STEM Identities: A Communication Theory of Identity Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 0261927X2110306
Author(s):  
Craig O. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Student Persistence ◽  
Communication Theory ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
Engineering Majors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Communication Theory Of Identity ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

Education and psychology research has established STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) identities as an important factor in explaining student persistence in STEM fields. Few studies in social psychology of language or communication have investigated STEM identities, despite the fundamentally communicative nature of identity. Identity talk produced in semi-structured interviews with undergraduate engineering majors ( N = 16) at three U.S. universities was analyzed qualitatively using the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework. The analysis showed that these students’ STEM identities emphasized personal attributes such as work ethic and a desire to make a positive difference in the world as well as relationships with peers in engineering. A number of potential identity gaps which might present barriers to forming a STEM identity were also evident in the data. These results underscore the importance of a communicative (interactive and relational) perspective in understanding students’ development and expression of STEM identities.

scholarly journals Building Better Bridges into STEM: A Synthesis of 25 Years of Literature on STEM Summer Bridge Programs

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. es3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ashley ◽  
Katelyn M. Cooper ◽  
Jacqueline M. Cala ◽  
Sara E. Brownell
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Summer Bridge Programs ◽  
Summer Bridge ◽  
Bridge Programs ◽  
Bridge Program ◽  
The Past ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

Summer bridge programs are designed to help transition students into the college learning environment. Increasingly, bridge programs are being developed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines because of the rigorous content and lower student persistence in college STEM compared with other disciplines. However, to our knowledge, a comprehensive review of STEM summer bridge programs does not exist. To provide a resource for bridge program developers, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on STEM summer bridge programs. We identified 46 published reports on 30 unique STEM bridge programs that have been published over the past 25 years. In this review, we report the goals of each bridge program and whether the program was successful in meeting these goals. We identify 14 distinct bridge program goals that can be organized into three categories: academic success goals, psychosocial goals, and department-level goals. Building on the findings of published bridge reports, we present a set of recommendations for STEM bridge programs in hopes of developing better bridges into college.

scholarly journals Assessing Preschool Teachers’ Challenges and Needs for Creativity in STEM Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Muhammad Syawal Amran ◽  
Kamariah Abu Bakar ◽  
Shahlan Surat ◽  
Siti Nur Diyana Mahmud ◽  
Amirul Anwar Bin Mohd Shafie
Keyword(s):  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Specific Support ◽  
And Mathematics

Abstract: Creativity in teaching is important in order to ensure children are engaged in learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). However, previous research has claimed creativity in learning STEM for children is not adequately supported by teacher in classroom due to the lack of preparation, content knowledge and skills. This study aims to assess the needs and challenges of promoting creativity in STEM education. In this study, preschool teachers (n= 22) were interviewed as they are the key informants who are involved in STEM education. The semi-structured interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis and were qualitatively coded. Results illustrate that there are several distinctive themes identified as described by the participants when discussing the needs and challenges of implementing integrated creativity skill in STEM education as well as the support that would be most helpful in overcoming them. The results highlighted a huge gap between creativity knowledge and the implementation of creativity in STEM education. Participants also provided specific support needed to integrate creativity in STEM education. Preliminary findings suggest that many teachers are interested in integrating creativity skills in STEM education. This research sheds light on the needs and challenges for professional pre-school teachers by providing them pedagogical module as well as professional training to promote creativity in teaching STEM   Keywords: Creativity Skills, Needs and Challenges, STEM

“Who’s gonna love a junkie? But he does”: Exploring couples’ identity negotiations and dyadic coping in the context of opioid use disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1634-1652
Author(s):  
Jenny L. Crowley ◽  
Laura E. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Communication Theory ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Communication Theory Of Identity ◽  
Identity Negotiations ◽  
Identity Gaps

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., and people with OUD may rely on romantic partners to dyadically cope with their illness. Guided by the communication theory of identity, this study examines the identity tensions experienced by couples managing OUD and how identity negotiations contribute to couples’ efforts to dyadically cope with OUD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 dyads and 6 individuals ( N = 44), all of whom were in relationships in which at least one partner was managing OUD. Analyses revealed that couples managing OUD experience three types of identity gaps: personal–relational, relational–enacted, and relational–communal identity gaps. These gaps coalesced around a central theme of couple identity paradoxes, which demonstrated the opportunities and potential downsides of dyadically coping with OUD. Findings deepen theoretical understanding of identity negotiation in couples and the role of relational identities in managing illness.

scholarly journals TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF USING THE BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH FOR STEM-RELATED SUBJECTS WITHIN THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-593
Author(s):  
Jayaluxmi Naidoo ◽  
Asheena Singh-Pillay
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
And Mathematics

Globally, as society enters the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we require a transformation in pedagogy. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects are vital to succeeding within the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To provide quality STEM education, teachers’ perceptions related to the teaching and learning of STEM-related subjects is essential to understand. This qualitative research took place at one university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and explored teachers’ perceptions of using blended learning for STEM-related subjects. Wenger’s Communities of Practice Theory framed this research. Data were generated from workshops and semi-structured interviews. The results of this research indicated that blended learning is impeded by the lack of technology-based tools; is hampered by teacher professional development; offered the use of virtual hours for consultation and feedback and increased engagement and collaboration within STEM-related milieus. These results provide a glimpse of what teachers perceive regarding the use of blended learning for secondary school mathematics and technology. Globally, these results have relevance when considering the importance of teachers’ perceptions of using blended learning for STEM-related subjects, as society embraces the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Keywords: blended learning, communities, practice, fourth industrial revolution, mathematics teaching, qualitative, STEM-related subjects, STEM teachers, technology teaching, technology-enabled learning.

