scholarly journals Expanding the Boundaries of Informal Education Programs: An Investigation of the Role of Pre and Post-education Program Experiences and Dispositions on Youth STEM Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Falk ◽  
David D. Meier

For generations educators have been supporting children and youth’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning through informal education programming. Such programming includes a wide variety of outdoor education programs, camp programs, and increasingly targeted STEM programs run afterschool, on weekends, and over the summer months. However, despite the positive impacts these programs have, few would argue that these programs could not be improved or be designed to better meet the needs of a broader and more diverse population of learners. Arguably, one major flaw in how most educators have approached the design and improvement of these programs—a flaw that permeates almost all informal STEM education efforts–is that either explicitly or implicitly, the focus of educators has been exclusively on what happens during the program itself. Superficially this seems reasonable. After all, the time children/youth are within the temporal and physical boundaries of the program, class, or museum is the time when educators have maximal control over events. However, given what is known about how people learn (National Academies of Sciences, 2018), we argue that this long-standing approach needs to be reconsidered.

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Shtivelband ◽  
Lauren Riendeau ◽  
Robert Jakubowski

A growing body of evidence is showing that youth develop their interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through participation in activities across the informal and free-choice learning environments found in libraries.1 Many libraries have joined a national movement in which libraries deliver STEM programming to youth.2 Public libraries are a place for STEM learning,3 and children’s librarians are uniquely positioned to promote a love of STEM learning among youth through such programs. The benefits of STEM programming in public libraries are promising.4 For example, participating youth can become proficient in key STEM content and skills, such as critical thinking and engineering design processes.It is critical to youth and community success that these existing STEM programs continue to grow and expand. Public libraries are an ideal location for these programs. They provide a familiar and trusted learning environment for diverse and underserved families.5 Providing children’s librarians with a “six strand” framework will help guide the successful expansion of these fun and engaging STEM programs.6 This article provides specific recommendations and resources to help prepare and support librarians feel in adopting and implementing STEM in their programming.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Siti Hannah Padliyyah

Indonesia is ranked 56th out of 65 participating countries in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) based on data 2015. According to PISA results, the average science score of Indonesian students is 403, where this number is categorized as low. This is because students are still in the process of understanding and have not yet fully recognized the location of their mistakes. Students can diagnose the location of their mistakes through self-diagnosis activities. Self-diagnosis activities require the active role of students during the learning process. One approach that can increase the active role of students is STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics). However, research at this time is still rarely found self-diagnosis activities that are applied to the STEM approach. Therefore, this research has the aim to find out the increase in mastery of physical concepts and self-diagnosis of students on the STEM learning approach to the theory of poscal law class XI High School.This study uses a One-Group pretest-posttest design with a sample of 30 ini 11th grade highschool from one schools in Bandung. . Based on the findings, there is an increase in mastery of concepts [<g> = 0.51] from pre-test to post-test. In self-diagnosis activities identified that there are differences in scores [z = 1.75; p = 0.9599] student assessment results of researchers and self-scoring results. Deeper self-diagnosis triggers a series of implicit steps that encourage them to rearrange their cognition by correcting the mistakes they make when solving problems. So that learning activities using the STEM approach that involves self-diagnosis activities can improve students' mastery of concepts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-284
Author(s):  
Ripi Singh ◽  
Marybeth Miceli

This paper is intended to highlight roles that women can and likely will play in shaping the future of NDE 4.0, from execution to leadership levels as well as from development to transformation activities. As we build momentum toward adopting Industry 4.0 into the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) domain, we face multiple challenges such as technology standardization, talent and skills shortfall, massive transformation, and regulatory and certification standards (Singh 2019, 2020a). Many of these challenges are better addressed with a proper mix of gender in responsible teams. Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields are a source of talent that can be harnessed as digitalization becomes a major part of the NDE sector. According to a recent Forbes article, traits like listening and empathy serve women well in “change leadership,” which is the ability to influence and inspire action in others and respond with vision and agility during periods of growth, disruption, or uncertainty to bring about the needed change (Lipkin 2019). While working the innovation value chain, emotional intelligence makes women better suited to capturing marketplace insight and easing friction in technology adoption, and a balance of gender in a team makes for more productive ideation sessions for effective problem-solving and objective execution. This paper presents literature research triggered by personal experience and substantiated by recent candid conversations with women leaders in NDE, to highlight the importance of a blended and balanced gender mix required for NDE 4.0.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña ◽  
Roberto J. Favero Jr. ◽  
Alejandra Amaro-Loza ◽  
Roberta K. Mocva-Kurek ◽  
Juan A. Sánchez-Peralta ◽  
...  

