Innovation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines

Enhancing expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is vital to promoting both the intellectual and economic development of a modern society. This chapter synthesizes relevant studies on the acquisition and development of STEM expertise from different areas of research, including cognitive psychology, the psychology of science, sociology and anthropology, and educational research. Specifically, first, the structure of relevant STEM disciplines in conceptualizing the domain of expertise are discussed. Then the fundamental mechanisms of thinking and problem-solving practices in science and engineering that underlie expert performance within these disciplines are presented. Issues pertaining to assessment and recognition of expertise in STEM fields are also examined. Lastly, evidence pertaining to the impact of training and education on the development of STEM expertise is reviewed. The chapter closes with a critical analysis of STEM expertise research to date and identifies unanswered critical questions and new directions for future research.

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News&Views: National Lab Day promotes STEM

Teaching Children Mathematics ◽

10.5951/tcm.17.4.0204 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 204-205

Author(s):

Andrea Christie

Keyword(s):

President Obama ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Stem Teaching

A year ago this month, President Obama announced the “Educate to Innovate” program to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching and education. National Lab Day is part of the president's program. Although May 12, 2010, marked the first National Lab “Day,” it is not actually a one-day event, but a yearlong initiative aimed at improving inquiry-based experiences for students in STEM disciplines.

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Optimism, Innovativeness, and Competitiveness: The Relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientations and the Development of Science Identity in Scientists

Social Currents ◽

10.1177/2329496519895297 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 155-172

Author(s):

Richard N. Pitt ◽

Lacee A. Satcher ◽

Amber Musette Drew

Keyword(s):

Sense Of Self ◽

Science Identity ◽

Entrepreneurial Activity ◽

Academic Scientists ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

New Knowledge ◽

Identity Centrality ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Relationship

We contend that the work scientists do is entrepreneurial because they are in the business of discovering, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities to create new knowledge. In this article, we examine the relationship between Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) scholars’ holdings of traits associated with entrepreneurial activity and the degree to which these scientists consider being a scientist important to their sense of self. In particular, we argue that optimism, an innovative mindset, and competitiveness should be associated, positively, with STEM scholars’ science identity. Our results, based on a survey of 215 postdoctoral trainees in STEM disciplines, show that the more academic scientists have of each entrepreneurial disposition, the greater their science identity centrality.

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Women Inclusivity in Entrepreneurial and STEM Related Education—A Case Study

Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy ◽

10.1177/25151274211033163 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 251512742110331

Author(s):

Seshadri Paravastu ◽

Narasimha S Paravastu

Keyword(s):

Women Entrepreneurs ◽

Entrepreneurship Education ◽

Women's Empowerment ◽

Women’S Empowerment ◽

Women Empowerment ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

Successful Women ◽

And Mathematics

This paper presents an interdisciplinary case study on women's inclusivity in an entrepreneurship class consisting of adults enrolled in interdisciplinary majors, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. With women empowerment through entrepreneurship education as a theme, this case study in learning innovations aims to encourage diversity and inclusivity in the classroom in discussing successful women entrepreneurs alongside men. Acceptance of ideas proposed by women in a class setting formed a basis for this study. Furthermore, this case study used the idea to reinforce women's empowerment during in-class lectures subtly. This paper reports findings based on our case study across multiple undergraduate and graduate classes comprising majors and adults from STEM disciplines.

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Āwhina Revolution: A Bayesian Analysis of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Completion Rates from a Program for Māori and Pacific Success in STEM Disciplines

CBE—Life Sciences Education ◽

10.1187/cbe.17-07-0117 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. ar15 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ken Richardson ◽

Zaramasina Clark ◽

Michael Gaines ◽

Hautahi Kingi ◽

Sonja Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Community Development ◽

Bayesian Approach ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Completion Rates ◽

European Descent ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Pacific Community

Māori and Pacific students generally do not attain the same levels of tertiary success as New Zealanders of European descent, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Te Rōpū Āwhina (Āwhina), an equity initiative at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand between 1999 and 2015, aimed to produce Māori and Pacific professionals in STEM disciplines who contribute to Māori and Pacific community development and leadership. A hierarchical Bayesian approach was used to estimate posterior standardized completion rates for 3-year undergraduate and 2-year postgraduate degrees undertaken by non–Māori-Pacific and Māori-Pacific students. Results were consistent with an Āwhina effect, that is, Āwhina’s positive influence on (combined) Māori and Pacific success.

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Do It by Yourself: An Instructional Derivation of the Laplacian Operator in Spherical Polar Coordinates

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9222943 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (22) ◽

pp. 2943

Author(s):

Ana Laura Pérez-Martínez ◽

Maria del Pilar Aguilar-Del-Valle ◽

Arturo Rodríguez-Gomez

Keyword(s):

Polar Coordinates ◽

Laplacian Operator ◽

Deformable Solid ◽

Mathematical Concepts ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

Engineering Problems ◽

Scientists And Engineers ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Frontier Studies

For scientists and engineers, the Laplacian operator is a fundamental tool that has made it possible to carry out important frontier studies involving wave propagation, potential theory, heat conduction, the distribution of stresses in a deformable solid and quantum mechanics. Knowing, understanding, and manipulating the Laplacian operator allows us to tackle complex and exciting physics, chemistry, and engineering problems. In this paper, contained in the Special Issue “Mathematics as the M in STEM Education”, we present an instructional derivation of the Laplacian operator in spherical coordinates. Our derivation is self-contained and employs well-known mathematical concepts used in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Our lengthy but straightforward procedure shows that this fundamental tool in mathematics is not intractable but accessible to anyone who studies any of the STEM disciplines. We consider that this work may be helpful for students and teachers who wish to discuss the derivation of this vital tool from an elementary approach in their courses.

