No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
A longitudinal study of the educational and career trajectories of female participants of an urban informal science education program
Abstract
The purpose of this longitudinal case study is to describe the educational trajectories of a sample of 152 young women from urban, low-income, single-parent families who participated in the Women in Natural Sciences (WINS) program during high school. Utilizing data drawn from program records, surveys, and interviews, this study also attempts to determine how the program affected the participants' educational and career choices to provide insight into the role informal science education programs play in increasing the participation of women and minorities in science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET)-related fields. Findings revealed 109 participants (93.16%) enrolled in a college program following high school completion. Careers in medical or health-related fields followed by careers in SMET emerged as the highest ranking career paths with 24 students (23.76%) and 21 students (20.79%), respectively, employed in or pursuing careers in these areas. The majority of participants perceived having staff to talk to, the job skills learned, and having the museum as a safe place to go as having influenced their educational and career decisions. These findings reflect the need for continued support of informal science education programs for urban girls and at-risk youth. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 835–860, 2004
... In general, it is noteworthy that most of the analyzed studies did not refer to a framework for STEM identity development or any other theoretical framework for that matter. However, the frameworks which were mentioned in the studies are: Yosso's (2005) community culture wealth framework (Lane and Id-Deen, 2020), Eccles (1994) model of achievement-related choices (Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004), an equitable outcomes model based on the study's findings (Archer et al., 2022), an own model for STEM identity development in STEM contexts (Burke and Navas Iannini, 2021), and a culturally responsive computing approach (Scott and White, 2013). Some of the studies did mention the science identity model by Carlone and Johnson (2007), although they did not state to use it as a definite framework. ...
... We identified Carlone and Johnson's (2007) concept of competence to emerge in cases where new STEM knowledge (e.g., knowledge in or about different STEM topics and fields), knowledge about college courses, knowledge about life and work at college or university, or knowledge about different STEM career options was gained by participants throughout the investigated programs in the articles. This competence gain was reported to open up new future options for them which indicates that STEM fields became more accessible (see Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Rahm and Ash, 2008;Blanchard et al., 2015;Rahm and Moore, 2016;Burke and Navas Iannini, 2021;Salvadó et al., 2021;Archer et al., 2022). After participating in the programs, students reported having a wider content knowledge (Rahm and Ash, 2008;Archer et al., 2022), having more information about possible jobs in STEM fields (Salvadó et al., 2021;Archer et al., 2022) and being positively influenced by this knowledge in their future options or career aspirations (Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Blanchard et al., 2015;Rahm and Moore, 2016). ...
... This competence gain was reported to open up new future options for them which indicates that STEM fields became more accessible (see Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Rahm and Ash, 2008;Blanchard et al., 2015;Rahm and Moore, 2016;Burke and Navas Iannini, 2021;Salvadó et al., 2021;Archer et al., 2022). After participating in the programs, students reported having a wider content knowledge (Rahm and Ash, 2008;Archer et al., 2022), having more information about possible jobs in STEM fields (Salvadó et al., 2021;Archer et al., 2022) and being positively influenced by this knowledge in their future options or career aspirations (Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Blanchard et al., 2015;Rahm and Moore, 2016). Even students who already considered a STEM profession indicated new knowledge about the skills and tasks scientists have to perform in their job which Rahm and Moore (2016) argue made these students reposition themselves within STEM. ...
Informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities offer great potential to position learners as insiders to STEM and to foster their positive STEM identity development. Despite their goal to create equal insights and access to STEM learning for all, however, these informal STEM learning opportunities often fail to reach underserved students, hindering their STEM identity development and perpetuating inequity. To address this issue, out-of-school programs need to be designed with underserved students in mind, and concepts, as well as practical approaches that foster STEM identity development, need to be identified. In this article, we review 13 peer-reviewed publications that investigate informal STEM learning opportunities for underserved learners at a young age. We synthesize concepts such as competence, performance, recognition, supportive relationships, sense of belonging, agency, interest, and attitudes that influence underserved learners’ STEM identity development, and corresponding practical approaches such as personal relationships, role models, authentic settings, hands-on-activities, and non-stereotypical structures fostering agency. We also discuss theoretical frameworks for underserved learners’ STEM identity development. We suggest that recognition, a sense of belonging, supportive relationships, and agency play important roles in fostering STEM identity development in underserved students. The paper concludes with recommendations to change traditional patterns in informal and formal STEM education to empower underserved students to construct their own STEM identity as agentic individuals.
