Development of Interdisciplinary STEM Impact Measures of Student Attitudes and Reasoning

The integration of STEM programs within the educational framework through the establishment of STEM-designated schools and academic/career pathways is a national trend in the United States. The goal of implementing STEM in grade 6 to 12 schools is to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century, while addressing future workforce needs. Often, however, the STEM disciplines are taught within silos independent of each other. Students miss the opportunity to participate in the interrelationship between the STEM disciplines, resulting in missed opportunities to build critical reasoning skills. The Real STEM project focused on the development of interdisciplinary STEM experiences for students. The project was characterized by sustained professional development which was job-embedded and competency-based, and focused on the development of five STEM reasoning abilities within real-world contexts. To accomplish this we promoted inclusion of tasks that drew on multiple STEM disciplines, embraced the use of authentic teaching strategies, and supported development of collaboration through interdisciplinary STEM professional learning communities within the school and STEM experts from the community. The four tenets of the Real STEM project are presented, research on impact on teacher practice is provided, and school and teacher takeaways are discussed.

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STEM Learning in Middle Grades by Technology-Mediated Integration of Science and Mathematics

Educational Leadership and Administration ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1624-8.ch036 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 737-756

Author(s):

Pradeep Maxwell Dass ◽

John T. Spagnolo

Keyword(s):

Professional Learning ◽

Middle Grades ◽

School Science ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Authentic Inquiry ◽

Classroom Implementation ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Recent Reform ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Impact

In an attempt to foster inquiry-oriented learning in middle grades (grades 6 – 8), a technology mediated pedagogy integrating science and mathematics was promoted through Project SMILE (Science and Mathematics Integration for Literacy Enhancement). It involved in-service teachers in professional learning and classroom implementation over a period of two academic years, with the explicit goal of enhancing teachers' ability to foster more authentic inquiry in their classes. This chapter describes the design of Project SMILE in the context of recent reform efforts in science and mathematics education, along with the theoretical underpinnings for the design. Project activities, followed by the research methodology employed to investigate the impact on both teachers and students are described next. Finally, research results and their implications are discussed with an eye toward the usefulness of integrating science and mathematics and involving specific technological tools to foster greater inquiry-oriented learning in school science and mathematics.

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Situating Second-Year Success: Understanding Second-Year STEM Experiences at a Liberal Arts College

CBE—Life Sciences Education ◽

10.1187/cbe.16-01-0044 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. ar43 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Leslie Gregg-Jolly ◽

Jim Swartz ◽

Ellen Iverson ◽

Joyce Stern ◽

Narren Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liberal Arts ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Future Research ◽

Success Rates ◽

Science Courses ◽

Perceptions And Attitudes ◽

Second Year ◽

And Mathematics ◽

High Level ◽

The Impact

Challenges particular to second-year students have been identified that can impact persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. We implemented a program to improve student success in intermediate-level science courses by helping students to feel they belonged and could succeed in STEM. We used survey measures of perceptions and attitudes and then qualitative measures to characterize the impact of support strategies, including peer mentoring, a second-year science student retreat, learning and advising support resources, and department-specific activities. Analysis of registration and transcript information revealed underperformance by students of color (SOC) and first-generation (FG) students in 200-level science courses. Comparison of these data before and during programming revealed significant improvement in success rates of these students in 200-level biology and chemistry courses, but success rates of SOC and FG students remain lower than the overall rate for 200-level science courses. Contemporaneous with the program, qualitative and quantitative measures of student attitudes revealed a high level of belongingness and support. The results suggest that a focus on students’ metacognition about their own abilities and strategic knowledge of how to succeed may be a fruitful direction for future research.

