Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mathematics/STEM education'

This study investigated the learning preferences of female students enrolled in pre-requisite math classes that are gateway to chemistry, engineering, and physics majors at a 4-year public university in southern California. A gender gap exists in certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines; this gap may be exacerbated by pedagogies that favor males and make learning more difficult for females. STEM-related jobs were forecast to increase 22% from 2004 to 2014. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, only 18.8% of industrial engineers are female. From 2006 - 2011, at the institution where this study took place, the percentage of females who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering was 16.63%. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2010 there were 1.569 million “Engineering Occupations” in the U.S., of which only 200,000 (12.7%) were held by females. STEM professions are highly paid and prestigious; those members of society who hold these positions enjoy a secure financial and societal place.

This study uses the Women’s Ways of Knowing, Procedural Knowledge: Separate and Connected Knowing theoretical framework. A modified version of the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey was used to assess student’s pedagogical preference. Approximately 700 math students were surveyed; there were 486 respondents. The majority of the respondents (n=366; 75.3%) were STEM students. This study did not find a statistically significant relationship between gender and student success; however, there was a statistically significant difference between the learning preferences of females and males. Additionally, there was a statistically significant result between the predictor variables gender and pedagogy on the dependent variable student self-reported grade. If Connected Knowledge pedagogies can be demonstrated to provide a significant increase in student learning, and if the current U.S. educational system is unable to produce sufficient graduates in these majors, then it seems reasonable that STEM teachers would be willing to consider best practices to enhance learning for females so long as male students’ learning is not devalued or diminished.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, or STEM, is an area that is currently growing in popularity with educators (Becker & Park, 2011). A qualitative study consisting of interviews was conducted and data were gathered from three leaders in professional STEM organizations, four principals from elementary STEM schools, and six teachers from elementary STEM schools to gain their perceptions of elementary STEM schools in Missouri. The perceptions of leaders in professional STEM organizations regarding STEM education were consistently all positive, and each leader was a proponent of STEM education at the elementary level. The perceptions of principals and teachers were also similar in response to interview questions. Both principals and teachers reported STEM education has the ability to increase student engagement and student achievement. The principals provided information that showed a shift in teacher attitude toward STEM from hesitant to giving full support. The teachers offered answers to the interview questions that showed favor and support for continuing professional development in regards to STEM education. Results and conclusions from this study may assist schools in deciding if STEM education should be integrated within their curriculum.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education programs are currently being introduced and expanded across “developing” nations. STEM programs often conflict with hegemonic gender norms, for example by targeting girls and women in male dominated societies. However, given the cultural complexity of STEM for girls, implementing educators are rarely asked their point of view on programs from abroad. This study explored the perceptions of educators in Nepal who participated in the Girls Get STEM Skills (GGSS) program, a program funded through the U.S. Department of State for 2015/2016. The 8-month program reached 254 girls across three government schools and included the donation of 30 laptops. In August, 2016, the researcher conducted one-on-one interviews and focus groups with 18 participants at GGSS school sites in Pokhara, Nepal. Qualitative data was gathered on educators’ perceptions of teacher roles, Nepal as a developing nation, gender imbalance in STEM, and the GGSS curriculum. The study argues that educators viewed educational topics through the lens of bikas, the Nepali word for development. This suggests that the principal impact of STEM programs—as part of larger development initiatives—may be the creation and reinforcement of new social meanings rather than the tangible impacts of the projects themselves.