Peer Coaching Program Development: A Framework of First-Year Latina/o Student Persistence Pursuing STEM Pathways at a Hispanic Serving Institution

2019 ◽  
pp. 153819271986709
Author(s):  
Carmen Cruz ◽  
Geetu Rajpal ◽  
Michael Lecocke ◽  
Ian Martines ◽  
Anna Lurie
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Peer Coaching ◽  
South Texas ◽  
First Year ◽  
Hispanic Serving Institution ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Hispanic Serving

This study developed and examined the implementation of an intrusive peer-to-peer coaching program model at a private 4-year master’s degree granting Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located in South Texas. The coaching program provided support and promoted increased persistence among Latina/o students entering first-year science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Findings positively indicated that first-year Latina/o STEM students can achieve academic success in college when they are matched and supported by culturally similar upperclassmen peer coaches.

scholarly journals From Studentship to Academia

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-86
Author(s):  
Fred K. Boateng ◽  
Uttam Gaulee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Gender Disparities ◽  
Female Faculty ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
And Mathematics

At all levels of education in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplinary fields, there are disparities in participation according to gender. This study explores the educational and professional experiences of female faculty in STEM in universities in Ghana. In-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken employing 20 participants from universities in Ghana. Findings indicate that despite their success fueled by the support system available to them, gender disparities, fostered by patriarchy, characterized their educational and professional experiences. Their gendered experiences exacerbated in the higher education workplace as some sources of support turned to be sources of gender discrimination. This was because they were perceived as threats to the patriarchal status quo as they surged in the academic STEM trajectory.

scholarly journals The Influence of Microaffirmations on Undergraduate Persistence in Science Career Pathways

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. ar40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mica Estrada ◽  
Gerald R. Young ◽  
Jill Nagy ◽  
Emily J. Goldstein ◽  
Avi Ben-Zeev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Persistence ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Student Integration ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Science Community ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Undergraduate Persistence

The present studies aimed to advance the measurement and understanding of microaffirmation kindness cues and assessed how they related to historically underrepresented (HU) and historically overrepresented (HO) undergraduate student persistence in science-related career pathways. Study 1 developed and tested the dimensionality of a new Microaffirmations Scale. Study 2 confirmed the two-factor structure of the Microaffirmations Scale and demonstrated that the scale possessed measurement invariance across HU and HO students. Further, the scale was administered as part of a longitudinal design spanning 9 months, with results showing that students’ reported microaffirmations did not directly predict higher intentions to persist in science-related career pathways 9 months later. However, scientific self-efficacy and identity, measures of student integration into the science community, mediated this relationship. Overall, our results demonstrated that microaffirmations can be measured in an academic context and that these experiences have predictive value when they increase students’ integration into their science communities, ultimately resulting in greater intentions to persist 9 months later. Researchers and practitioners can use the Microaffirmations Scale for future investigations to increase understanding of the positive contextual factors that can ultimately help reduce persistence gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degree attainment.

scholarly journals Perceptions of scientists held by US students can be broadened through inclusive classroom interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Sheffield ◽  
Meghan L. Cook ◽  
Victor J. Ricchezza ◽  
Guizella A. Rocabado ◽  
Fenda A. Akiwumi
Keyword(s):  
United States Of America ◽  
The United States ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Inclusive Classroom ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University

AbstractMore diverse representation in undergraduate classrooms may be an important step towards turning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines into more inclusive communities. In the United States of America, the individuals whose work is discussed in typical introductory science courses collectively do not represent the diversity of students’ identities in the classroom and further reinforce existing stereotypes of scientists as male, white, and aged. Here we report on the implementation of a semester-long intervention in an introductory-level geoscience course at the University of South Florida, USA. We introduced students to individuals with marginalized identities who are either scientists or have had a major influence on science and conducted semi-structured interviews with students from the course’s previous semesters. Analyses of these interviews indicate that participants with marginalized and non-marginalized identities broadened their preconceptions of who belongs in science and the range of identities among scientists. We suggest that interventions like these could foster feelings of belonging in the STEM community and, with repeated efforts, reduce harmful stereotyping and microaggressions against underrepresented scientists.

scholarly journals Analysis of the need to development an assessment integrated with STEM literacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 2098 (1) ◽  
pp. 012036
Author(s):  
Z Arifin ◽  
S Sukarmin ◽  
S Sarwanto ◽  
D M Sani
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Literacy Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Physics Teachers ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Literacy ◽  
And Mathematics

Abstract Facing the challenges in the 21st century and entering the 5.0 society era, education plays a major role in preparing quality students, students are required to have the competence to think creatively in dealing with various problems. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) literacy is a new approach developed to support learning in the 21st century. This article aims to explore the perceptions of physics teachers in the development of an integrated assessment instrument with STEM Literacy. The type of research used is descriptive qualitative with purposive sampling technique. The main respondents of this study were five high school physics teachers. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through the thematic analysis approach. The main finding of this study is that teachers have different understandings of the STEM concept in learning. Teachers do not have experience in developing between assessment and STEM Literacy. Teachers are interested in developing assessments that are integrated with STEM Literacy.

Distinguished … or dissonant

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Hajek
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Communication Theory ◽  
Gay Identity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Communication Theory Of Identity ◽  
Cultural Expectations ◽  
Axial Coding

This article is based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of stories of 40 early midlife gay men concerning their conversations with younger gay men. Utilizing the communication theory of identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework, open and axial coding revealed three overarching themes: shifted perspective on gay identity, evolved performance of gay identity, and discord with gay cultural expectations. The findings contribute to broadened understandings of how gay men experience midlife, and these are discussed in light of key CTI concepts.

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