scholarly journals Perceived Impact of COVID-19 and Other Factors on STEM Students’ Career Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-157
Author(s):  
Marcie Desrochers ◽  
Deborah Naybor ◽  
Daniel Kelting
Keyword(s):  
Online Instruction ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Career Path ◽  
Career Goals ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Instructional Tools ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Impact

In early 2020, colleges shifted abruptly from traditional in-person to remote distant instruction due to COVID-19 potentially exacerbating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students’ recruitment and retention. This preliminary study using survey methodology was conducted with STEM students at a small (700 students) private college to examine questions related to students’ perceptions of natural science careers, career decision-making factors, barriers influencing students’ career path, including effects of COVID-19 on career goals, mental health, and perceived quality of instruction. A Qualtrics® survey was sent to 180 STEM students, from which we received 53 responses (29.4% response rate). Consistent with other studies, family was one of the most important factors supporting their career path. Students had a relatively upbeat career outlook despite being in the middle of a global pandemic and were only moderately worried about the impact of COVID-19 on their future career. Despite these relatively positive outcomes, the abrupt switch to online instruction was viewed unfavorably by most respondents, who valued the hands-on learning experiences obtained with traditional in-person instruction. It is possible that respondents’ views of online instruction may improve over time as instructors become more adept at using new instructional tools. Future research should evaluate this aspect and whether students’ career goals change across time as the pandemic unfolds.

scholarly journals Bridging the gap: blending spatial skills instruction into a technology teacher preparation programme

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diarmaid Lane ◽  
Sheryl Sorby
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Spatial Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Base Level ◽  
Technology Teacher ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn recent years, there has been a surge in research in spatial thinking across the international community. We now know that spatial skills are malleable and that they are linked to success across multiple disciplines, most notably Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). While spatial skills have been examined by cognitive scientists in laboratory environments for decades, current research is examining how these skills can be developed in field-based environments. In this paper, we present findings from a study within a Technology Teacher preparation programme where we examined first-year students’ spatial skills on entry to university. We explain why it was necessary to embed a spatial skills intervention into Year 1 of the programme and we describe the impact that this had on students’ spatial scores and on academic performance. The findings from our study highlight a consistent gender gap in spatial scores at the start of the first-year with female students entering the Technology Teacher preparation programme at a lower base level than male students. We describe how we integrated spatial development activities into an existing course and how an improvement in spatial scores and overall course performance was observed. The paper concludes by discussing the long-term sustainability of integrating spatial interventions within teacher preparation programmes while also highlighting the importance of future research to examine spatial skills as a fundamental component of technological capability.

Core Self-Evaluations as a Mediator Between Functional Disability and Life Satisfaction in College Students With Disabilities Majoring in Science and Technology

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Miller Smedema ◽  
Joseph S. Pfaller ◽  
Rana A. Yaghmaian ◽  
Hayley Weaver ◽  
Elizabeth da Silva Cardoso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
College Students With Disabilities ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Quantitative Descriptive ◽  
Core Self ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: To examine the mediational effect of core self-evaluations (CSE) on the relationship between functional disability and life satisfaction.Methods: A quantitative descriptive design using multiple regression analysis. The participants were 97 college students with disabilities receiving services through Hunter College’s Minority-Disability Alliance (MIND Alliance) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.Results: CSE was a partial mediator between functional disability and life satisfaction. After controlling for CSE, functional disability was no longer a significant predictor of life satisfaction.Conclusions: CSE partially mediated the impact of functional disability on life satisfaction. Future research should explore the development of interventions to increase CSE to reduce the effect of disability and to improve life satisfaction and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Expertise in STEM Disciplines

2019 ◽  
pp. 528-550
Author(s):  
David F. Feldon ◽  
Soojeong Jeong ◽  
Joana Franco
Keyword(s):  
Modern Society ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Expert Performance ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Disciplines ◽  
New Directions ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Impact

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.

Consequences of Asking Sensitive Questions in Surveys

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Yan
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Item Nonresponse ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Sensitive Questions ◽  
Survey Error ◽  
The Impact

I review selected articles from the survey methodology literature on the consequences of asking sensitive questions in censuses and surveys, using a total survey error (TSE) framework. I start with definitions of sensitive questions and move to examination of the impact of including sensitive questions on various sources of survey error—specifically, survey respondents’ willingness to participate in a survey (unit nonresponse), their willingness to respond to next rounds of interviews (wave nonresponse), their likelihood to provide an answer to sensitive questions after agreeing to participate in the survey (item nonresponse), and the accuracy of respondents’ answers to sensitive questions (measurement error). I also review the simultaneous impact of sensitive questions on multiple sources of error in survey estimates and discuss strategies to mitigate the impact of asking sensitive questions on measurement errors. I conclude with a summary and suggestions for future research. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Statistics and Its Application, Volume 8 is March 8, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. ar43 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals The Impact of an Online Happiness Course on Subjective Happiness Among College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Casey Murdoch Rodowicz ◽  
Laura Morris ◽  
Cara L. Sidman ◽  
Kelsey Beyer
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Happiness ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
The Impact

Background: This research examined the subjective happiness of students enrolled in either a 5-week happiness or a 5-week recreational course, both administered online. Studies have shown improvements in college students’ well-being after teaching them behavior modification strategies, in a face-to-face setting, similar to those implemented in the present study. In addition, the past three decades of research on positive psychology has provided extensive evidence of the beneficial impact of happiness, or positive psychological interventions (PPIs), on various aspects of well-being. These include emotional variables related to stress.Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an evidence-based online happiness course on subjective happiness among college students. Methods: Participants (N = 74) were self-selected based on course enrollment. The population of interest was college students (18 – 22 years of age). An online survey methodology was utilized for data collection of pretest/posttest measures of subjective happiness.Results: Participants in both the happiness and recreational courses reported increased measures of subjective happiness, although there was no significant difference between group meansConclusion: Future research investigating university-based happiness courses and other interventions, using a variety of delivery formats, is recommended to determine the most effective ways to improve overall happiness in student populations.