The primary purpose of the study was to examine secondary data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman and College Senior Surveys to investigate factors shaping degree aspirations for African American female undergraduates partaking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the data and identify relationships between independent variables in relation to the dependent variable. The findings of the study reveal four key variables that were predictive of degree completion for African American females in STEM. Father's education, SAT composite, highest degree planned, and self-perception were positive predictors for females; while independent variable overall sense of community among students remained a negative predictor. Lastly implications for education and recommendations for future research were discussed.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between exposure to the arts and performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. STEAM, an integration of arts-based instruction into science and math related fields, is viewed as an alternative to traditional STEM academies. The literature briefly examines the current state of STEM programs and the deficiencies in graduate quality and quantity and the call from employers for a more innovative workforce. Advocates for STEAM argue for arts as a means to improve creativity, collaboration, risk-taking and exploration. Arguments against arts in STEM are grounded in political opinions concerning arts funding and logistical complications of implementing STEAM. However, some schools and STEM programs have embraced the STEAM premise and have begun to integrate arts into the traditional curriculum. The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset was utilized to determine a correlation between the number of arts credits earned and mathematics/science achievement. Results from the NAEP dataset indicated a correlation between the amount of arts credits and increased achievement scores in science and math. The same correlation was found when controlling for demographic factors such as gender, race, and socio-economic status (SES). Overall, the arts' greatest impact was on students identified as "at-risk" or underrepresented in STEM fields. Controlling for these variable groups, one can note the quantifiable differences in scores. Overall, findings of the study provide empirical support for the addition of arts in STEM.

Women are underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Trends are starting to change as more and more women are starting to choose majors that are related to STEM. However, the numbers decline sharply in engineering, physical sciences and computer sciences. This project was created as a resource to be used in schools to encourage the increase of women studying, and eventually working, in STEM fields. Research has shown that many women who choose STEM majors and careers were heavily influenced by informal STEM enrichment opportunities outside of the school day and female role models in STEM. This project is an NGSS aligned lesson that incorporates a historical vignette highlighting the work of a female scientist. The vignette can be used in a lesson or as a pull out in a different class or program.

Inclusive STEM-focused high schools (ISHSs) are a relatively new phenomenon in the landscape of public education. This study of four exemplar ISHSs (identified by experts in STEM education as highly successfully in preparing students underrepresented in STEM for STEM majors in college and future STEM careers) provides a rich description of the approach to ISHS school leadership by identifying various internal and external leadership factors influencing school leadership. This study examined an existing data set that included site visits to four ISHSs along with pre- and post-visit data, and a cross-case analysis focused on the leadership contributions of ISHS leaders and their larger community.

This study found that the ISHSs expanded the concept of school leadership to include leadership both within and outside the school. In addition, school leaders needed autonomy to innovate and respond to their schools’ needs. This included autonomy in hiring new teachers, autonomy from school district influence, and autonomy from restrictive teachers’ union regulation and policies. Finally, ISHSs needed to continually invest in increasing their schools’ capacities. This included investing in teacher professionalization, providing pathways for school leadership, collaborating with business and industry, and identifying the best student supports. A product of this study was a proposition for characterizing school leadership in an ISHS. This proposition may offer valuable insight, implications, and information for states and schools districts that may be planning or improving STEM education programs.

The 21st century has seen a pervasive theme in STEM continue from the 20^th century: women do not pursue and persist in STEM careers at anywhere near the rate of men. Furthermore, STEM education has fallen short in preparing its students to enter the workforce as entrepreneurial knowledge workers prepared to innovate. As STEM and entrepreneurship receive unprecedented attention in scholarly circles, the first purpose of this mixed methods study at an independent day school was to examine the impact of a predominately female STEEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship and mathematics) teaching staff on girls’ perceptions of STEEM. The second purpose of this study was to examine the impact of adding entrepreneurship to a STEM curriculum. The ultimate goals of this study were to inform local policy and practice.

Through teacher interviews, student focus groups, and a student survey, this study investigated the impact of female teachers and a recently established entrepreneurship-infused curriculum. The theory of action guiding this school is that female STEEM teachers and the inclusion of entrepreneurship skills and projects can improve girls’ perceptions of the STEM classroom, helping them to view STEM as less gender-oriented (i.e., male-oriented), and thereby make these classes feel more welcoming to girls. This is aimed at increasing their adoption of STEM majors in college and STEM careers after they graduate.

This study has four major findings. First, the predominantly female STEEM faculty appeared to build girls’ confidence in their STEEM classes. Second, the STEEM teachers use active learning and critical thinking to engage the girls in their classes. Third, the introduction of entrepreneurship appears to have helped increase girls’ interest in STEM. Last, even while discussing their efforts to increase girls’ engagement with STEM, many teachers celebrate gender blindness.

