STEM Education in Rural Areas

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is challenged to produce enough graduates to maintain nationwide STEM workforce needs. This chapter discloses the importance of STEM education for developing a more scientifically literate citizenry prepared to face the challenges of an increasingly technological society and meet U.S. workforce demands. An examination of the state of STEM education reveals its current inability to produce enough qualified graduates to meet current and future needs. The researchers propose looking towards rural areas to supply the STEM pipeline running from college to STEM career. In order to capitalize on the rural school population, programs are needed to address the barriers between the rural student and college. This chapter outlines and expounds these barriers as well as introduces Project Engage as one such program determined to prepare rural students from the Alabama Black Belt region, particularly rural minority students, for STEM futures.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-90
Author(s):  
Lee Edmondson Grimes ◽  
Meagan Arrastia Arrastía-Chisholm ◽  
Serey B. Bright

Many factors contribute to the educational challenges students face in rural areas, including a lack of funding compared to urban and suburban schools and a lack of role models pursuing postsecondary education. School counselors in all settings are trained to provide education to students about the postsecondary options in demand. College and career counseling with students and families in rural areas requires unique understanding of the rural characteristics that shape community life and family dynamics. National attention on rural education has highlighted a particular need for advising into STEM career fields. Using a phenomenological approach, the researchers examine the beliefs and experiences of eight school counselors working in rural schools regarding their lived experiences of advising students in their rural areas about careers in STEM. Three themes about STEM-focused career development emerged from the interviews with the school counselors, a lack of opportunities and resources, challenging local influences, and ideas for much needed place-based innovations. Implications are discussed for several key players with the ability to improve and increase STEM advising for rural students. Examples include the following: for practicing school counselors, intentional career counseling efforts that include rural families; for counselor educators, the addition of rural field placements and assignments focused on rural student career needs; and for rural communities, combining the school counselor’s efforts with local business and industry to highlight and increase STEM career awareness for students and their families.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Luo ◽  
Winnie Wing Mui So ◽  
Zhi Hong Wan ◽  
Wai Chin Li

Abstract Background Nurturing students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is a major goal of STEM education. Although the relationship between students’ stereotypical beliefs regarding STEM careers and their career interest can be reasonably hypothesized, research investigating the extent to which and how students’ STEM career interest is directly or indirectly influenced by their stereotypical beliefs is lacking. This study investigated how upper primary students’ stereotypical beliefs regarding STEM careers predicted their STEM self-efficacy and STEM career-related outcome expectations and how these constructs predicted their STEM career interest. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse quantitative survey data of 824 fourth- to sixth-grade students and test the hypothesized models. Results Students’ stereotypical beliefs regarding STEM careers negatively predicted their self-efficacy in STEM activities and career-related outcome expectations. Additionally, the students’ self-efficacy in STEM activities and career-related outcome expectations in turn predicted their STEM career interest. Conclusions These results explain the potential indirect effect of STEM stereotypes on students’ career interest through self-efficacy and outcome expectations. The findings highlight the significant role of STEM stereotypes, self-efficacy in STEM activities, and career-related outcome expectations in students’ career development. The implications of this study for STEM education are also discussed.


As the nation seeks to diversify the STEM workforce, looking toward the rural areas of the United States affords an opportunity to increase the flow of students into the STEM pipeline. However, rural students face many roadblocks on the way to STEM careers including poor educational attainment, lack of STEM experiences, few STEM role models, inadequate technology preparation, and low motivation to pursue STEM. This chapter explores those barriers and proposes Project Engage as an avenue for breaking down the barriers. The chapter identifies and explains the major components of Project Engage: strategic mentoring, STEM engagement activities, and guided career exploration. These combined components create a comprehensive framework for addressing the barriers imposed by the nature of growing up “rural.” Statistical data is presented that reveals an increase in recruitment of STEM majors as well as positive results of retention.


