STEM academic achievement and perceptions of family support: a gender analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella LaShaun Smith ◽  
Tandra L. Tyler–Wood
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Role Models ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Entire Group ◽  
Achievement Scores ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Stem Careers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quasi Experimental

PurposeThis study examines the results of a STEM unit taught in an elementary school library, with 26 fourth-grade students as the participants.Design/methodology/approachA quasi-experimental design was used. The relationships between the independent variable gender and the perceptions of familial support structures and academic achievement were examined.FindingsFor the entire group, the average academic achievement scores of the participants increased. The increase was not statistically significant. The male students had a statistically significant improvement in their academic achievement scores, and there was a statistically significant decrease in the academic achievement scores of the female students. An increase in the female students' belief that their family was interested in their science classes was correlated with a decrease in their academic achievement scores.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size for this study is small, and the results are not generalizable. Open-ended questions were not included in the data collection instruments. Therefore, it cannot be determined why the overall academic scores may have decreased for female students. Further research is encouraged.Practical implicationsThe results of this study show the potential for STEM activities in school libraries. School librarians can provide students with low-risk, informal learning environments to practice new skills.Social implicationsLibraries equalize the availability of resources that otherwise may not be available to populations underrepresented in STEM careers. School librarians have the potential to serve as much needed STEM role models. The availability of STEM activities in school libraries can make it possible for more students to understand what STEM careers are interesting to them.Originality/valueThere are very few studies to examine the results of STEM activities implemented in school libraries that use quasi-experimental or experimental research designs. This study adds to the corpus of research that can be used to support the preparation of students for STEM careers with activities in school libraries.

scholarly journals Academic Achievement Test in English and Mathematics of Secondary School Students in relation to Gender Differences

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Hasan ◽  
Salahuddin Khan
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Mathematics Achievement ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Achievement Scores ◽  
School Students ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Mathematics

The present research study aims to examine the academic achievement of secondary school students in relation to gender differences. The study was carried out on a sample of 100 male and female students studying in class IXth of Aligarh District, U.P. India. Two self developed tools were applied which finally analysed by applying Mean, SD, t-Test and Pearson‟s Coefficient Correlation (r). Results revealed a significant difference between male and female students in English achievement scores and also no significant difference was found between English and Mathematics achievement scores of IXth grade male students. Results also revealed low positive correlation between English and Mathematics achievement of male students of IXth grade and moderate positive correlation between English and Mathematics achievement of female students of IXth grade. The results suggested to the need of motivation and encouragement for enhancing academic achievement scores of male and female students.

Collaborative resource sharing between public and school libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 159-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella Smith ◽  
Misty Shea ◽  
Wei-Ning Wu
Keyword(s):  
Resource Sharing ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Youth Services ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Youth Service ◽  
The Usa

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to examine youth service librarians’ use of collaborative collection development (CCD) behaviors and interlibrary loan (ILL) to collaborate with school librarians. Design/methodology – A quantitative design was implemented with a self-administered survey that was placed online. Findings – Public youth services librarians in the USA believe it is important to collaborate with school librarians. However, they are not frequently using collaborative resource sharing strategies. Public youth services librarians that have more experience, understand trends and issues in school libraries and feel they have knowledge of collaborative strategies are more likely to engage in collaborative resource sharing. Research limitations – The study was limited to 265 public librarians serving youth in the USA. This study does not present the perspectives of school libraries. Social implications – CCD and ILL between public and school libraries are overlooked practices for building relationships between public and school librarians that should be explored. Presenting the benefits of these strategies during training programs may increase the resources that youth can access, thus having an overall impact on the quality of life in communities. Collaborating will also help communities understand the value of libraries as institutions for promoting lifelong learning. Originality/value – The results provide evidence that public youth service librarians in the USA believe in the importance of collaborative relationships with school librarians. However, they do not frequently use ILL or engage in CCD behaviors with school librarians. Using ILL and CCD are two strategies that may be used to build stronger relationships.

scholarly journals Gender differences in the correlates of academic achievement among university students

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Pirmohamed ◽  
Agata Debowska ◽  
Daniel Boduszek
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Study Time ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Performance Goal ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Prior research has highlighted gender differences in academic motivational attributes, and how these predict academic achievement for each gender; however, a vast amount of inconsistency exists amongst such literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the predictive value of academic motivation (achievement goal, leaning goal, performance goal (PG), self-efficacy (SE), and active learning strategies (ALS)) and study time in explaining academic achievement amongst male and female students. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional survey design was applied. Participants were sampled opportunistically, and consisted of final year undergraduate students, including both males (n=126) and females (n=189) attending various courses at a UK university. Findings A multiple regression analysis carried out for each gender revealed that study time, ALS, PG, and SE were significant predictors of achievement for males, whereas SE was the only significant predictor of achievement for females. Originality/value These findings offer practical implications in terms of methods employed by educators to enhance academic achievement. Such implications highlight the importance of the development of SE in both genders and propose methods in which universities can enhance motivation in male and female students. Recommendations for future research are also made.