These findings raised a number issues that should be important educators and (especially) school leaders. These include the importance of high standards for girls in STEEM classes, the value of including real world experiences in STEEM lessons, the success of expanding STEM with a less traditionally academic area and the challenges that gender blindness can perpetuate for educators and their students.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education curriculum is designed to strengthen students’ science and math achievement through project based learning activities. As part of a STEM initiative, SeaPerch was developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. SeaPerch is an innovative underwater robotics program that instructs students in how to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) following a STEM curriculum, including spatial thinking and rotation ability. This research study investigated if the students’ SeaPerch program and its spatial experience and training gave the opportunity to develop strategies not only in manipulating three dimensional objects but in strengthening mathematical ability (e.g. spatial thinking) in elementary, middle, and high school students with specific focus on gender and age.

This research study sample consisted of two groups of students: one that participated in the after-school SeaPerch program and the other that did not participate in the after-school SeaPerch program for the 2011–2012 school year. Both groups comprised students in similar grade levels and the MRT preassessment scores.

To measure students’ spatial rotation, the researcher used the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT). An independent samples t test was conducted to determine the effect of the SeaPerch program on MRT scores. The SeaPerch students (M = 1.35, SD = 2.21) scored significantly higher gains than the Non-SeaPerch students ( M = −.03, SD = 1.72), t (737) = 8.27, p = <.001. The effect size as measured by Cohen’s d = .697, indicated a medium practical significance. At each school level, MRT post assessment scores for students in the SeaPerch program increased significantly more than scores for students in the non-SeaPerch program.

In a national context of high failure rates in freshman calculus courses, the purpose of this study was to understand who is struggling, and why. High failure rates are especially alarming given a local environment where students have access to a variety of academic, and personal, assistance. The sample consists of students at Colorado State University (CSU) who attended a course in freshman calculus from Fall 2007 to Fall 2012. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used in this study.

Using data from CSU's Registrar's Office and Mathematics department, descriptive statistics highlighted several student attributes worth pursuing. Fall and spring cohorts have a different make up and different outcomes. Hence this study concentrated on the fall cohort, which comprises mainly of freshmen. The combination of attributes that produced the strongest prediction of student's final result in calculus were Colorado Commission on Higher Education index scores, CSU Mathematics department placement test scores, and calculus repeat status (R²=.30, n=1325). For Fall 2012, these attributes were combined with student motivation and student strategies constructs, measured using the MSLQ instrument. The combination giving the strongest prediction of student's first mid-term examination results (R²=.34, n=124) included CSU Mathematics department placement test scores, along with MSLQ constructs test anxiety, and self-efficacy for learning and performance. However, using logistic regression only 38.7% of the students who failed were correctly predicted to fail.

Former students of CSU's calculus course aimed at freshmen STEM students were interviewed or surveyed, in an attempt to probe how students experience this course. Several common elements emerged. Students were dedicating vast amounts of time to this course. There was a common belief this course could be passed if the student worked hard enough. The difference between those who succeeded and those who did not appeared to relate to how this study time was spent. Those who floundered often struggled to locate appropriate help, although they were quite aware they needed assistance. Many of those interviewed also avoided working with other students. Reasons cited ranged from claims of being individual learners, to frustration at finding a group who had the same study goals. Some non-traditional students were also alienated by the prospect of working with `teenagers'.

Two other results from the analysis of student interviews suggested reanalyzing the quantitative data and including student's prior history with mathematics, as well as if the student was non-traditional. The combination of attributes that gave the strongest relationship (R²=.40, n=101) were CSU Mathematics department placement test results, combined with MSLQ constructs test anxiety, self-efficacy for learning and performance, organization, as well as the student's own appraisal of the quality of mathematics teaching they received in high school. However, the ability to accurately predict if a student will fail was minimal.

Focusing on students who do fail, three groups of students of interest were isolated: those who have yet to declare their major, 'non-traditional' students, particularly those enrolled in the eight a.m. class, and, curiously, those students who choose to enroll in the ten a.m. class.