... Early research identified informal science learning (ISL) experiences as impacting students' attitudes towards science and belief in their abilities to do science [22]. ISL is often accessed in out-of-school contexts, and is thought to facilitate sustained interest in science and to support identity trajectories into science [23][24][25]. The National Research Council in its report on ISL [23] describe these environments as constituting a broad array of settings including designed settings like museums and science centers [26]; or in contexts like summer programs and camps [27], and everyday settings like science encounters in the home, supported by caregivers engaging youth in science talk [28][29][30]. ...
... Bell and colleagues [24] argued that outcomes of ISL experiences are complex and difficult to capture. Outcomes that concern us in this study are those focussed on opportunities for young people to "think about themselves as science learners, and develop an identity as someone who knows about, uses and sometimes contributes to science" [16, p. 46]. ...
... From an equity perspective, ISL programs have been shown to engage and have positive impacts for women and students historically marginalized from science. A seminal longitudinal study by Fadigan and Hammrich [24] retrospectively analyzed data from women participating in the Women in the Natural Science program, a year-long program designed to offer science enrichment to young women from single parent households, attending public schools. They reported that successful women in science attributed their long-term and career-oriented interest in STEM to participation in the WINS program. ...
For young women, inbound identity trajectories into physics are generally regarded as exceptional. In this study, we investigated the experiences that young women have which may support their sustained interest and achievement in physics, and their ongoing inbound trajectories into post-secondary physics education. To understand these experiences, we look to the role of informal physics learning (IPL) environments as spaces which can offer resources that support women’s trajectories into physics. In this paper, we highlight the important role of what we call “university-adjacent” IPL experiences—internships, summer schools, and associations that connect secondary students with the research lives of physicists. Focusing on case studies of six women enrolled in post-secondary physics programs across Sweden, we identify the various forms of resources made available through IPL environments, and how these create possibilities for young women to engage in forms of identity work that contribute to the construction of new possible selves in physics. Findings suggest that young women can access important relational and ideational resources through university-adjacent IPL programs. Relational resources included (a) supportive social networks, (b) enduring relationships, and (c) relatability. Importantly, our research finds that IPL opportunities that emphasize relationship building can create immersive experiences which go beyond representation and rather emphasize opportunities to develop practice-linked identities. Ideational resources emerged as (a) sources of information which possibilized physics for participants, and (b) types of information that provided possibilities to learn about the life of a physicist. Finally, while we claim that IPL experiences provide important possibilities for young women to immerse themselves in the practices of physics, we also discuss that these kinds of experiences remain inaccessible to most students, and thus reproduce a certain elitism in the field.
... Poverty knows no boundaries; it affects students of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and those of first-generation college student status. For many students who fall within the 12.7% of the United States that are considered to be in poverty [10], their socioeconomic status is often the most salient of their identities [11]- [13]. Yet, poorer students are nearly absent from engineering, with those who do participate labeled as part of an "invisible" group or intertwined with other minority groups [11], [14]. ...
... Lowsocioeconomic students may bring particular experiences and skills from their backgrounds to engineering that may increase the innovation of engineering solutions [11], [15]. A few recent studies seek to understand low-socioeconomic students from an asset-based approach, painting students as explorers and dreamers [11], [15], and not deficient in their attitudes and values they bring to engineering [13]. These studies challenge the normative definition of what an engineer is and instead look at what an engineer could be, considering the culture assets students from diverse backgrounds have [7], [11], [16]. ...
... Byun, Irvin, & Bell [24] show that school personnel at lowsocioeconomic schools do not have the same motivation as those in high-socioeconomic schools to push students towards STEM degrees because they have already labeled many lowsocioeconomic students as "failures" from the start. Other studies show how unsupported lowsocioeconomic students pursuing STEM feel different in their home lives and at school [12], [13], [37]. At home, low-socioeconomic students often feel that their families believe that they are wasting their time by going to college for a STEM degree. ...
... With the Girls in Science Lab (GiSL) Program, we also hope to get similar track results to a longitudinal case study. Several studies such as the one by Fadigan and Hammrich (2004) track the performance of student participants post program. In the Fadigan and Hammrick (2004) study, 152 minority women who participated in a Women in Natural Sciences program during high school were surveyed to see how the program effected their career choices. ...
