" as a way to increase the popularity of natural and thechnical sciences

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    The article analyses the problem of reducing the rating of natural sciences in youth. Possible options for solving this issue are considered. Based on the experience of young scientists of the National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute" (NTU "KhPI"), it is indicated on perspective directions of interaction between higher education and secondary school in order to increase the popularity of natural and technical sciences. One of the points of contact can be the foundation of a creative space for children, which will be the focus of STEM education, and promote a positive image of the natural and technical sciences

    Instructional and career guidance in STEM: an improvement initiative to create opportunities for female high school students

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    The purpose of this disquisition is to disseminate an improvement initiative in a public high school that addressed female Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disparity in STEM classes. In this high school current instructional and career guidance practices were inadequate in providing female STEM students opportunities to experience relevant instruction in STEM through the application of real world practices. The improvement initiative identified four interventions using qualitative research that addressed the question, how do instructional and career guidance practices that emphasize the real world application of STEM impact the academic choices and career aspirations of female STEM students? The interventions include (1) instructional feedback (2) instructional resources, (3) career coaching, and (4) community college partnership. These interventions were chosen as a result of insider research methods that followed a scan, focus, summarize framework for understanding the problem. The aim of the improvement initiative was to develop structured protocols that impact STEM classroom and career guidance practices. An intervention team intended to identify opportunities for female STEM students to experience the real world application of STEM. First, the research context is explained. Then, a review of the literature explains foundation knowledge that led to the conceptual and leadership framework. Next, the research methodology is outlined including design and participants, survey instruments, procedures, timeline, and measures. The research methodology is followed by an analysis of data for instructional and career guidance practice efficacy. Finally, a discussion of the initiative and its outcome are illustrated through the stories of three female STEM students. As a result of these stories, the intervention team developed STEM classroom observation protocols. These protocols can be used by school leaders as a structure for STEM instruction and career guidance

    NE STEM 4U: an out-of-school time academic program to improve achievement of socioeconomically disadvantaged youth in STEM areas

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    Background The Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 4U (NE STEM 4U) program was initiated at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) in 2013. NE STEM 4U is a student-run, faculty-led program facilitating problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for socioeconomically disadvantaged kindergarten through grade 8 (K-8) students. PBL sessions are provided throughout the academic year in a twice-weekly, after-school, informal education program. The instructional material provided after school builds upon the curricula of the school day. Importantly, this program is a partnership between faculty members and administrators in higher education at UNO with community partners of Omaha including Collective for Youth, Beyond School Bells, and Omaha Public Schools. We focus on engaging K-8 youth in after-school immersion experiences in STEM fields using undergraduate students as mentors and facilitators using a model of problem-based learning. Results This program fosters an educational pipeline for students with hands-on experience in problem-solving and critical thinking. The partnerships among the community provide the foundation for success for students across the K-16 pipeline. Conclusions Herein, we describe the model of this program as documented by demonstrated successes to date in an effort to guide others in developing such a model in their city or region. We also provide models for implementation of assessment instruments

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

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    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

    Self-Definition of Women Experiencing a Nontraditional Graduate Fellowship Program

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    Women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). One factor contributing to this underrepresentation is the graduate school experience. Graduate programs in STEM fields are constructed around assumptions that ignore the reality of women’s lives; however, emerging opportunities may lead to experiences that are more compatible for women. One such opportunity is the Graduate Teaching Fellows in K–12 Education (GK–12) Program, which was introduced by the National Science Foundation in 1999. Although this nontraditional graduate program was not designed explicitly for women, it provided an unprecedented context in which to research how changing some of the basic assumptions upon which a graduate school operates may impact women in science. This exploratory case study examines the self-definition of 8 women graduate students who participated in a GK–12 program at a major research university. The findings from this case study contribute to higher education’s understanding of the terrain women graduate students in the STEM areas must navigate as they participate in programs that are thought to be more conducive to their modes of self-definition while they continue to seek to be successful in the historically Eurocentric, masculine STEM fields

    Rutherford County High School Students Participate in Third Annual Science Academy at GWU

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    High school students from Rutherford County, N.C., are reporting that a unique week of their summer vacation that has given them new insight into the practical application of scientific principles. Through a grant from the Stonecutter Foundation (Spindale, N.C.), a dozen area teens participated in the third annual Science Academy, a program designed to offer enrichment in the subject of science and help students solidify skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The goal of the Science Academy is to provide a rich, practical experience in science with exposure to science related careers,” offered Jay Zimmer, biology instructor at Gardner-Webb.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/gardner-webb-newscenter-archive/1853/thumbnail.jp

    Building a Life Science Transfer Community: The Transfer-student Research and Integration Program (TRIP)

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    The Transfer-student Research and Integration Program (TRIP) prepares life science students for placement in graduate school or the STEM workforce by supporting their professional development and integration into the UCF community. TRIP students also receive a team-based research experience and an opportunity to present at regional conferences. An $8,000 scholarship distributed over the course of the 2-year program reduces financial barriers and encourages students to spend more time on campus and in a research environment. This poster provides an overview of the challenges facing transfer students, the solutions offered by TRIP, and early outcomes from the first cohort of our National Science Foundation-sponsored program