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STEM Learning in Middle Grades by Technology-Mediated Integration of Science and Mathematics

Leadership and Personnel Management ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9624-2.ch040 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 903-921

Author(s):

Pradeep Maxwell Dass ◽

John T. Spagnolo

Keyword(s):

Professional Learning ◽

Middle Grades ◽

School Science ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Authentic Inquiry ◽

Classroom Implementation ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Recent Reform ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Impact

In an attempt to foster inquiry-oriented learning in middle grades (grades 6 – 8), a technology mediated pedagogy integrating science and mathematics was promoted through Project SMILE (Science and Mathematics Integration for Literacy Enhancement). It involved in-service teachers in professional learning and classroom implementation over a period of two academic years, with the explicit goal of enhancing teachers' ability to foster more authentic inquiry in their classes. This chapter describes the design of Project SMILE in the context of recent reform efforts in science and mathematics education, along with the theoretical underpinnings for the design. Project activities, followed by the research methodology employed to investigate the impact on both teachers and students are described next. Finally, research results and their implications are discussed with an eye toward the usefulness of integrating science and mathematics and involving specific technological tools to foster greater inquiry-oriented learning in school science and mathematics.

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STEM Learning in Middle Grades by Technology-Mediated Integration of Science and Mathematics

Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education - Improving K-12 STEM Education Outcomes through Technological Integration ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9616-7.ch009 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 187-205 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pradeep Maxwell Dass ◽

John T. Spagnolo

Keyword(s):

Professional Learning ◽

Middle Grades ◽

School Science ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Authentic Inquiry ◽

Classroom Implementation ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Recent Reform ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Impact

In an attempt to foster inquiry-oriented learning in middle grades (grades 6 – 8), a technology mediated pedagogy integrating science and mathematics was promoted through Project SMILE (Science and Mathematics Integration for Literacy Enhancement). It involved in-service teachers in professional learning and classroom implementation over a period of two academic years, with the explicit goal of enhancing teachers' ability to foster more authentic inquiry in their classes. This chapter describes the design of Project SMILE in the context of recent reform efforts in science and mathematics education, along with the theoretical underpinnings for the design. Project activities, followed by the research methodology employed to investigate the impact on both teachers and students are described next. Finally, research results and their implications are discussed with an eye toward the usefulness of integrating science and mathematics and involving specific technological tools to foster greater inquiry-oriented learning in school science and mathematics.

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STEAM Learning in Early Childhood Education: A Literature Review

IJPTE International Journal of Pedagogy and Teacher Education ◽

10.20961/ijpte.v4i1.39855 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Siti Wahyuningsih ◽

Novita Eka Nurjanah ◽

Upik Elok Endang Rasmani ◽

Ruli Hafidah ◽

Adriani Rahma Pudyaningtyas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Literature Review ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Cognitive Benefits ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Impact

<p class="Abstract">This literature review covers articles and books about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) in early childhood education. STEAM learning is considered to be an appropriate approach to answering the challenges of the 21<sup>st</sup> century as it integrates the hard and soft skills needed by children. It is exciting to note that in most articles, STEAM is a popular pedagogical method to improve creativity, problem-solving skills, scientific inquiry and critical thinking, and to provide other cognitive benefits. It is taught in integrated learning in early childhood education and is conducted through children’s daily observation. The literature also discusses that the impact of STEAM learning makes children more active and able to take initiatives in their own knowledge. Teachers who are influenced by the integrated professional development of STEAM positively influence children through their professional learning. Another finding from this review is that experience of STEAM can increase children’s self-confidence. In addition, STEAM learning is considered to be able to integrate the skills needed by children. STEAM encourages children to build knowledge about the world around them by observing, investigating and asking questions. This review aims to consider advanced learning in early childhood education through STEAM.</p>

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Validating the S-STEM among Malaysian Pre-University Students

Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia ◽

10.15294/jpii.v9i3.24109 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 421-429

Author(s):

A. M. Noh ◽

A. Z. Khairani

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Average Variance ◽

Cross Sectional Design ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Malaysian Students

The purpose of this study is to validate the measure of student attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (S-STEM). This study used the cross-sectional design to employ translation and cultural adaptation as well as providing evidence of the reliability and validity of the S-STEM. The instrument was administered to 748 pre-university students in Penang, Malaysia. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with AMOS 19.0. Results support S-STEM as a three-factor multidimensional construct, namely attitude towards science, attitude towards technology/engineering, and attitude towards mathematics. All statistics such as factor loadings, average variance explained, construct reliability, evidence of discriminant validity, and goodnessof-fit indices were found to be at acceptable values. These positive results are significant because although the instrument has undergone numerous modifications, such as translation and others, the generalizability of the instrument is still preserved in pre-university Malaysian students. Counselors may administer the instrument to facilitate the choice of courses to enroll at university. The research may utilize the instrument to gather data in providing measures to improve students’ participation in learning STEM. The practical implications, as well as the methodological limitations of the present study, are discussed.