scholarly journals The Persistence of Anxiety Experienced by New Generation in Online Learning

10.28945/4040 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The World ◽  
Course Experience ◽  
New Generation ◽  
The Impact

Aim/Purpose: To investigate anxiety in online courses and its relationship with overall online courses satisfaction as it may vary with online courses experience. Background: Delivering online courses in higher education institutions continue to increase. Anxieties seem to be persistent. Although there are many technology and internet related anxieties studies, online courses anxieties are relatively scarce. The cause for this anxiety has not been resolved or addressed sufficiently. This study takes part in this quest. Methodology: A fully online course with not face to face interaction was used for the study. A survey methodology approach was used for the anxiety scale measurements. Over 1400 students participated in the survey. Contribution: Students taking online courses continue to be challenged with anxieties. Their experiences (number of courses taken) with online courses may influence their anxieties and satisfaction levels, but that has not been studies. We contribute to this body of literature. Findings: One third of students reported to continue to experience anxiety while taking their online courses. The effect of their anxieties on their satisfaction does not seem to be influenced by their online course experience. Recommendations for Practitioners: Focus on the various elements that may influence anxieties and satisfaction of students while taking courses. For IT designers, interface and point of interactions may be the aspect to pay attention to, while professors would need to consider course pedagogy and its interaction within the IT learning environment. Recommendation for Researchers: Anxiety in online learning should take front stage as it represents an underlying stream of influence on all research in the field. Further study of the effect of online course experience on satisfaction and anxiety is necessary. Impact on Society: Anxiety in learning has many detrimental effects that last a student’s career and personality over their entire life. The impact of reducing anxieties while online learning is significant and tangible especially that online learning is at its initial stages of an exponential growth and will change the world sooner than later. Future Research: Pedagogy for efficient and effective online courses to reduce anxieties and in-crease satisfaction.

scholarly journals Improving Underrepresented Minority Student Persistence in STEM

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. es5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mica Estrada ◽  
Myra Burnett ◽  
Andrew G. Campbell ◽  
Patricia B. Campbell ◽  
Wilfred F. Denetclaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Persistence ◽  
Minority Student ◽  
Howard Hughes Medical Institute ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Medical Institute ◽  
Underrepresented Minority ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Persistence In Stem

Members of the Joint Working Group on Improving Underrepresented Minorities (URMs) Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)—convened by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute—review current data and propose deliberation about why the academic “pathways” leak more for URM than white or Asian STEM students. They suggest expanding to include a stronger focus on the institutional barriers that need to be removed and the types of interventions that “lift” students’ interests, commitment, and ability to persist in STEM fields. Using Kurt Lewin’s planned approach to change, the committee describes five recommendations to increase URM persistence in STEM at the undergraduate level. These recommendations capitalize on known successes, recognize the need for accountability, and are framed to facilitate greater progress in the future. The impact of these recommendations rests upon enacting the first recommendation: to track successes and failures at the institutional level and collect data that help explain the existing trends.

scholarly journals Getting Messy with Authentic Data: Exploring the Potential of Using Data from Scientific Research to Support Student Data Literacy

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. es2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa K. Kjelvik ◽  
Elizabeth H. Schultheis
Keyword(s):  
Data Science ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Quantitative Reasoning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Literacy ◽  
Using Data ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Authentic Data ◽  
The Impact

Data are becoming increasingly important in science and society, and thus data literacy is a vital asset to students as they prepare for careers in and outside science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and go on to lead productive lives. In this paper, we discuss why the strongest learning experiences surrounding data literacy may arise when students are given opportunities to work with authentic data from scientific research. First, we explore the overlap between the fields of quantitative reasoning, data science, and data literacy, specifically focusing on how data literacy results from practicing quantitative reasoning and data science in the context of authentic data. Next, we identify and describe features that influence the complexity of authentic data sets (selection, curation, scope, size, and messiness) and implications for data-literacy instruction. Finally, we discuss areas for future research with the aim of identifying the impact that authentic data may have on student learning. These include defining desired learning outcomes surrounding data use in the classroom and identification of teaching best practices when using data in the classroom to develop students’ data-literacy abilities.

The Impact of Summer Research Experience for Science Teachers on Classroom Instruction

2011 ◽  
Vol 1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Sen ◽  
D. R. Baker ◽  
R. J. Culbertson
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Teaching Fellows ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Science And Mathematics Teachers ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTMore than 100 science and mathematics teachers have participated in the ASU Math and Science Teaching Fellows program for summers in 2007-2010 at Arizona State University. The goal of the program was to expose the teachers to the real world of science and help them transfer the experience into the classroom. The teachers spend the mornings in small groups in assigned research laboratories and afternoons in whole group interactive sessions. During the afternoon sessions the teachers worked on a poster presentation and a classroom unit integrating the research experience. The present study focuses on the impact of the research experiences on the teachers’ classrooms and the differences between a larger and longer program (37 teachers for 5 weeks in 2009) and a smaller and shorter program (8 teachers for 4 weeks in 2010). The lesson plans were coded based on a rubric. The posters were coded using qualitative analysis software. The scores on the lesson plans and the frequency of codes on transfer to classroom were higher in 2010 compared to those in 2009. The results indicate that the research experience program had a better impact on transfer to school curriculum with a smaller cohort of teachers. This implies that future research experience programs should be designed for smaller groups of teachers.

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