Applying an educative approach to engage stakeholder values in evaluations of STEM research and education programmes

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-108
Author(s):  
Aileen M Reid
Keyword(s):  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Evaluation Theory ◽  
Stakeholder Values ◽  
Multiple Stakeholder ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Research And Education

Stakeholder values regarding a programme’s worth and their own principles or standards can aid or impede an evaluation. The evaluator’s challenge and responsibility is to successfully engage multiple stakeholder value orientations in the evaluation process. Stakeholder engagement is essential within evaluations of programmes aimed at broadening participation of underrepresented individuals and institutions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This article describes an educative approach to engage stakeholder values within evaluations of STEM research and education programmes funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Reflections and implications for evaluation theory and practice applicable to any STEM evaluation context, and more broadly to the field of evaluation, are discussed.

scholarly journals Breaking Boundaries: Pressing Issues in Equity, Computing, and Problem-Solving in STEM Undergraduate Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-12
Author(s):  
Anna Bargagliotti ◽  
Dorothea Herreiner ◽  
Jefrey A. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
The Common ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Education Conference

The April 2017 National Science Foundation-funded Breaking the Boundaries in STEM Education conference brought together Southern California science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) faculty to explore equity, problem-solving, and computing in an interdisciplinary manner. Two main research questions guided the overall scope of the conference: (1) What are the common threads across disciplines to approach the teaching and learning of skills that are relevant in STEM? (2) What are the challenges and barriers that need to be overcome in order to foster collaboration across disciplines to impact the teaching and learning of skills relevant in STEM? We describe the background of the conference and provide an overview of the questions addressed.

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.

The 'presence' of evaluation theory and practice in educational and social development: toward an inclusive approach

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Evaluation Design ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Evaluation Theory ◽  
Evaluation Practice ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
The Voice

This paper outlines a vision of evaluation and its place in social and educational policy and practice. It focuses on the 'presence' of evaluation in theory, organizational learning and internationalization and the 'voice' of participants in the evaluation process drawing on a range of examples of evaluation practice. It argues for an 'inclusive' evaluation stance from a moral/political standpoint and from the standpoint of sound evaluation design. It offers evaluation as a way of promoting and depicting the effects of social policy on its recipients and concludes by suggesting the way evaluations can promote 'provisional stabilities' for those experiencing rapid and complex change.

Irma Rahma Suwarma: A Science Educator for Our Time

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Stem Education ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Science Educator ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Narrative Approaches ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM defined as the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a new cross-disciplinary subject in schools. The concept of integrating subjects in Indonesian schools, generally is not new and has not been very successful in the past. Some people consider STEM as an opportunity while others view it as having problems. Irma Rahma Suwarma is science educator and researcher that consider STEM as an opportunity. Irma Rahma Suwarma researched implementation STEM education in Japan and Indonesia as her graduate thesis at Science and Technology Educational Division Department of Information Science and Technology Shizuoka University on autumn 2014. Her thesis entitled “Research on Theory and Practice STEM Education Implementation in Japan and Indonesia using Multiple Intelligences Approach” is one of her work on STEM. Before and after published her graduate thesis, Irma Rahma Suwarma has involved the study of STEM, as an author, educator, academic advisor, and seminar speaker. This article examines what it has been and continues work from Irma Rahma Suwarma in the science education. Our exploration uses qualitative methods of narrative approaches in the form of biographical studies. Participants as data sources were selected using a purposive sampling technique which was collected based on retrospective interview and naturalistic observation. Data's validity, reliability, and objectivity checked by using external audit techniques. As UNESCO believes that having more female in STEM fields is desirable because it would help bring about sustainable development, this article explores the powerful of female’s personal style in developing a form of social influence based on her forms of capital as well as address the positive and negative consequences that may follow while implement and research STEM in teaching classroom.

scholarly journals Harnessing Technology to Improve Formative Assessment of Student Conceptions in STEM: Forging a National Network

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin C. Haudek ◽  
Jennifer J. Kaplan ◽  
Jennifer Knight ◽  
Tammy Long ◽  
John Merrill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Constructed Response ◽  
National Network ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Student Misconceptions ◽  
Concept Inventories ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Initial Meeting

Concept inventories, consisting of multiple-choice questions designed around common student misconceptions, are designed to reveal student thinking. However, students often have complex, heterogeneous ideas about scientific concepts. Constructed-response assessments, in which students must create their own answer, may better reveal students’ thinking, but are time- and resource-intensive to evaluate. This report describes the initial meeting of a National Science Foundation–funded cross-institutional collaboration of interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education researchers interested in exploring the use of automated text analysis to evaluate constructed-response assessments. Participants at the meeting shared existing work on lexical analysis and concept inventories, participated in technology demonstrations and workshops, and discussed research goals. We are seeking interested collaborators to join our research community.

Real-Life Conundrums in the Struggle for Institutional Transformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-329
Author(s):  
Julia Mcquillan ◽  
Nestor Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Institutional Transformation ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Promising Practices ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
National Science ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
And Mathematics

Intersecting systems of inequality (i.e., gender and race/ethnicity) are remarkably resistant to change. Many universities, however, seek National Science Foundation Institutional Transformation awards to change processes, procedures, and cultures to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments more inclusive. In this article we describe a case study with observations for eight years of before (2000–2007), five during (2008–2013), and seven after (2014–2020) intensive efforts to increase women through reducing barriers and increasing access to women. Finally, we reflect on flawed assumptions built into the proposal, the slow and uneven change in the proportion of women over time, the strengths and weaknesses of numeric assessments, and the value of a longer view for seeing how seeds planted with promising practices initiated during the award may end with the funding but can reemerge and bear fruit when faculty who engage in equity work are in positions of authority later in their careers.

