Understanding the factors that affect female enrollment and retention in collegiate STEM programs

Abstract This paper seeks to determine whether or not mindfulness meditation training via a simple meditation app can effectively improve well-being among graduate students enrolled in STEM programs. Graduate students were recruited from STEM programs at the University of Florida. Participants were randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. The control group simply proceeded as they normally would during an academic semester. The treatment group received free access to the Ten Percent Happier app and were asked to meditate once per day for eight weeks. Both groups completed pre-, mid-, and post-intervention surveys that included the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7). The treatment group averaged about 10 minutes of meditation per day, and the average participant meditated on about 82% of days within the intervention period. At the end of the 8-week intervention, the treatment group reported CES-D and GAD-7 scores that were about 35% and 41% lower than the control group and their physical symptom score was about 36% lower. Relative to their own starting scores, CES-D, GAD-7, and physical symptom scores decreased 35%, 50%, and 43%, respectively for the treatment group, while the control group experienced no change in scores.

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A tribute to ‘unsung teachers’: teachers’ influences on students enrolling in STEM programs with the intent of entering STEM careers

European Journal of Teacher Education ◽

10.1080/02619768.2018.1523390 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 335-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Cheryl J. Craig ◽

Paige Evans ◽

Rakesh Verma ◽

Donna Stokes ◽

Jing Li

Keyword(s):

Stem Careers ◽

Stem Programs

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S-STEM Programs for Transfer and Non-Transfer Upper Division and Graduate Engineering and Computer Science Students

10.18260/1-2--22437 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mary Anderson-Rowland ◽

Armando Rodriguez ◽

Anita Grierson

Keyword(s):

Computer Science ◽

Science Students ◽

Stem Programs

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SciAccess: Making Space for All

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921321000430 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (S367) ◽

pp. 124-127

Author(s):

Anna Voelker ◽

Caitlin O’Brien ◽

Michaela Deming

Keyword(s):

Stem Education ◽

Working Group ◽

Space Science ◽

Annual Conference ◽

Mentorship Program ◽

International Working Group ◽

Stem Programs ◽

Mentorship Programs ◽

Diversity In Stem ◽

Education Outreach

AbstractThe SciAccess Initiative (“SciAccess”) is dedicated to advancing disability inclusion and diversity in STEM education, outreach, and research. In this paper, the authors present an overview of accessible STEM programs run by the SciAccess Initiative, including an annual conference, international working group, and space science mentorship program for blind youth. Recommendations for creating accessible mentorship programs and networking events, both virtually and in-person, are detailed so that these inclusion-focused efforts may be replicated by others.

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Program evaluation practices and the training of PhD students in STEM

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education ◽

10.1108/sgpe-04-2021-0029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Philip M. Reeves ◽

Jennifer Claydon ◽

Glen A. Davenport

Keyword(s):

Program Evaluation ◽

Graduate Program ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Data Sets ◽

Content Type ◽

Training Models ◽

Program Testing ◽

Stem Programs ◽

Evaluative Processes ◽

Faculty And Administrators

Purpose Program evaluation stands as an evidence-based process that would allow institutions to document and improve the quality of graduate programs and determine how to respond to growing calls for aligning training models to economic realities. This paper aims to present the current state of evaluation in research-based doctoral programs in STEM fields. Design/methodology/approach To highlight the recent evaluative processes, the authors restricted the initial literature search to papers published in English between 2008 and 2019. As the authors were motivated by the shift at NIH, this review focuses on STEM programs, though papers on broader evaluation efforts were included as long as STEM-specific results could be identified. In total, 137 papers were included in the final review. Findings Only nine papers presented an evaluation of a full program. Instead, papers focused on evaluating individual components of a graduate program, testing small interventions or examining existing national data sets. The review did not find any documents that focused on the continual monitoring of training quality. Originality/value This review can serve as a resource, encourage transparency and provide motivation for faculty and administrators to gather and use assessment data to improve training models. By understanding how existing evaluations are conducted and implemented, administrators can apply evidence-based methodologies to ensure the highest quality training to best prepare students.

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INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS VIDEO TUTORIALS FOR STEM PROGRAMS

ICERI2017 Proceedings ◽

10.21125/iceri.2017.0450 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Juliana Carvalho ◽

Tetyana Antimirova

Keyword(s):

Introductory Physics ◽

Stem Programs ◽

Video Tutorials

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Reclaiming Funding and Benefits for the Liberal Arts

Advances in Educational Marketing, Administration, and Leadership - Funding Challenges and Successes in Arts Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2581-3.ch003 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 49-56

Author(s):

Hilary Burt

Keyword(s):

Liberal Arts ◽

Academic Programs ◽

Economic Environment ◽

Stem Programs ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

Arts Programs

The current focus on promoting STEM disciplines is, on the surface, an understandable reaction to the present economic environment. But a defense of the liberal arts does not need to be blind to today's economic and educational climates. In fact, now is the time for liberal arts academic programs to modernize and develop. Just as it is clear that proponents of STEM programs should recognize the value of creative and comparative thinking fostered by the broader educational fields, the time has clearly arrived for the liberal arts to also recognize, and be infused with, more practical, tangible training. In addition to enhancing graduates' preparedness for the workforce, these tactics would also buttress the argument for continued funding of liberal arts programs by appealing to the current desire to allocate resources to practical disciplines.

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