Abstract. Childhood education programmes aiming at incorporating topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have gained recognition as key levers in the progress of education for all students. Inspiring young people to take part in the discovery and delivery of science is of paramount importance not only for their well-being but also for their future human development. To address this need, an outreach model entitled OH-Kids was designed to empower pupils through the development of high-quality STEM learning experiences based on a research project. The model is an opportunity for primary school learners to meet geoscientists while receiving the take-home message that anyone can get involved in scientific activities. The effort is part of a research project aimed at the real-time monitoring of precipitation in Mexico City, which is a smart solution to rainfall monitoring using information and communications technologies. The argument behind this effort is that in order to produce the next generation of problem-solvers, education should ensure that learners develop an appreciation and working familiarity with a real-world project. Results show success at introducing the role of researchers and STEM topics to 6–12-year-old learners.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 881-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin McPherson ◽  
Bernadette Park ◽  
Tiffany A. Ito

Self-to-prototype matching is a strategy of mental comparisons between the self-concept and the typical or “representative” member of a group to make some judgment. Such a process might contribute to interest in pursuing a science career and, relatedly, women’s underrepresentation in physical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pSTEM) fields. Across four studies, we measured self–scientist discrepancies on communal, agentic, and scientific dimensions, and assessed participants’ interest in a science career. The most consistent predictor of science interest was the discrepancy between self and scientist on the scientific dimension (e.g., intelligent, meticulous). Study 4 established that students with larger self–scientist discrepancies also had less accurate perceptions of students pursuing science, and that inaccuracy was related to lower science interest. Thus, students with lower science interest do not just perceive scientists differently from themselves but also erroneously. Discrepancy and inaccuracy together explained a significant portion of the gender gap in pSTEM interest.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-243
Author(s):  
Ivelina Velcheva ◽  
◽  
Kosta Garov ◽  

The following work is devoted to the description of an innovative approach to kindergarten learning through the application of the methods of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, better known as STEM learning. The aim of the work is to increase popularity of the approach and stimulate teachers to implement it more often in the learning process. STEM increases children’s knowledge and skills, thanks to the interdisciplinarity, research approach, learning by playing, learning by doing, project-based and problem-based learning and the opportunity for touching to real-life situations. This paper addresses the main principles of STEM and the possibilities for realization different STEM situations, based on the kindergarten curriculum. Different digital tools are described, like programmable toys and devices and LEGO constructors. Various ideas for conducting experiments are presented, too. They are useful for increasing children’s motivation and interest in the approach. An example version of a plan for work on a STEM project is proposed, which includes the steps for its implementation and which is adapted to the expected learning results in the kindergarten.


Author(s):  
Ellen Hamilton-Ford ◽  
Jeffrey D. Herron

The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of research in the convergence of environmental education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (E-STEM) education models through a values-based framework for nature. An argument for the interconnectedness of environmental education and STEM programs is presented. A further argument presented that nature-based learning environments engage children in E-STEM. Lastly, an exploration of research suggests how various pedagogical practices incorporate and facilitate the E-STEM paradigm to prepare young children for 21st century workforce that can solve large, complex problems in an information and service-based economy.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña ◽  
Roberto J. Favero Junior ◽  
Alejandra Amaro-Loza ◽  
Roberta K. Kurek Mocva ◽  
Juan A. Sánchez-Peralta ◽  
...  

Abstract. Childhood education aiming at incorporating topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have gained recognition as key levers in the progress of education for all students. Inspiring young people to take part in the discovery and delivery of science is of paramount importance not only for their well-being but also for the future human development. To address this an outreach model entitled OH-Kids, was designed to empower educators and pupils through the development of high-quality STEM learning experiences based on a research project. The model is an opportunity for primary school learners to meet geoscientists at the same time as they receive the take-home message that anyone can get involved in scientific activities. The effort is part of a research project aimed at the real-time monitoring of precipitation in Mexico City, which is a smart solution to rainfall monitoring using information and communications technologies. The argument behind this effort, is that in order to produce the next generation of problem-solvers, education should ensure that learners develop an appreciation and working familiarity with a real world project. Results show success at introducing the role of the researchers and STEM topics to 6–12 year olds learners.


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