Making Connections Between Service and Engineering in K-12 Education

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Pinnell ◽  
Rebecca Blust ◽  
Jayne Brahler ◽  
Margy Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Math Curriculum ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

This paper will summarize the findings obtained through the work of a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored grant entitled, “Making Connections: Resources for K-12 Service-learning and Experiential Learning in STEM Disciplines.” The objective of this grant was to encourage K-12 educators to incorporate service-learning into the science and math curriculum by providing an easy-to-use resource. It was hoped that the use of service-learning in the science and math curriculum would help promote the entry of women and minorities into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, increase the potential pool of engineers and scientists in the United States, contribute to the development of STEM educators and enhance cultural sensitivity, ethics and social responsibility in future STEM workers. The methodology used to develop, assess and refine the web based resource will be discussed. Additionally, the research design and inferential statistics used to assess the impact of service-learning on K-12 students’ perceptions of STEM careers will be presented.

scholarly journals Teaching Africa-Rooted Evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Chapman ◽  
Suki Goodman ◽  
Adiilah Boodhoo ◽  
Nombeko Mbava
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Evaluation Theory ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Curriculum Redesign ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Significant Step ◽  
Made In

Abstract   Recent years have seen the emergence in both academic generally and evaluation specifically a strong “Made in Africa” discourse, urging us to critically reflect on how we might integrate African methods, culture and knowledge systems into both teaching and practice. This teaching practice note reflects on one small, but potentially significant step towards this through a curriculum redesign of a core introductory module on University of Cape Town’s Masters in Program Evaluation. Our idea, which we call a “model client” approach, was to bring on board the evaluation client as a co-learner in the classroom environment. Through a series of instructor-facilitated client-student engagements, students and client worked within the classroom environment on understanding the program logic, tailoring evaluation questions, and co-learning about evaluation approach.  While not without its challenges, our model client approach made meaningful strides towards moving the locus of evaluation knowledge creation away from a theoretically grounded introductory course which drew predominantly on Western texts and theory, towards an approach where both our understanding of the evaluation process and evaluation capabilities themselves are co-created by (our uniquely African) clients, students, and instructors. Key challenges in implementing this approach included the client’s sense of vulnerability, student inexperience in evaluation theory and practice, and a conspicuous shortage of African-generated evaluation case studies and texts. Reflections for addressing these challenges include the need for teaching instructors to better centre student and clients learning around the objectives of the model client initiative, better communication as to the central principles of Made in Africa evaluation, and continuing to support the development if uniquely “indigenised” African evaluation scholarship and source materials.

scholarly journals Resource Review: Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 110-112
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
American Association ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
University Women ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
National Science ◽  
And Mathematics

“Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” (Hill, C., Corbett, C., Rose, A., 2010) reports on an extensive study of women’s underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professions. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project was conducted by American Association of University Women. The resource includes findings from eight research studies which examined social and environmental factors which contribute to women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields as well as helpful tables, charts and bibliography resources. The 110 page resource will be particularly helpful for scholars working in program design to advance STEM opportunities for women.

Irma Rahma Suwarma: A Science Educator for Our Time

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Stem Education ◽  
Physics Education ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Science Educator ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM defined as the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a new cross-disciplinary subject in schools. The concept of integrating subjects in Indonesian schools, generally is not new and has not been very successful in the past. Some people consider STEM as an opportunity while others view it as having problems. Irma Rahma Suwarma is science educator and researcher that consider STEM as an opportunity. Irma Rahma Suwarma is a physics educator and STEM educator at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI; Indonesia Education University). Born in Bandung, Indonesia on May 3, 1981, she received philosophiae doctor (Ph.D.) degree from Shizuoka Daigaku (静岡大学; Shizuoka University), Japan. Irma Rahma Suwarma studied physics at Universitas Pasundan (Unpas; Pasundan University). She left institution at November 10, 2003 after earned Sarjana Sains (S.Si.; equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts in physics). She went to UPI to pursue a graduate study in physics education untill gained Magister Pendidikan (M.Pd.; equi (equivalent to a Master of Arts in physics education) on16 Februari 2007. After her graduate work at UPI, Irma Rahma Suwarma hold lectureships since autumn 2008 until now. But, at 2011, Irma went to Shizuoka University. Irma Rahma Suwarma researched implementation STEM education in Japan and Indonesia as her graduate thesis at Science and Technology Educational Division Department of Information Science and Technology Shizuoka University on autumn 2014. Her thesis entitled “Research on Theory and Practice STEM Education Implementation in Japan and Indonesia using Multiple Intelligences Approach” is one of her work on STEM. Before and after published her graduate thesis, Irma Rahma Suwarma has involved the study of STEM, as an author, educator, academic advisor, and seminar speaker. This work examines what it has been and continues work from Irma Rahma Suwarma in the science education. Our exploration uses qualitative methods of narrative approaches in the form of biographical studies. Participants as data sources were selected using a purposive sampling technique which was collected based on retrospective interview and naturalistic observation. Data's validity, reliability, and objectivity checked by using external audit techniques. As UNESCO believes that having more female in STEM fields is desirable because it would help bring about sustainable development, this article explores the powerful of female’s personal style in developing a form of social influence based on her forms of capital as well as address the positive and negative consequences that may follow while implement and research STEM in teaching classroom.

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