scholarly journals STEAM Programming as a Pathway to Foster Positive Academic Self-Efficacy and Positive Self-Concept

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-118
Author(s):  
Merci Best ◽  
Robin Best ◽  
Cheryl Dickter
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Early Access ◽  
School Time ◽  
The Arts ◽  
12Th Grade ◽  
Stem Pipeline ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12

Multicultural individuals are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Therefore, the current study is focused on exploring STEAMtrix, a STEM out-of-school time (OST) education program that incorporates the arts for kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) students. The study explores whether STEAMtrix could lead to the formation of positive STEM-specific self-efficacy and self-concept. Specifically, the study examined whether STEAMtrix could improve multicultural students’ interest and awareness of careers within the STEM pipeline. Thirty-eight students from multicultural backgrounds at a medium-sized community center participated in STEAMtrix. Explicit measures of STEM self-efficacy and both explicit and implicit measures of self-concept were collected before and after programming. Results demonstrated that the STEAMtrix curriculum increased STEM self-efficacy in some domains and improved implicit self-concept. This study offers insight into how community organizations and school systems can promote early access, positive self-efficacy, and positive self-concept in relation to STEM educational experiences during OST.

Formative External Evaluation and Data Analysis Report Year Three: Building Opportunities for STEM Success

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelicque Tucker Blackmon ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Mathematics Students ◽  
External Evaluation ◽  
College Chemistry ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Mathematics

This report is an analysis of college chemistry, biology, computer science, and mathematics students' perceptions of STEM self-efficacy and study skills before and after an intervention.

scholarly journals Enabling creative collaboration for all levels of learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 1878-1885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngmoo E. Kim ◽  
Brandon G. Morton ◽  
Jeff Gregorio ◽  
David S. Rosen ◽  
Kareem Edouard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Experiences ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
12Th Grade ◽  
Drexel University ◽  
Graduate Research ◽  
Integrated Programs ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Professional Artists

A potential path for enabling greater creativity and collaboration is through increased arts and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration in education and research. This approach has been a growing discussion in US national forums and is the foundation of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics plus arts and design (STEAM) education movement. Developing authentic artistic integrations with STEM fields (or vice versa) is challenging, particularly in higher education, where traditional disciplinary structures and incentives can impede the creation of integrated programs. Measuring and assessing the outcomes of such integration efforts can be even more challenging, since traditional metrics do not necessarily capture new opportunities created for students and faculty, and the greatest impact may occur over a long period (a career). At Drexel University, we created the Expressive & Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center as a standalone institute to pursue and enable such transdisciplinary arts–STEM collaborations, particularly with external arts and education partners. In this perspectives paper, we highlight a range of projects and outcomes resulting from such external collaborations, including graduate research with professional artists, undergraduate student work experiences, and STEAM-based education programs for kindergarten through 12th-grade (K-12) students. While each project has its own specific objectives and outcomes, we believe that they collectively demonstrate this integrated transdisciplinary approach to be impactful and potentially transformative for all levels of learning.

Using Nanoscience as a Theme for Capstone Projects in an Elementary Education Majors Science Course

2013 ◽  
Vol 1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina J. Mancini-Samuelson
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Elementary Education Majors ◽  
Stem Pipeline ◽  
Confidence Assessment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Elementary Education Students ◽  
Socially Relevant ◽  
Capstone Projects ◽  
And Mathematics

ABSTRACTThe national interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has called attention to P-12 education, the STEM pipeline. Education of teachers is a primary influence on the education of children in the classroom. While high school (and often middle school) teachers are versed in the content of a particular aspect of STEM (e.g. Mathematics or Chemistry), elementary teachers, on the other end of the pipeline, are educated as generalists, with a primary goal of setting the foundations for future learning.In 2004, a team of STEM and education faculty at St. Catherine University (SCU) was called together, united by their interest in improving STEM education for all students at SCU, particularly women. Combining the content expertise of the biology, chemistry, physics/engineering, and mathematics departments with the methods expertise of the education department, the team designed courses that made STEM concepts more engaging and relevant to students. In 2010, the STEM Certificate was solidified and required of all elementary education students. It is comprised of three interdisciplinary, team-taught, lab based courses that are open to all undergraduate majors at the institution. Each course is centered on one discipline (i.e. biology, chemistry, or engineering/physics). Chemistry of Life is the chemistry-focused course. The course was designed to include a capstone project. As an introduction to materials science, nanoscience was selected as the theme for the projects. The topic allowed for socially relevant and also highly interdisciplinary projects. Students working in teams of three or four, designed projects, determined how to measure and obtain data, and analyzed and interpreted results. A content and confidence assessment given to students before and after the projects showed an increase in both their understanding of nanomaterials and their confidence in conducting a nanoscience project.

scholarly journals Modeling Sources of Teaching Self-Efficacy for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. ar32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Ellen DeChenne ◽  
Natalie Koziol ◽  
Mark Needham ◽  
Larry Enochs
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have a large impact on undergraduate instruction but are often poorly prepared to teach. Teaching self-efficacy, an instructor’s belief in his or her ability to teach specific student populations a specific subject, is an important predictor of teaching skill and student achievement. A model of sources of teaching self-efficacy is developed from the GTA literature. This model indicates that teaching experience, departmental teaching climate (including peer and supervisor relationships), and GTA professional development (PD) can act as sources of teaching self-efficacy. The model is pilot tested with 128 GTAs from nine different STEM departments at a midsized research university. Structural equation modeling reveals that K–12 teaching experience, hours and perceived quality of GTA PD, and perception of the departmental facilitating environment are significant factors that explain 32% of the variance in the teaching self-efficacy of STEM GTAs. This model highlights the important contributions of the departmental environment and GTA PD in the development of teaching self-efficacy for STEM GTAs.

