scholarly journals Pan-Canadian Learning Outcomes in Chemistry: A National Snapshot

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen R. Loppnow ◽  
Patrick Kamau ◽  
Elizabeth Vergis
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Delivery ◽  
Post Secondary Education ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Learning Domains ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Degree Level

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students have, for generations, chosen university Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) programs for themselves with little or no information about what they may get out of those programs, except as implicitly communicated within the culture and curriculum. However, in Canada, B. Sc. programs typically must explicitly state their program outcomes, at least in their initial submission to their respective provincial ministries of post-secondary education. We undertook a survey of all Canadian institutions’ B. Sc. programs in chemistry to provide a national snapshot of the values and priorities encompassed in institutional delivery of these programs. Our results show a definite preference for knowledge over other learning domains, particularly in translational skills, chemistry, science and the laboratory. Alignment with provincial degree-level expectations, mostly standardized across Canada, is discussed as well.

scholarly journals Estimating the Number of Chinese STEM Students in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Feldgoise ◽  
Remco Zwetsloot
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fields Of Study ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Degree Level

In recent years, concern has grown about the risks of Chinese nationals studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at U.S. universities. This data brief estimates the number of Chinese students in the United States in detail, according to their fields of study and degree level. Among its findings: Chinese nationals comprise 16 percent of all graduate STEM students and 2 percent of undergraduate STEM students, lower proportions than were previously suggested in U.S. government reports.

scholarly journals Analysis of University STEM Students’ Mathematical, Linguistic, Rhetorical–Organizational Assignment Errors

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
María-José Arévalo ◽  
María Asun Cantera ◽  
Vanessa García-Marina ◽  
Marian Alves-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Mathematics Students ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Communicative Strategies ◽  
Precise Diagnosis ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics

Although Error Analysis (EA) has been broadly used in Foreign Language and Mother Tongue learning contexts, it has not been applied in the field of engineering and by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students in a systematic way. In this interdisciplinary pilot study, we applied the EA methodology to a wide corpus of exercises and essays written by third-year students of mechanical engineering, with the main purpose of achieving a precise diagnosis of the students’ strengths and weaknesses in writing skills. For the analysis to be as exhaustive as possible, the errors were typologized into three main categories (linguistic, mathematical, and rhetorical–organizational), each of which is, in turn, subdivided into 15 items. The results show that the predominant errors are rhetorical–organizational (39%) and linguistic (38%). The application of EA permits the precise identification of the areas of improvement and the subsequent implementation of an educational design that allows STEM students to improve their communicative strategies, especially those related to the writing skills and, more precisely, those having to do with the optimal use of syntax, punctuation, rhetorical structure of the text, and mathematical coherence.

Fostering Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Creating an Equitable Environment That Addresses the Needs of Undergraduate Students

2022 ◽  
pp. 152102512110735
Author(s):  
Jennifer Louten
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Real World ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics

Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and social support, and promote engagement in academically purposeful activities. Although it had no effect on the number of students who changed their major, the program more than doubled the number of students who graduated in their original major. Black or Hispanic students taking part in the program also graduated at twice the rate of comparator students, largely attributable to the success of women in these groups. The results provide needed real-world insights into how to create an equitable environment that promotes the persistence and graduation of students, including those from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

scholarly journals Does Latinx Representation Matter for Latinx Student Retention in STEM?

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blanca E. Rincón
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Using student-level data, this study explores the relationship between Latinx student representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and student retention. Results revealed that a 1% increase in cohort-level Latinx student representation in STEM subfields is associated with a decrease in student departures from the university, but not STEM. Furthermore, Latinx STEM students may be more responsive to changes in the representation of their cohorts compared with increases in diversity for upper-division undergraduate or graduate students.

scholarly journals Not Only Reliability!

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Monika Szczygieł
Keyword(s):  
Math Anxiety ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Math Problem Solving ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Anxiety Questionnaire

Abstract. The measurement of math anxiety in adults is justified based on observations that math anxiety in parents and teachers predicts children’s math anxiety and achievement. Although there are many very good math anxiety measures intended for children and adolescents, their usefulness (e.g., AMAS, MARS) for adults is debatable. The most important objection against using these scales for adults is their ecological validity. The measurement of anxiety associated with math tests, classes, teachers, and homework is adequate for students of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but not for students of social sciences and humanities (HS) and non-students (e.g., parents and preschool and early education teachers). In response to this gap, the Math Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (MAQA) was developed; it is designed to measure math anxiety related to math problem-solving in various groups of adults (especially non-students and HS students, as well as STEM students). The content, construct, criterion, and ecological validity of the MAQA were tested, and its internal and test-retest reliability was established. The results confirm that the MAQA is a valid and reliable measurement of math anxiety; therefore, it may be recommended for use in various groups of adults (e.g., students, teachers, and parents).

Pathways and Structures: Evaluating Systems Changes in an NSF INCLUDES Alliance

2022 ◽  
pp. 109821402110416
Author(s):  
Caitlin Howley ◽  
Johnavae Campbell ◽  
Kimberly Cowley ◽  
Kimberly Cook
Keyword(s):  
West Virginia ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Systems Change ◽  
Underrepresented Minority ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
National Science ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Programs Of Study

In this article, we reflect on our experience applying a framework for evaluating systems change to an evaluation of a statewide West Virginia alliance funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve the early persistence of rural, first-generation, and other underrepresented minority science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students in their programs of study. We begin with a description of the project and then discuss the two pillars around which we have built our evaluation of this project. Next, we present the challenge we confronted (despite the utility of our two pillars) in identifying and analyzing systems change, as well as the literature we consulted as we considered how to address this difficulty. Finally, we describe the framework we applied and examine how it helped us and where we still faced quandaries. Ultimately, this reflection serves two key purposes: 1) to consider a few of the challenges of measuring changes in systems and 2) to discuss our experience applying one framework to address these issues.

scholarly journals Transformative Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists

2019 ◽  
pp. 153819271987741
Author(s):  
Rebecca A. Beals
Keyword(s):  
Student Success ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Students Of Color ◽  
Transformative Education ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Cultural Spaces ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Depth Interviews

I argue that traditional models of student success should emphasize socialization that empowers students of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while developing their self-concept, science identity, and self-efficacy. In-depth interviews with 58 STEM students and faculty across four universities in the Southwest who participate in a federally funded STEM education program reveal alternative cultural spaces that can be described as emancipatory and transformative that attract and engage students of color and help them thrive in STEM education.

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