‘‘Can I drop it this time?’’ Gender and Collaborative Group Dynamics in an Engineering Design-Based Afterschool Program

The 21st century has brought an increasing demand for expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although strides have been made towards increasing gender diversity in several of these disciplines, engineering remains primarily male dominated. In response, the U.S. educational system has attempted to make engineering curriculum more engaging, informative, and welcoming to girls. Specifically, project-based and design-based learning pedagogies promise to make engineering interesting and accessible for girls while enculturating them into the world of engineering and scientific inquiry. Outcomes for girls learning in these contexts have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to explore how cultural gender norms are navigated within informal K-12 engineering contexts. We analyzed video of single- and mixed-gender collaborative groups participating in Studio STEM, a design-based, environmentally themed afterschool program that took place in a rural community. Discourse analysis was used to interpret interactional styles within and across groups. Discrepancies were found regarding functional and cultural characteristics of groups based on gender composition. Single-gender groups adhered more closely to social gender norms. For example, the boys group was characterized by overt hierarchies, whereas the girls group outwardly displayed solidarity and collaboration. In contrast, characteristics of interactional styles within mixed gender groups strayed from social gender norms, and stylistic differences across group types were greater for girls than for boys. Learning outcomes indicated that girls learned more in mixed-gender groups. Our results support the use of mixed-gender collaborative learning groups in engineering education yet uncover several challenges. We close with a discussion of implications for practitioners

When pride meets envy: Is social superiority portrayal in luxury advertising perceived as prestige or arrogance?

This paper draws on the theoretical underpinnings of envy and pride in examining the effectiveness of social superiority portrayal in luxury advertising. Across two studies, benign (malicious) envy led consumers to perceive social superiority portrayal as an expression of authentic (hubristic) pride and, in turn, increased (reduced) luxury perception and positive brand attitude. These findings were replicated for both dispositional (Study 1 and 2) and state feeling of envy (Study 2), regardless of whether envy was self-reported or manipulated. These findings were found to be consistent in a comparison between luxury and premium brands. Taken together, this paper is the first to examine: (a) consumer responses toward social superiority portrayal in luxury advertising, (b) the interactive effect of envy and pride perceptions on luxury perception and brand attitude, and (c) the effectiveness of using social superiority portrayal as an advertising strategy for luxury and premium brands

The effects of an afterschool STEM program on students’ motivation and engagement

Background: One significant factor in facilitating students’ career intentions and persistence in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields is targeting their interests and motivation before eighth grade. To reach students at this critical stage, a design-based afterschool STEM program, titled Studio STEM, was implemented to foster motivation and engagement in STEM topics and activities. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to investigate how Studio STEM affected students’ beliefs about science and whether these beliefs differed from their peers who did not participate in the program, and (b) to examine a case study of one Studio STEM implementation to investigate elements of the curriculum that motivated students to engage in the program. Results: After completing two Studio STEM programs, participants’ ratings of their values for science and science competence were higher than those of non participants. In addition, the Studio STEM participants’ motivational beliefs about science and intentions to pursue a college degree were more resilient over time than their peers. We also found that students could be motivated in a voluntary afterschool program (Studio STEM) in which they grappled with STEM concepts and activities, and could verbalize specific program elements that motivated them. Conclusions: Through this study, we found that students could be motivated in Studio STEM and that the experience had a positive impact on their perceptions about science as a field. Importantly, Studio STEM appeared to halt the decline in these students’ motivational beliefs about science that typically occurs during the middle school years, indicating that after school programs can be one way to help students maintain their motivation in science. Studying the program features that the students found motivating may help educators to make connections between research and theory, and their classroom instruction to motivate their students.ECU Open Access Publishing Support Fun

Is Adding the E Enough?: Investigating the Impact of K-12 Engineering Standards on the Implementation of STEM Integration.