... The surveys revealed that 109 of the women enrolled in college with a majority of the women in STEM related careers. 2 Since the primary goal of the GiSL is to increase minority girl's interests in STEM, we hope that future results of possible Page 24.919.11 ...
... Engaging in STEM programs can aid students in understanding various career pathways and workforce needs. For example, in a longitudinal case study of an informal science education program comprised of 152 racially diverse high school girls from urban school settings, researchers found that more than 90% of the participants attended college upon high school completion, 24% went into medical or health-related fields, and 21% assumed careers in STEM (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). Most of the participants attributed their success (i.e., educational and career outcomes) to having access to caring adults, learning STEM-related job skills, and having a safe place to gather, all of which the program provided (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). ...
... For example, in a longitudinal case study of an informal science education program comprised of 152 racially diverse high school girls from urban school settings, researchers found that more than 90% of the participants attended college upon high school completion, 24% went into medical or health-related fields, and 21% assumed careers in STEM (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). Most of the participants attributed their success (i.e., educational and career outcomes) to having access to caring adults, learning STEM-related job skills, and having a safe place to gather, all of which the program provided (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). ...
Using Yosso’s community cultural wealth as a theoretical lens, we sought to understand how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) summer programs cultivated the interest and participation of Black women and girls in these disciplines. The study drew primarily from the interviews of 14 Black women and girls from two case studies investigating the experiences of students of color in summer STEM programs. Findings revealed the programs were influential in enhancing participants’ existing aspirational, social, and familial capital garnered through inter- and intrapersonal attributes. We also advance the term program families to describe a distinctive fictive kinship fostered through participation in these programs.
... Different social "microclimates" (e.g., extended family, experiences inside and outside of school) frame students' perceptions of their abilities, career options, and likelihood of success both negatively and positively (Aschbacher, Li, & Roth, 2010). Growing evidence points toward the effectiveness of peer support and positive role models within interventions to create such microclimates or "social niches" (Bieri Buschor, Berweger, Keck Frei, & Kappler, 2014;Demetry & Sontgerath, 2013;Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Hughes, 2015;Stake & Nickens, 2005). For example, a three-day program that included female undergraduate science and engineering students was successful in changing attitudes of 9 th grade students toward STEM curricula and careers, at least in the short term (Evans, Whigham, & Wang, 1995). ...
... In 2017, 75% of alumni who responded to a survey in 12 th grade planned to pursue a STEM-related degree at a four-year college or university, including 76% of the African American and 83% of the Hispanic/Latino participants, with approximately equal representation of males and females (Peters, 2017). An informal science education program designed specifically for high school girls from urban, low-income, single-parent families also showed long-term effectiveness (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). ...
... So, whilst some outreach programs place an emphasis on facilitating schools' access to scientific specialists, others choose to prioritize the availability of scientific instruments instead, whilst still others are concerned with introducing students to scientific fields or disciplines that may not be present or prominent in the local school curriculum . Similarly, outreach programs differentiate along the lines of whether their focus is principally on teachers' professional development; students' engagement with scientific concepts, modes of inquiry or positive attitudes to science; or issues like promoting participation in scientific careers, especially from communities that are under-represented in scientific fields (Bamberger, 2014;Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Goodyer & Soysa, 2017;Little & León de la Barra, 2009;Vernon, Watson, & Taggart, 2018). Such a diversity of objectives and approaches is reflected also in the diverse foci of evaluations of these programs. ...
... 4. Conclusion, the importance of a community of practice to science identity development Previous studies of outreach programs have tended to take into account the perspectives of one or two stakeholders in the program (for example Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Gibbs & Berendsen, 2007;Ufnar, Bolger, & Shepherd, 2017). This approach has led to some understanding of outreach programs and captured some aspects of how students' science identities form in relation to engagement with and attitudes towards science. ...
There is a concern in many countries with participation rates in science. One response to this has been a proliferation of university run science outreach programs that aim to both engage and retain students in science. Previous studies of outreach programs have tended to take into account the perspectives of just a few stakeholders in the program. Although this approach has led to some understanding of outreach programs it underplays the level of complexity in running outreach programs and leaves a gap in understanding how student identity and aspirations toward science are supported in science outreach. This research has investigated the perspectives of students, teachers, parents and scientists in one university run astronomy outreach program with the aim of better understanding the role that communities of practice play in science outreach in developing students’ science identity. The study confirms the importance of sustained support rather than single interventions and highlights how the development of community within science outreach contributes to shared affective experiences of astronomical phenomena and practices.