The roles of the school librarians as information literacy specialists

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 314-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Lo ◽  
Joyce Chao-chen Chen ◽  
Zvjezdana Dukic ◽  
You-ra Youn ◽  
Yuji Hirakue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
South Korea ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
The Other ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the different roles and expectations of the school librarians as information literacy (IL) instructors between Hong Kong, Japan, Shanghai, South Korea, and Taipei. School librarians are not merely managers of the school libraries nowadays; they are also expected to serve as administrators, teaching consultants, information specialists and IL teachers, etc. Unfortunately, in many countries, especially in Asia, there has always been a lack of understanding on the parts of the classroom teachers and school administration about their role as IL specialists in the public school system. Design/methodology/approach – The school librarians in Hong Kong, Japan, Shanghai, South Korea and Taipei were invited to take part in a questionnaire survey. A total number of 466 self-completed questionnaires were collected from all 5 regions. Findings – The results indicated that the school librarians in both Taipei and South Korea outperformed the other regions, in terms of the scope and extent of duties and responsibilities these school librarians undertook as IL skills instructors. The staffing and organizational structures amongst the school libraries in Taipei also tended to be far more affluent and “departmentalized” in comparison to the other four regions. Results also indicated that the amount of IL instructions carried out by the school librarians were directly proportional to the frequencies of collaborations the school librarians carried out with other subject teachers as well as the extent the librarians themselves could contribute to the curriculum as both information consultants and curriculum facilitators. Finally, the amount and level of reference duties performed by these school librarians for supporting the teaching of other subject teachers was another factor contributing to the overall success of IL instructions programmes being carried out. Originality/value – The complex interactions of global trend and local responses in education system cannot easily be understood without the use of comparative studies (Arnove and Torres, 1999). The value of comparative studies lies in its potentials in highlighting the strengths and deficiencies of the education systems being examined and thereby identifying valuable features of both foreign and local systems, as well as exposing defects for necessary improvements. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of cross-regional comparative research on IL programmes carried out via school libraries in East Asia. This study aims to provide a cross-analysis of empirical data collected in five different regions in East Asia for examining the issues of the role of the school librarians as IL skills specialists, by looking at their relationships with other colleagues as well as their role as curriculum facilitator within the school community as a whole.

scholarly journals Effect of assessment for learning method on students’ academic achievement in carpentry and joinery in technical colleges

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 121-131
Author(s):  
Jane I. Oviawe ◽  
◽  
Mohamed Nor Azhari Azman ◽  
Tee Tze Kiong ◽  
Endah Retnowati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Traditional Method ◽  
Technical Colleges ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Achievement Scores ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Method Of Assessment

The problem of the study. The conventional assessment methods used in evaluating the academic achievement of students have been saddled with deficiencies. Research methods. This study examined the effect of assessment for learning method on students’ academic achievement in carpentry and joinery works in technical colleges in Edo and Delta States, Nigeria using quasi-experimental research design. The population for this study comprised of 430 students and the sample size was 68 vocational II carpentry and joinery students from two intact classes randomly drawn from the 12 technical colleges in Edo and Delta States. The instrument used for data collection was Carpentry and Joinery Works Achievement Test (CJWAT) developed by the researcher from NBTE curriculum. The instrument was tested by three experts. The reliability of CJWAT was calculated using Kuder Richardson formulae 21 (KR-21) and a reliability coefficient of .78 was achieved. Mean and standard deviation were used to address study questions whereas one-way and two-way Covariance Analysis (ANCOVA) were used to evaluate hypotheses at a .05 level of significance. Results. The study's findings revealed that the learning method assessment (9.43) had a higher achievement score than the traditional method of assessment (5.25), indicating that the learning method assessment had a greater impact on student achievement in carpentry and carpentry than the traditional method of assessment. One-way ANCOVA result, F(1,77) = 56.75, p = .000 indicates a significant difference between the two assessment methods with regards to students’ achievement in carpentry and joinery trade. Female students (9.34) find the Assessment for Learning Method to be marginally more effective than male students (9.30). On the other hand, the Two-way ANCOVA result, F(1,75) = 1.83, p = .180 shows no significant difference between the academic achievement scores in carpentry and joinery trade of the students’ based on gender. It is therefore concluded that there is a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students assessed with Assessment for Learning method and those assesses with the conventional assessment method in favour of assessment for learning method and no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of male and female students assessed with assessment for learning method at post-test. Conclusion. It was proposed, among other items, that the government and all stakeholders organize and fund seminars, conferences and workshops for technical teachers on a regular basis to attend and learn how to adopt assessment for learning method in educational institutions through the application of rubrics and portfolios.