The problems that we face in our ever-changing, increasingly global society are multidisciplinary, and many require the integration of multiple science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts to solve them. National calls for improvement of STEM education in the United States are driving changes in policy, particularly in academic standards. Research on STEM integration in K-12 classrooms has not kept pace with the sweeping policy changes in STEM education. This study addresses the need for research to explore the translation of broad, national-level policy statements regarding STEM education and integration to state-level policies and implementation in K-12 classrooms. An interpretive multicase study design was employed to conduct an in-depth investigation of secondary STEM teachers\u27 implementation of STEM integration in their classrooms during a yearlong professional development program. The interpretive approach was used because it provides holistic descriptions and explanations for the particular phenomenon, in this case STEM integration. The results of this study demonstrate the possibilities of policies that use state standards documents as a mechanism to integrate engineering into science standards. Our cases suggest that STEM integration can be implemented most successfully when mathematics and science teachers work together both in a single classroom (co-teaching) and in multiple classrooms (content teaching—common theme)

Engineering Education in the Science Classroom: A Case Study of One Teacher’s Disparate Approach with Ability-Tracked Classrooms

Currently, unless a K-12 student elects to enroll in technology-focused schools or classes, exposure to engineering design and habits of mind is minimal. However, the Framework for K-12 Science Education, published by the National Research Council in 2011, includes engineering design as a new and major component of the science content to be taught by all K-12 teachers of science. This addition will likely require substantial teacher preparation in all the states that adopt the new standards that will be developed from the Framework. Engineering design will not be taught as just an elective to students who have prior interest in a career in engineering, but also as a habit of mind and a 21st century skill to all students in their regular classes. In this case study, one middle school science teacher taught an engineering design-based curriculum to two different classes of 8th grade students: a high-track and a low-track. The low-track class contained a substantial number of students with learning disabilities. Given the freedom to differentiate her teaching based on the needs of her students, the teacher provided a disparate learning environment for her lower-tracked students, and disparate learning outcomes were evident. This study is designed to begin the discussion about equity in engineering education at the K-12 level. Engineering design-based science instruction can level the playing field for students with learning differences if teachers are prepared for the challenge

Dienstleistungskapazitaet als Gegenstand des Marketing: Ueberlegungen auf Basis eines subjektiven Kapazitaetsbegriffs

Available from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel C 198652 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Preservice Teachers Learn: How Coal Keeps the Lights on

At the end of 2022, there were 2439 coal-fired power plants operating around the world, and over 7000 active coal mines (Global Energy Monitor, 2022). Coal burning was the largest source of greenhouse gases that impact climate change, and coal mining caused extensive environmental damage (US Energy and Information Administration, 2022). Decisions about the use of coal in energy production are made by world leaders, but everyday citizens vote for and appoint those leaders. Do everyday citizens understand the most basic science about coal? Do the teachers who are supposed to educate them in their youth? Energy literacy is so important; it leads to informed decisions about energy use at home, wise consumer choices, and to national and international energy policies (DeWaters & Powers, 2011). In this study, 56 pre-service elementary teachers were asked if they understood how coal was used to produce electricity. They were then taught using a constructivist teaching methodology including manipulatives, diagrams, videos, and group discussions (Schnittka, 2017). After the lesson, they were asked again, “How does coal keep the lights on?” Pre-test scores were very low, but gains were strong from pre to post-test. In a delayed post-test, the participants who retained the concepts the best over time had discussed it with a friend or relative. For long-term retention and the ability to potentially apply a concept to everyday life, teachers must realize that learning gains can be ethereal, and that they need to build in tools to aid in long-term retention of concepts. More importantly, teachers need to understand the science and engineering behind the technologies that impact our world so severely, so that they can pass on lessons to youth and advocate for a sustainable future

The Influence of Individual and School Factors on the Development of Social Awareness Among Youth

Social awareness, the “ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts“ (CASEL, 2020) is a critical skill for youth in a multicultural democracy. This study explored individual and school environmental predictors of student patterns in social awareness development across middle school. Mixture modeling was used to classify students based on their patterns of social awareness development across middle school, and multinomial logistic regressions explored how student demographics, perceptions of school culture/climate, and exposure to peers from different racial/ethnic backgrounds were related to class assignment. Findings show worse developmental trajectories for males and African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and White students compared with Asian and female students, implying something needs to be done to better serve them. Positive trends in student perceptions of culture/climate (i.e., consistent positive or improving perceptions) and moderate levels of exposure to peers from different racial/ethnic backgrounds were both predictive of better odds that a student would improve their levels of social awareness across middle school. However, changes in student perceptions of their own sense of belonging in school were the most reliably linked to trends in social awareness. This pattern was observed consistently across intersectional demographic subgroups, suggesting that social awareness can be improved through the cultivation of more positive, caring social relationships between students and their peers and teachers