... Dealing with modern physics is a valuable means of inspiring high school students to pursue STEM careers and providing them with the tools to make informed choices [1,2]. This is even more true when the activity is held in cutting-edge laboratory with hands-on experiments; in this case, in fact, students can immerse themselves, become part of the research setting, interact with researchers, raise awareness of the numerous applications of research in everyday life, and conduct experimental activities firsthand [3][4][5][6]. ...
... Similarly, triangulation involves simultaneous quantitative and qualitative data collection about a particular phenomenon to enable robust conclusions to be drawn based on comparison of the results from both models [248]. For convergent or triangulation mixed methods studies that are longitudinal, interviews can add important context to outcomes by highlighting recollections and perceptions of the impact that outreach will have in the future [11], [192], [237]. The specific qualitative tools used in conjunction with quantitative surveys also influences the robustness and depth of mixed methods studies. ...
... ).Kavramın eş anlamlı terimlerini incelemeEğitimin gerçekten, okul sınırlarının içinde mi yoksa dışında mı gerçekleştiği konusu,Fadigan & Hammrich (2004) tarafından belirtildiği gibi tartışmalıdır. Ancak, her iki durumda da eğitimin temel amacı benzerdir. ...
... Recognizing the intersection of environmental learning and STEM learning more broadly, we look to literature on STEM learning, where scholars have called for the need to look at the intersection of race and gender to gain a deeper understanding of the nuanced experiences of girls and women of color (Collins, Joseph, and Ford 2019; King and Pringle 2019;Ong 2005). Research on the experiences of girls of color in STEM has found that racial and gender stereotypes and practices in schools and STEM learning environments can negatively impact their STEM interests and beliefs, and subsequently their identity (Buck, Cross Francis, and Wilkins-Yel 2020;Collins, Joseph, and Ford 2019;Fadigan and Hammrich 2004;Ozogul, Miller, and Reisslein 2019;Roberts and Hughes 2022;Young, Young, and Ford 2019). Collins, Joseph, and Ford (2019) add that structures and practices, like academic tracking, disciplinary practices, and gifted identification, push Black girls out of STEM pathways. ...
Outdoor environmental education (OEE) programs can provide a valuable entry point for youth of color and
girls who may have felt excluded and/or marginalized from traditional science learning experiences. This study
investigated: (1) Can OEE programs contribute to the development of positive dispositions toward science and
the environment?, and (2) Are there differences in effects by racial/ethnic and gender identity, or interactions
thereof? Youth (n = 457; grades 4-6, approximate ages 9-12) reported their dispositions toward science and the
environment along 5 scales before and after participating in OEE programs. Results found growth across all
subscales for youth overall. Girls showed stronger effects than boys, and youth of color showed stronger
effects than White youth. Girls of color showed particularly strong growth in Comfort in Nature. The
implications of these results, particularly as a challenge to long-standing biases and inequities in the field, are discussed.
... Compared to formal learning settings, informal learning environments may include lower competition and social comparison (Wigfield & Eccles, 1992). STEM programs in informal settings may provide a safe environment for participants where they do not feel stressed about grades, or social comparison (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Halpern et al., 2000). Some research suggests that informal STEM programs hold promise for motivating students. ...
Motivation is a key factor in engagement, achievement, and career choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While existing research has focused on student motivation toward math in formal school programs, new work is needed that focuses on motivation for those involved in informal STEM programs. Specifically, the role of math mindset and perceived inclusivity of informal STEM sites (to those of varying gender and ethnic backgrounds) on longitudinal trajectories of adolescents’ math motivation has not been explored. This study investigates longitudinal changes in math expectancy, interest, and utility values and the effects of math fixed mindset, math growth mindset, and perceptions of the inclusivity of informal STEM learning sites on these changes for adolescents participating in STEM programs at these informal sites in the United Kingdom and the United States (n = 249, MT1age = 15.2, SD = 1.59). Three latent growth curve models were tested. The data suggest that math expectancy, interest, and utility values declined over three years. Growth mindset positively predicted changes in utility, while fixed mindset negatively predicted changes in utility. Inclusivity positively influenced the initial levels of utility. Girls reported lower initial expectancy than boys. Age influenced both the initial levels and rate of change for expectancy. Older adolescents had lower levels of expectancy compared to their younger counterparts; however, they had a less steep decline in expectancy over three years. These findings suggest that designing inclusive learning environments and promoting growth mindset may encourage math motivation.