Women have historically been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields). The underrepresentation of women in STEM may be attributable to a variety of factors. These may include different choices men and women typically make in response to incentives in STEM education. For example, STEM career paths may be less accommodating to people who are less resilient. Another factor may be that there are relatively few female STEM role models. Perhaps strong gender stereotypes discourage women from pursuing STEM education and STEM jobs. The factors that contribute to success and the barriers that impeded success must be identified before any steps can be taken to improve the educational outcomes for women in STEM disciplines. Consequently, relatively little is known about the role of resilience in academically successful adult women in rural community colleges enrolled in STEM disciplines and the mechanisms that underlie the performance deficits that occur as a result of stereotype threat effect. This mixed method study addressed those knowledge gaps by determining: (1) if high resilience is positively correlated to high grade point average for women enrolled in STEM disciplines in rural community colleges in North Carolina, and (2) if stereotype threat effect is a risk factor for these women. Quantitative data were collected by using "The Resilience Scale" (Wagnild & Young, 1987) and through examination of grade point average of students from Datatel data management software. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews. Findings from this study indicate high resilience is positively correlated to high grade point average for women enrolled in STEM disciplines in rural community colleges in North Carolina, and stereotype threat effect was a risk factor for low-scoring women (i.e. those women who reported resilience scores less than 121 and grade point averages lower than 2.70) and was not a risk factor for high-scoring women (i.e. those women who reported resilience scores of 147 or higher and grade point averages of 2.70 or higher). Overall, qualitative data analysis revealed both high-scoring and low-scoring women in STEM disciplines were affected by stereotype threat effect. However, low-scoring women were negatively impacted by stereotype threat and high-scoring women were able to use pressures associated with stereotype threat as motivation for success. Based on results from this study four principal factors were found that influence the success of women in STEM disciplines. These factors include elimination of stereotype threat, enhancement of resilience of female students, expansion of female gender representation on community college campuses, and development of positive instructor-student and advisor-student relationships. While this study does not, and cannot, explain why gender differences in STEM exist, it does provide data and insight that will enable more informed policymaking for community college administrators in order to increase success of women in STEM disciplines. The findings provide definitive evidence of a need to encourage and support women in STEM education with a goal of gender parity.

Focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) literacy is a national priority for the United States. As competition increases internationally for scientific and technological innovations, the United States is concentrating on building its STEM capacity (Stephens, 2011). Despite the numerous STEM reform efforts there continues to be a decline in STEM graduates and STEM competencies (McNally, 2012; Langdon, Mckittrick, Beede, Doms, & Khan, 2011; Herschback, 2011). With attention focused on increasing STEM college majors and occupations among the student population, the current research investigation centered on the role of parent aspirations, student self-beliefs, and activities outside the classroom to determine the outcome of middle and high school students choosing a STEM college major. Research suggested that students formulate their degree attainment during their middle and high school years, and even earlier (Roach, 2006; Maltese & Tai, 2011); therefore, it was logical to investigate STEM persistence during middle and high school years.

The study analyzed NELS:88, a longitudinal national public data set created by the National Center for Educational Statistics that used 12,144 participants. The students' self-reported data spanned over a 12-year period. Students completed five surveys in the NELS:88 data collection (NCES, 2011). Binary and multivariate logistical regressions determined if activities outside the classroom, parent aspirations, and student self-beliefs influenced STEM college majors. Conclusions of the study found significant relationships between the variables and STEM persistence. Individuals who participated in STEM activities after school were more likely to major in STEM (p<.001,Exp(B)=1.106). There was a significant positive relationship between parent aspirations and increased odds of choosing a STEM major (p<.0001, Exp(B)=1.041). There was a significant relationship between student self-beliefs and choosing a STEM major as students with higher self-beliefs had a decreased odds of choosing a non-STEM major (p<.05, Exp(B)=.988). When all three variables were considered together, self-beliefs were no longer significant (p<.166) but parent aspirations, (p<.0001, Exp(B)=1.034) and activities outside of the classroom (p<.0001, Exp(B)=1.097), both significantly predicted STEM participation.

The results of the research inform policy makers in regard to funding decisions and the development of programs, especially ones that occur outside of the school day. The analysis may guide decisions for school administrators on how to influence student retention within the STEM pipeline. The findings add to existing research and provide a better understanding of predictors affecting student persistence in STEM.