Educating the Educators

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-77
Author(s):  
Edith Lubetski
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Educational Role

Research has confirmed that strong school libraries are linked to academic achievement. Yet, school librarians often confront significant difficulties in obtaining support from administrators. Thoughtful and informative programs to educate administrators demonstrate the vital educational role of the library and librarian in building a strong academic environment.

scholarly journals “Stop whining and be a badass”: a postfeminist analysis of university students' responses to gender themes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marke Kivijärvi
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Business School ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Gender Socialization ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis paper critically examines how female students at a Finnish business school understand gender in management.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on female students' learning diaries from a basic management course.FindingsThe findings show how students respond to the topic of gender inequality through a neoliberal postfeminist discourse. The students' discourse is structured around three discursive moves: (1) rejecting “excessive” feminism, (2) articulating self-reliant professional futures and (3) producing idealized role models through successfully integrating masculinity and femininity.Originality/valueThis article contributes to current understanding of the role of postfeminist sensibilities in shaping student participation in the management profession. Awareness of students' responses to gender-equality initiatives offers management educators insight into the inclusion of equality topics in teaching in ways that support equal gender socialization in the management profession.

scholarly journals STEM and gender at university: focusing on Irish undergraduate female students’ perceptions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 770-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Kelly ◽  
Oliver McGarr ◽  
Louise Lehane ◽  
Sibel Erduran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Women In Stem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify whether or not females believe they associate with the culture of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by investigating the perceptions of female students currently enroled in STEM courses. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents data from a survey on female STEM students’ “Perspectives of women in STEM”, “Parents’ Science qualification”, “Supports in their STEM Course” and their “Science identify” through a social capital lens. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyse the data. Findings The main findings were that female STEM undergraduates believe social bias, balancing work and family life and lack of role models are the main cause of less women in STEM professions and leadership positions. There were statistically significant differences between how male and female students identified with certain traits, with less females claiming to be intelligent and know about latest discoveries than males. Research limitations/implications To eradicate stereotypical views of scientists, it is recommended that Irish higher-education institutions introduce initiatives to increase the socialisation of STEM females within female networks and develop female students’ self-awareness of their own capabilities. The expansion of STEM networks could act as a means to facilitate female students adopting positive science identities, increasing their science capital. Originality/value In Ireland, there is a paucity of literature relating to females’ experience of STEM in higher education. This paper provides evidence that despite their engagement with STEM, female undergraduate students subscribe to the stereotypical image of the scientist. This study highlights the need to change the culture experienced by female STEM undergraduates in Ireland so as to improve the experiences and trajectories of women in higher education.

Where to from here? Current status of school libraries in Sri Lanka: a survey

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 214-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalith Wickramanayake
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
General Education ◽  
International Schools ◽  
School Library ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Current Status ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Government Schools ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine the present status of the school libraries in Sri Lanka that were not developed under the General Education Project 2 implemented during 1997-2005. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 135 school libraries drawn at random from two educational zones in Sri Lanka. The instrument included objective-oriented close-ended questions to be answered appropriately and analysis was done accordingly. Findings – The majority of school libraries in Sri Lanka are run by less qualified school librarians with no professional librarianship qualification. Scarcity of appropriate library buildings, inadequate funding and lack of reading materials and other physical resources were common among the studied school libraries. Unavailability of dedicated timeslots within the school timetable for library and information skills sessions had significantly decreased the library usage by students. It was also found that school librarians had rather negative attitudes concerning their job. Research limitations/implications – Neglecting other stakeholders and taking samples only from school librarians for the study and selecting only government schools by excluding private/international schools and monasteries (Pirivenas) created considerable limitation for the study. Originality/value – This study derived significant findings which could be used to understand the reality of school libraries in Sri Lanka, and these findings could be used to overcome practical issues which may negatively affect school library development.

Relationship Of Academic, Physical And Social Self-Concepts Of Students With Their Academic Achievement

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma-Tuz- Zahra ◽  
Manzoor H. Arif ◽  
Muhammad Imran Yousuf
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Achievement Scores ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Weak Correlation ◽  
Relationship Of

This study investigated relationship between self-concept and academic achievement of bachelor degree students. Female students at bacholar were considered the target population. A sample of 1500 students was selected by using two stage cluster sampling technique. An amended form of Self-Descriptive Questionnaire developed by Marsh (1985) was used as tool of research. Factor analysis was employed to explore the pattern of inter-item correlations of the questionnaire. Kendall’s-Tau-b technique of corrrelation was applied to correlate responses obtained on academic, physical and social self concepts related items with the academic achievement scores of students  Physical self-concept and social self-concepts were found unrelated to academic achievement. However, a significant but weak correlation was found between academic self-concept and academic achievement.

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