Improving STEM education in the U.S. stands to address one of the nation's priorities, increasing the STEM workforce. Rural students are a previously untapped source of potential; yet, these students lack STEM experiences, engagement, and scaffolding to stay motivated to complete an undergraduate program in STEM. Motivation is a key element for rural student interest and persistence in STEM; however, these students also must develop certain knowledge and skills to succeed as STEM professionals. The authors propose a model, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Framework, as a means to maintain motivation and prepare rural students for the rigors of a STEM major/career. In this chapter, the four-dimensional framework is unveiled along with examples of Project Engage's efforts to address each dimension.


2019 ◽  
pp. 98-100
Author(s):  
Д. М. Кудайбердиева

Аннотация. В данной статье рассматривается проблема восприятия городской среды студентами из города и сельской местности. Обозначены определения терминов «среда», «пространственная среда», «городская среда». Проведено экспериментальное сравнительное исследование особенностей восприятия города Бишкек городскими и сельскими студентами в количестве 50 человек. Статья содержит результаты проведенного анализа исследования. Выявлены различия и сходства в восприятии города Бишкек у студентов двух групп. В контексте восприятия города изучена неудовлетворенность прошлым и настоящим временем, трудности языкового барьера у студентов из сельской местности. Также было выявлено, что актуальной для студентов обеих групп является потребность в социальных контактах, общении, включенности в социум. Полученные результаты будут иметь пользу в проведении воспитательной работы со студентами из сельской местности, в оказании поддержки им в период адаптации с учетом особенностей восприятия города студентами. Ключевые слова. среда, городская среда, восприятие пространства, городские студенты, сельские студенты, восприятие города Бишкек, неудовлетворенность прошлым и настоящим, языковой барьер, учеба в городе, сходства и различия в восприятии города. Аннотация. Бул макалада шаардык жана айылдан келген студенттердин шаардык чөйрөнү кабыл алуу көйгөйү каралган. «Чөйрө», «мейкиндик чөйрө», «шаардык чөйрө» терминдеринин түшүнүктөрү келтирилген. 50 адамдан турган шаардык жана айылдык студенттердин Бишкек шаарын кабыл алуу өзгөчөлүктөрүнө эксперименталдык салыштырма изилдөө жүргүзүлгөн. Макалада изилдөөнүн анализ жыйынтыктары камтылган. Эки студенттик топторунун Бишкек шаарын кабыл алуусунун айырмачылыктары жана окшоштуктары белгиленген. Шаарды кабыл алуу контекстинде өткөн жана учур чактарга канагаттанбоо, тил барьеринин кыйынчылыктары изилденди. Ошондой эле студенттердин эки тобуна актуалдуу болуп социалдык катнаштарга, баарлашууга, коомго кошулуу муктаждыгы белгиленүүдө. Алынган жыйынтыктар студенттердин шаарды кабыл алуу өзгөчөлүктөрүнө эске алып, айылдан келген студенттерге адаптация убагында колдоо көрсөтүү максатында тарбиялык иштерди жүргүзүүдө жардам берет. Түйүндүү сөздөр. Чөйрө, шаардык чөйрө, мейкиндикти кабыл алуу, шаардык студенттер, айылдык студенттер, Бишкек шаарын кабыл алуу, өткөн жана учур чакка канагаттанбоо, тил барьери, шаарда окуу, шаарды кабыл алуусунун айырмачылыктары жана окшоштуктары. Annotation. This article addresses the problem of perception of the urban environment by students from the city and countryside. The definitions of the terms “environment”, “spatial environment”, and “urban environment” are indicated. An experimental comparative study of the characteristics of the perception of the city of Bishkek by urban and rural students in the amount of 50 people was conducted. The article contains the results of the analysis of the study. The differences and similarities in the perception of the city of Bishkek among students of the two groups are revealed. In the context of the perception of the city, dissatisfaction with the past and the present has been studied, and the difficulties of the language barrier among students from rural areas. It was also revealed that the need for social contacts, communication, inclusion in society is relevant for students of both groups. The results will have the benefit of conducting educational work with students from rural areas, in providing support to them during the adaptation period, taking into account the peculiarities of the perception of the city by students. Кeywords. Environment, urban environment, space perception, urban students, rural students, perception of the city of Bishkek, dissatisfaction with the past and the present, language barrier, studying in the city, similarities and differences in the perception of the city.


