The Relation Between Spatial Language During Informal Learning and Children’s STEM-Related School Readiness Scores

Young children’s interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) can develop through everyday experiences; often in science-related informal settings and museums. Verdine et al. found that parental spatial language is important in creating a foundation in STEM learning. The relation between children’s school readiness scores, informal play at home, and spatial language use during caregiver-child play with an open-ended block task was examined. The first hypothesis was that families who use more spatial language during informal block play will report playing more with the spatial, STEM-related toys at home, which may be related to school readiness scores. The second hypothesis was that there will be a link between spatial language and STEM-related school readiness scores in which families who use more spatial language will have children who score higher in school readiness. The third hypothesis was that over the course of the school year, school readiness will increase during the children’s enrollment in the Head Start program based on previous results by Kachuro et al. The quantity of spatial language was determined using transcripts of the videos of the dyads’ interactions. School readiness was conducted through an observational assessment that was performed at the beginning and end of the program. At home play was measured through caregivers’ self-report on a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 23 children (12 females) who participated with their parent (12 females) and were recruited at Family Engagement events held monthly at the Sciencenter for families enrolled in Head Start. A correlational analysis along with descriptive statistics will be presented between school readiness scores, play questionnaire, and spatial language analysis. Finally, we will examine measured variables for emerging sex differences.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1012/thumbnail.jp

Experimental Group Differences in Children’s Bracing Ability

Science education research investigates young children’s understanding of materials in technological settings linking the concept of matter to tangible properties such as weight or heaviness. Children’s comprehension of elements enables them to support and reinforce the structural stability of towers when presented with wobbly structures. Young children understand the relationships between the properties of materials, stability, and bracing during construction. Sixty-eight families (M child age = 5.5 years) were recruited at the entrance of the Skyline building construction exhibit at a children’s museum and were randomly assigned to two conditions. This consisted of the demonstration group (experimental group) and the non-demonstration group (the control group). Children were then tasked with strengthening a wobbly structure of a skyscraper or a bridge, first with their parents followed by the second task to be completed independently. We will analyze the effect of the cross-bracing demonstration on children\u27s building behavior in an engineering exhibit. We will discuss the ratio of functional to total pieces used, such as cross-braces or triangle pieces. We predict that children who received the cross-bracing demonstration will exhibit greater success at properly using functional pieces to create a stable structure compared to children in the control group.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1097/thumbnail.jp

Gender Differences in Children’s Prior Play Experiences as a Predictor of Success in Engineering Tasks

Studies have shown that female student’s science and mathematical achievements are consistent with those of their male peers. Nevertheless, women are dramatically underrepresented in STEM professions, with women making up just 12 percent of working engineers. Since it has been found that early exposure to STEM concepts and practice leads to later success in the field, it is important that we understand the differences in engineering skills and levels of interest in young children. This study examines gender differences between young children in multiple measured variables of building tasks at an engineering exhibit in a museum. The sample consists of 68 families, child M age = (5.5 years). In this study researchers asked children to fix a wobbly skyscraper or bridge, and also asked parents to complete a questionnaire regarding their child’s play interests. Children’s attempts at fixing the structures were coded from videotape records at the museum. It is hypothesized that parents will report male children having greater prior experience and interest with engineering games than females, which may predict greater success in the building tasks. We will report results on potential gender differences in children’s prior play experiences and interest as a predictor of success in these building tasks.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1100/thumbnail.jp

Factors affecting the quality of life after total knee arthroplasties: a prospective study

Background: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the self-reported outcomes in the first year after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and to determine factors influencing the quality of life (QoL) 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months after TKA. Methods: A cohort of patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing primary TKA at two hospitals (a regional university hospital and a capital's metropolitan hospital) was prospectively followed for 12 months. Patients were assessed preoperatively and at 4 postoperative time-points, with the use of self-reported measurements for pain, physical function and depression with the following evaluation tools: Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC], Knee Society Scoring system [KSS], Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, [CES-D10] and visual analog scale [VAS] for pain). General linear modelling for repeated measures was used to evaluate the effect of each independent variable including clinical and sociodemographic data. Differences between groups at different time points were tested by the independent samples t-test. Results: Of the 224 eligible patients, 204 (162 females, mean age 69.2) were included in the analysis. Response rate at one year was 90%. At 6 weeks after surgery, despite improvement in pain and alleviation of the depressive mood, the physical function remained less satisfactory. Females presented lower scores in terms of quality of life, both preoperatively and 6 weeks after TKA. Significant improvement was already experienced at 3 months postoperatively. According to WOMAC, KSS, CES-D10 and pain VAS scores the Qol was significantly improved 12 months after TKA (P < 0.001). CES-D10 score was positively correlated with WOMAC and pain VAS scores at all the time points assessed (P < 0.001). Age, body mass index (BMI), place of residence, level of education and social support were not significant predictors of QoL after TKA. Conclusions: Patients experienced great improvement in their QoL after TKA in spite of a less satisfactory physical function in the first 6 weeks after surgery, with noticeable differences in the QoL among genders in the same time period. After that period all patients experienced significant improvement for all the measured parameters, until the third postoperative month with smaller changes thereafter