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Athena addresses the problems: The biosciences leaking pipeline

The Biochemist ◽

10.1042/bio02903008 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 8-11

Author(s):

Julia Higgins ◽

Nancy Lane ◽

Caroline Fox

Keyword(s):

Entry Point ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

And Mathematics ◽

The Individual

The biosciences are unique among the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. At the entry point they are attractive to women, who form the majority of undergraduates, but although this pipeline is full at the beginning, it is just not delivering effectively. The costs of the leakage are high, for the individual, for UK science and for the economy.

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Exploring Enabling Interventions for Increasing Female Students’ Access and Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) Disciplines in Kenyan Public Universities

Msingi Journal ◽

10.33886/mj.v1i2.107 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Lucy Wandiri Mbirianjau ◽

Fatuma Chege ◽

Ibrahim Oanda

Keyword(s):

Public Universities ◽

Career Guidance ◽

Female Gender ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Female Students ◽

Gender Typing ◽

Institutional Barriers ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

And Mathematics

Globally, studies continue to document disparities in women’s access and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the universities. Despite existence of policies at the national and institutional level, no single and clear road map exists on what set of interventions can best contribute to redressing this disparities. This study draws attention to the low participation of female students in STEM disciplines and especially in hard sciences in Kenyan public universities. Data for the study were collected in three public universities that were purposively sampled. Questionnaires, interviews, observations, content and documentary analysis were used as key instruments for data collection and research techniques. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study findings revealed that, despite the existing educational gender interventions, female students’ enrolment and participation in STEM disciplines in the Kenyan public universities is 30% and less than 20% in hard sciences. The study also established that there exists a continued process of gender typing in the secondary school curriculum which students pick and is further manifested in the universities. This stereotype has created a false perception among female students that soft sciences are marketable for the female gender and are feminine compared to the hard sciences. Further there exists socio-cultural and institutional barriers that affects female students’ participation in STEM disciplines. The study recommends first, the need for government and universities to develop educational STEM policies and interventions to increase female participation in STEM disciplines. Second, the STEM curricula should be made gender responsive with integration of additional STEM female faculty members to act as mentors to female students. Appropriate STEM mentoring and career guidance should be enhanced at all levels of education and all educational stakeholders should be involved in minimising socio-cultural, institutional barriers and stereotypes on masculinity of STEM disciplines.

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Reframing Achievement Setbacks: A Motivation Intervention to Improve 8-Year Graduation Rates for Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797620904451 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 623-633 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jeremy M. Hamm ◽

Raymond P. Perry ◽

Judith G. Chipperfield ◽

Steve Hladkyj ◽

Patti C. Parker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

At Risk ◽

Graduation Rates ◽

At Risk Students ◽

Psychological Interventions ◽

Stem Fields ◽

College Dropout ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

And Mathematics

Despite increased emphasis on educating students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, nearly half of U.S. college students who enroll in these programs fail to graduate with STEM degrees. Using archival data from the Motivation and Academic Achievement Database, we tested whether a motivation intervention to reframe causal attributions for academic setbacks improved graduation rates for college students in STEM disciplines ( N = 496). Results showed that the intervention increased the odds of 8-year graduation for students who were at risk of college dropout. Findings highlight the potential of theory-informed psychological interventions to increase persistence to graduation for at-risk students in STEM fields.

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Perceptions of Barriers to Career Progression for Academic Women in STEM

Societies ◽

10.3390/soc11020027 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 27

Author(s):

Christine O’Connell ◽

Merryn McKinnon

Keyword(s):

Gender Equity ◽

Sense Of Belonging ◽

Career Progression ◽

Double Standards ◽

Women In Academia ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Disciplines ◽

Key Issues ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Equity And Inclusion

Gender equity in academia is a long-standing struggle. Although common to all disciplines, the impacts of bias and stereotypes are particularly pronounced in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This paper explores what barriers exist for the career progression of women in academia in STEM disciplines in order to identify key issues and potential solutions. In particular, we were interested in how women perceive the barriers affecting their careers in comparison to their male colleagues. Fourteen focus groups with female-identifying academics showed that there were core barriers to career progression, which spanned countries, disciplines and career stages. Entrenched biases, stereotypes, double standards, bullying and harassment all negatively impact women’s confidence and sense of belonging. Women also face an additional biological burden, often being pushed to choose between having children or a career. Participants felt that their experiences as STEM academics were noticeably different to those of their male colleagues, where many of the commonly occurring barriers for women were simply non-issues for men. The results of this study indicate that some of these barriers can be overcome through networks, mentoring and allies. Addressing these barriers requires a reshaping of the gendered norms that currently limit progress to equity and inclusion.

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