Minerva ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Skrentny ◽  
Kevin Lewis

AbstractStudies of education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) commonly use a pipeline metaphor to conceptualize forward movement and persistence. However, the “STEM pipeline” carries implicit assumptions regarding length (i.e. that it “starts” and “stops” at specific stages in one’s education or career), contents (i.e. that some occupational fields are “in” the pipeline while others are not), and perceived purpose (i.e. that “leakage,” or leaving STEM, constitutes failure). Using the National Survey of College Graduates, we empirically measure each of these dimensions. First, we show that a majority of STEM workers report skills training throughout their careers, suggesting no clear demarcation between education and work. Second, we show that using on-the-job expertise requirements (rather than occupational titles) paints a very different portrait of the STEM workforce—and persistence in it (where substantial attrition remains evident, especially among women and African Americans). Third, we show that STEM-educated workers are well-prepared for but dissatisfied with non-STEM jobs, complicating our understanding of leaving. Collectively, these results recommend expanded conceptions of STEM education and careers and contribute to studies of science and engineering workforce transitions and diversity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4953
Author(s):  
Alfredo Guzmán Rincón ◽  
Sandra Barragán ◽  
Favio Cala Vitery

As part of the 2030 Agenda, higher education has been conceptualised as one of the ways to overcome the social disparities experienced in rural areas in Colombia. Thus, in concordance with the benefits of this level of education, the state has been designing public policies during the last few years, in order to facilitate access to undergraduate programmes to these populations, focusing mainly on the implementation of the virtual modality. In this context, it is recognised that access itself is not enough, but that continuance and timely graduation are required to materialise the benefits obtained along with a higher education degree; hence, dropout is a subject of interest for study, especially due to the high rates existing in the rural student population. Therefore, the event of dropout becomes an obstacle to social change and transformation in rural areas. Thus, this article aimed to identify which individual, institutional, academic and socio-economic characteristics influence rural student dropout in virtual undergraduate programmes in Colombia. For this purpose, an exploratory, quantitative and cross-sectional study was proposed, with a sample of 291 students to whom a student characterisation instrument and a classroom evaluation instrument were applied. With these data, it was proceeded to establish which of them had deserted, constituting the extraction of the sample of the study, which were 168. With the information, an exploratory factor analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and descriptive statistics were used to establish which explanatory variables are involved in the dropout of this type of student. The results showed that the academic variables analysed do not have an impact on the event, while marital status (associated with family obligations), age, social stratum, work obligations, parents’ level of education and type of work, income and type of employment relationship of the student, and, finally, the number of people who depend on the family’s income do.


Author(s):  
Kathryn Strong Hansen

AbstractGreater emphasis on ethical issues is needed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The fiction for specific purposes (FSP) approach, using optimistic science fiction texts, offers a way to focus on ethical reflection that capitalizes on role models rather than negative examples. This article discusses the benefits of using FSP in STEM education more broadly, and then explains how using optimistic fictions in particular encourages students to think in ethically constructive ways. Using examples of science fiction texts with hopeful perspectives, example discussion questions are given to model how to help keep students focused on the ethical issues in a text. Sample writing prompts to elicit ethical reflection are also provided as models of how to guide students to contemplate and analyze ethical issues that are important in their field of study. The article concludes that the use of optimistic fictions, framed through the lens of professional ethics guidelines and reinforced through ethical reflection, can help students to have beneficial ethical models.


Author(s):  
Yeping Li ◽  
Alan H. Schoenfeld

AbstractMathematics is fundamental for many professions, especially science, technology, and engineering. Yet, mathematics is often perceived as difficult and many students leave disciplines in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a result, closing doors to scientific, engineering, and technological careers. In this editorial, we argue that how mathematics is traditionally viewed as “given” or “fixed” for students’ expected acquisition alienates many students and needs to be problematized. We propose an alternative approach to changes in mathematics education and show how the alternative also applies to STEM education.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document