    Building a Framework for Engineering Design Experiences in STEM: A Synthesis

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    Since the inception of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education in 2004, educators and researchers have struggled to identify the necessary components of a “good” engineering design challenge for high school students. In reading and analyzing the position papers on engineering design many themes emerged that may begin to form a narrative for engineering design in a high school setting. Before educators can provide a framework for engineering design in STEM courses, four questions need to be answered: (a) To what degree should engineering design challenges be open-ended or well-structured? (b) What are the relationships between engineering design experiences and standards –based instruction in STEM courses? (c) What is an effective sequencing of age-appropriate engineering design challenges? and (d) To what extent should engineering habits of thought and action be employed in resolving the challenges? (Householder, 2011) Collectively, the six position papers (Carr & Strobel, 2011; Eisenkraft, 2011; Hynes et al, 2011; Jonassen, 2011, Schunn, 2011; Sneider, 2011) provide an intriguing foundation for answering these questions and forming a framework for engineering design in high school STEM courses. This synthesis paper discusses the most pervasive themes of the papers and provides a narrative for answering the question, “What are the requirements for a good engineering design challenge?” The following emergent themes provide some guidance to finding answers for that question: engineering design in the science curriculum; assessing the engineering design experience; sequencing the engineering design experiences; and choosing engineering design challenges. By addressing these areas of contention, the education community can begin to lay the curricular and pedagogical groundwork needed to provide successful engineering experiences for high school students

    Philly Scientists: Blending Professional Development for In-School and Out-of-School Educators

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    In the fall of 2016, a team of Pennsylvania STEM educators received a generous grant from the National Science Foundation to provide STEM education to middle-school students in the Philadelphia Promise Zone. Entitled “Philly Scientists” and targeting both classroom teachers and out-of-school time (OST) staff, this grant combined biodiversity curriculum development, teacher training, career access activities, and modern technology to address the following three research questions: 1. What coherent set of experiences effectively support fourth, fifth and sixth grade students’ knowledge development (e.g., biodiversity content knowledge blended with science practices), motivation and career awareness about STEM-related work and jobs of today and the future? What are characteristics of their knowledge, motivation and career awareness competencies? 2. What professional development models and recognition systems can effectively engage teachers and OST providers in demonstrating Next Generation Science knowledge, pedagogy, and career awareness for fourth through sixth grade students? 3. How effective is the activity of Promise Zone fourth-sixth grade students as information providers and Urban Scientists interacting with scientist mentors towards increasing career awareness and understanding characteristics of STEM work? Our partners in this initiative were Drexel University, The Philadelphia Education Fund (PEF), The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANS), and the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN). The project also engaged Research for Action (RFA) as the external evaluator. Staff from the Philadelphia Education Fund were primarily tasked with designing, implementing, and evaluating the professional development component of this initiative. The team recognized that in-school and OST teachers have different skill-sets, needs, and schedules - but that each group of educators also has a great deal to offer one another. For instance, we hypothesized that classroom teachers may have more experience connecting lessons to national standards and local educational initiatives; while OST providers may be more versed in working with families, with communities, and with blending social work and education. For these reasons, we were interested in both the logistical and pedagogical results and implications of our study. And while there is a great deal of research pertaining to STEM professional development for both in-school and out-of-school staff, we found little literature that referenced blending PD for both populations

    Competency maps: An effective model to integrate professional competencies across a STEM curriculum

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    Curricula designed in the context of the European Higher Education Area need to be based on both domain-specific and professional competencies. Whereas universities have had extensive experience in developing students’ domain-specific competencies, fostering professional competencies poses a new challenge we need to face. This paper presents a model to globally develop professional competencies in a STEM degree program, and assesses the results of its implementation after four years. The model is based on the use of competency maps, in which each competency is defined in terms of competency units. Each competency unit is described by their expected learning outcomes at three domain levels. This model allows careful analysis, revision and iteration for an effective integration of professional competencies in domain-specific subjects. A global competency map is also designed, including all the professional-competency learning outcomes to be achieved throughout the degree. This map becomes a useful tool for curriculum designers and coordinators. The results were obtained from four sources: 1) students’ grades (classes graduated from 2013 to 2016, the first four years from the new Bachelor’s Degree in Informatics Engineering at the Barcelona School of Informatics); 2) students’ surveys (answered by students when they finished the degree); 3) the government employment survey, where former students evaluate the satisfaction of the received training in the light of their work experience; and 4) the Everis Foundation University-Enterprise Ranking, answered by over 2000 employers evaluating their satisfaction regarding their employees’ university training, where the Barcelona School of Informatics scores first in the national ranking. The results show that competency maps are a good tool for developing professional competencies in a STEM degree.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
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