Student perspectives on learning research methods in the social sciences

This paper addresses the perspectives of students of social science research methods from a UK study of their holistic experience of learning during two years of their postgraduate research training/ early careers as researchers. Unusually the ten participants span diverse institutions and disciplines and three became co-authors. The study used a diary circle combining online diary method with face-to-face focus groups to generate dialogue. Data were analysed narratively and thematically to produce two individual learning journeys and a synthesis of common experiences. Findings show the active, experiential learning of the participants alongside salient themes of difficulty and struggle. This leads to discussion of the emotional dimensions of methods learning and implications for teaching. The iterative role of the diary circle in the learning journey is also examined. The paper argues that teachers and supervisors should attend more carefully to the social, emotional, active and reflective nature of methods learning

STEM: what should be taught in school?

STEM disciplines are considered fundamental or countries' competitiveness, this study seeks to understand how to best teach STEM in school, in order to motivate and attract students to choose and persist in STEM careers. As female participation in Higher Education exceeds that of men in several parts of the world, women remain an untapped resource for science and innovation (OECD, 2006:18). A great deal of what should be taught in school in relation to STEM has been the focus of many debates, but little research has been done in this regard. This study aims to investigate the role of education in engaging students (with a comparison between male and female students) in STEM subjects in the classroom. What is the role of education, how can we motivate students to embark and remain in a scientific career field

Supporting the development of a socially just STEM-literate society: Teachers perceptions of practice.

Globally the supply of highly qualified STEM personnel is perceived as being vital in securing a countries' economic prosperity (Li 2014, Marginson et al 2013), but research suggests there are insufficient numbers studying STEM disciplines to meet demand (Stevenson 2014, Heitin 2014) fuelling concerns of an international STEM labour shortage (Mitchell 2015, Ritz and Fan 2014; Kennedy and Odell 2014). Women in particular remain an untapped resource for science and innovation (OECD, 2006:18), and set within the United Kingdom (UK), situated within the wider social and economic context against a background of policy reform and educational change, this paper builds upon previous research (Bell et al, 2015). This phase seeks specifically to understand how to best STEM subjects should be taught within compulsory education, in order to motivate all students irrespective of their gender or socio-economic background to undertaken STEM study beyond compulsory schooling, and ultimately embark upon a STEM career. Utilising the perceptions of participants currently working in industrially based STEM careers preliminary research sought to provide a basis for educators to help understanding of how to best STEM subjects in school should be taught. In this second phase, work sought to explore unconscious classroom bias, with the specific intention of exploring perceptions around social justice, inclusion and gender. Work set out to uncover participants beliefs in relation to equality of access to a high quality STEM experience, and then to explore the range in variation of classroom pedagogy. Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2006), underpinned by an interpretivist ontology is the approach adopted for this study, and empirically grounded data is used to elicit stakeholder viewpoints. Emergent findings are discussed in relation to STEM education, current curriculum and its potential to help ensure the emergence of a socially just STEM-literate society. Outcomes from this study suggest that participants believe that in order to actively support the development of socially just STEM literate society, from which an increased number of STEM graduates may emerge, access for all to engage with stimulating STEM activity is essential in order to foster an appetite for future study within children