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“Can We Build the Wind Powered Car Again?” Students’ and Teachers’ Responses to a New Integrated STEM Curriculum

Journal of Research in STEM Education ◽

10.51355/jstem.2019.61 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 20-39

Author(s):

Judy Anderson ◽

Kate Wilson ◽

Debbie Tully ◽

Jenni Way

Keyword(s):

Professional Learning ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

Learning Program ◽

Quantitative Research Methods ◽

Integrated Stem ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Grade 3 ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Impact

Recently, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education has become a focus in the Australian context, particularly since the release of government-initiated reports into Australia’s falling performance on international tests and fewer enrolments in senior school STEM subjects and university STEM degrees. Since student engagement in STEM subjects begins to decline in primary school (Kindergarten to grade 6 in Australia [5-12 years of age]), addressing engagement and achievement in the STEM subjects requires support for teachers to design curriculum that enthuses students and develops their understanding of the role of the STEM subjects in solving real-world problems. To that end, a year-long professional learning program was developed to assist small teams of teachers from each of 13 primary schools in designing integrated STEM curriculum approaches. To determine the impact of the program on teachers’ capacity to design integrated STEM curriculum and on students’ STEM attitudes and aspirations, data were collected using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This paper presents a case study of one of the participating primary schools. From the 44 grade 3 students who completed both pre- and post-surveys, students’ attitudes and aspirations towards the STEM subjects showed significant positive shifts. Analyses of school documents and transcripts of interviews with four teachers and a group of four students from the school enabled.

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Investigating student exposure to competency-based education

Education Policy Analysis Archives ◽

10.14507/epaa.25.2792 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 ◽

pp. 24 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah Ryan ◽

Joshua D. Cox

Keyword(s):

Reliability And Validity ◽

Student Perspective ◽

Student Centered ◽

Competency Based Education ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Reliable Source ◽

Competency Based ◽

Using Data ◽

Student Reports ◽

The Impact

In recent years, most U.S. states have revised policy by providing schools at least some flexibility to move away from the Carnegie unit system, with its focus on credits and “seat time,” toward competency-based policies that link student advancement to mastery of content. Yet, there is little systematically collected information about how competency-based education is implemented, making it difficult to evaluate the impact on student outcomes. Using data from 600 students in grades 9-12 and confirmatory factor analytic techniques, we report initial reliability and validity results from the pilot administration of a survey designed to capture student exposure to elements that have been described as essential to a competency-based, student-centered model for learning and instruction. These elements include mastery-based progression, personalization, flexible assessment, and the development of specific skills and dispositions. Results suggest that the survey offers a way to reliably measure and study variation in the implementation of competency-based education. Importantly, the survey provides a way to capture implementation from the student perspective, leveraging the fact that student reports about their classroom experiences may be a particularly reliable source of information about instructional practice.

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Mediating Effect of Organizational Commitment Between Islamic Human Resource Practices and Organizational Performance Among Islamic Banks of Bangladesh

The Journal of Muamalat and Islamic Finance Research ◽

10.33102/jmifr.v15i2.177 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 54-65

Author(s):

Bablu Kumar Dhar ◽

Rosnia Masruki ◽

Mahazan Mutalib ◽

Hatem Mohammed Rahouma ◽

Farid A. Sobhani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organizational Commitment ◽

Organizational Performance ◽

Human Resource ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Stock Exchange ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Islamic Banks ◽

Hr Practices ◽

The Impact

This paper aims at exploring the impact of Islamic human resource (HR) practices on organizational performance though organizational commitment. Data were collected from randomly selected 170 branch managers of six Islamic Banks listed on Dhaka Stock Exchange of Bangladesh. After collecting data, descriptive analysis and structural equation model were done to examine reliability and validity of the model. By analysis, the study finds that Islamic HR practices have more significant impact on organizational performance though organizational commitment rather than the direct effect of Islamic HR practices to organizational performance. The findings of the study advocate that Islamic banks should emphasize more on Islamic HR practices and organizational commitment to uphold their organizational performance.

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