Perception or Confidence? Self-Concept, Self-Efficacy and Achievement in Mathematics: A Longitudinal Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yi Kung
Keyword(s):  
Mathematics Achievement ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
International Association ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
School Level ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Self Efficacy

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study research of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement reported in 2003 that Taiwanese fourth- and eighth-graders' mathematics performance exceeded the international average; both groups ranked fourth from among all the participant countries. However, the Index of Students' Self-Confidence in Learning Mathematics was below the international average for both these groups. This study, coming at the end of the first year of a three-year project, explored Taiwanese students' mathematics learning at the high school level from a social cognitive perspective. Utilising structural equation modelling, it examined the relationships among mathematics self-concept, mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement using a longitudinal design. The subjects included 2198 seventh- and tenth-graders from Taiwan. The results indicate a significant correlation between mathematics self-concept and mathematics self-efficacy as well as significant longitudinal effects. Mathematics achievement at Time 1 significantly predicted the mathematics self-concept, mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement at Time 2, while mathematics self-concept and mathematics self-efficacy at Time 1 significantly predicted mathematics achievement at Time 2. The implications of these findings are discussed from the viewpoint of cultivating the students' interest and confidence in learning mathematics, and suggestions are provided for further research.

Assessment of the Efficacy of a Peer Mentoring Program in a University Setting

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 685-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Alonso ◽  
Gloria Castaño ◽  
Ana M. Calles ◽  
Silvia Sánchez-Herrero
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Academic Setting ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Formal Mentoring Program ◽  
University Setting

In the present study, the efficacy of a formal mentoring program applied to fourth and fifth year students of the Psychology Faculty of the Complutense University is assessed. In this program, fifth-year students took on the role of mentors and fourth-year students, the role of mentees. To assess the efficacy, the group of mentors was compared with a group of non-mentors and the group of mentees with a group of non-mentees, before and after the program, taking into account the variables related to career development function (knowledge acquired of the academic setting and satisfaction with the career of Psychology) and the psychosocial function (self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and involvement).The results show a statistically significant increase in the knowledge acquired about the academic setting as a consequence of the program, both in the group of mentors and in the group of mentees. Moreover, the mentors achieved a better average grade in the subjects of the specialty of Work Psychology. There were no statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in satisfaction with the career of Psychology, or in self-concept, self-esteem, or self-efficacy.

Authentic Science with Dissemination Increases Self-Efficacy of Middle School Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1497-1508
Author(s):  
E Dale Broder ◽  
Katie E Guilbert ◽  
Robin M Tinghitella ◽  
Shannon M Murphy ◽  
Cameron K Ghalambor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
After School ◽  
Stem Careers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Homogeneous Groups ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12

Abstract Ethnically and gender diverse groups are more efficient, creative, and productive than homogeneous groups, yet women and minorities are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. One contributor is unequal access to high-quality STEM education based on socioeconomic status and race, which we may be able to address through inquiry-based out-of-school time programs. Here we describe a 6-month after-school program that allows an underrepresented community of middle school students to conduct original scientific research that they present at a conference each year. Through qualitative assessments and interviews, we found a trend for increased interest in STEM careers and self-efficacy in participants. Self-efficacy, or belief in one’s ability to succeed, predicts performance and persistence in STEM. Both self-efficacy and interest in STEM careers increased after students presented their research at a conference, highlighting the unexplored importance of dissemination for shaping self-efficacy in K-12 students. Small after-school programs like ours can be easily accomplished as broader impacts by scientists, and well-designed programs have the potential to positively affect change by increasing access and participation in STEM for diverse students.

scholarly journals Inspiring careers in STEM and healthcare fields through medical simulation embedded in high school science education

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis J. Berk ◽  
Sharon L. Muret-Wagstaff ◽  
Riya Goyal ◽  
Julie A. Joyal ◽  
James A. Gordon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
School Science ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Medical Simulation ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Near Term ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12

The most effective ways to promote learning and inspire careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remain elusive. To address this gap, we reviewed the literature and designed and implemented a high-fidelity, medical simulation-based Harvard Medical School MEDscience course, which was integrated into high school science classes through collaboration between medical school and K–12 faculty. The design was based largely on the literature on concepts and mechanisms of self-efficacy. A structured telephone survey was conducted with 30 program alumni from the inaugural school who were no longer in high school. Near-term effects, enduring effects, contextual considerations, and diffusion and dissemination were queried. Students reported high incoming attitudes toward STEM education and careers, and these attitudes showed before versus after gains ( P < .05). Students in this modest sample overwhelmingly attributed elevated and enduring levels of impact on their interest and confidence in pursuing a science or healthcare-related career to the program. Additionally, 63% subsequently took additional science or health courses, 73% participated in a job or educational experience that was science related during high school, and 97% went on to college. Four of every five program graduates cited a health-related college major, and 83% offered their strongest recommendation of the program to others. Further study and evaluation of simulation-based experiences that capitalize on informal, naturalistic learning and promote self-efficacy are warranted.

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