... Students even get the chance to meet active physicists in the framework of numerous education and outreach initiatives. Here, educational research shows that even short encounters can help address the still-prevalent stereotype of scientists and positively impact students' aspirations to pursue a scientific career [40][41][42]. ...
Modern physics is an exciting and rapidly progressing field, prompting significant shifts in how we teach physics across all educational levels. While there is broad agreement on the need to modernise physics education and support physics teachers in this transition, existing initiatives often remain scattered across different educational contexts. In response, this directions paper synthesises insights from the International Modern Physics & Research in Education Seminar Series symposium to guide the efforts of our global physics education community and to increase their impact and reach. We bring together viewpoints from the symposium's panellists and discuss these views as visions for the future of our field, mapping out pathways for navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead. Ultimately, we hope this paper will serve as a roadmap for teachers, educators, and physicists wishing to enhance modern physics education research and practice.
... Για τη διδασκαλία των φυσικών επιστημών σε διάφορες εκπαιδευτικές βαθμίδες πλήθος μελετών τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες διερευνά και προσεγγίζει ζητήματα σεξιστικών διακρίσεων, κοινωνικών στερεοτύπων και προκαταλήψεων, που αναστέλλουν το ενδιαφέρον και την ανακαλυπτική διάθεση των κοριτσιών για τα φυσικά φαινόμενα και εμποδίζουν την εμπλοκή και την εξέλιξή τους στον χώρο των φυσικών επιστημών. Οι εκπαιδευτικοί συνήθως με ειλικρίνεια δηλώνουν ότι δεν έχουν την πρόθεση να κάνουν διακρίσεις σε σχέση με το φύλο, ωστόσο ασυναίσθητα αναπαράγουν στερεοτυπικές συμπεριφορές: αλληλεπιδρούν περισσότερο με τα αγόρια, τους αναθέτουν συχνότερα πειραματικές εργασίες, τους απευθύνουν περισσότερες ερωτήσεις, έχουν μεγαλύτερες απαιτήσεις και προσδοκίες από αυτά, αξιολογούν διαφορετικά τις εργασίες τους και προσδίδουν διαφορετικά χαρακτηριστικά σε αγόρια και κορίτσια (Χατζησάββα & Σέρογλου, 2007;Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Archer, Dewitt, Osborne, Dillon, Willis & Wong, 2012;Blickenstaff, 2005). ...
In this PhD thesis, common grounds between philosophy of science, scientific literacy and education in second chance schools are investigated. Research is focused on the way a philosophical approach to scientific concepts and theories may facilitate scientific literacy and bring forward critical and emancipating learning in second chance schools in the context of their targeted population. This research attempts to provide answers to the need (1) to design, apply and evaluate science teaching strategies for a functional, meaningful science learning recognized as a social, emancipating, liberating human right, and (2) to support pre- and in-service teachers to shift towards critical scientific literacy for underprivileged adult learners. Such a demand has risen from a continuing downgrade of second chance schools (despite their initial pioneering and radical establishment), coupled with the lack of appreciation on behalf of teachers of the meta-cognitive dimension of critical scientific literacy in second chance schools. A new methodological tool has been designed and developed, the 2CHANCE research model, putting science teaching in a new educational context for second chance schools, focusing on the special characteristics, the needs and expectations of adult learners who in many cases are marginalized, socially excluded and deprived of learning. The 2CHANCE research model approaches knowledge carrying a philosophical perspective and providing a scientific literacy context of 8 points inspired by philosophy of science that help to re-contextualize science concepts and re-enforces critical thinking as well as activates appreciation, discussion and debate on current socio-scientific issues. Seven case studies have been developed, applied and evaluated in various second chance schools in Central Macedonia in Greece in urban and rural areas and in prisons. A qualitative analysis of the seven case studies using the 2CHANCE research model has been carried out, while qualitative data coming from questionnaires have also been studied and analyzed. Nevertheless, a qualitative analysis using the GNOSIS research model of two short movies developed by the adult learners also helped to bring forward the appreciation of critical scientific literacy.
DOI: 10.26262/heal.auth.ir.347028
... Orman okulu eğitimcileri çocukları, programı ve kendilerini değerlendirirler. Bu değerlendirme sürecinde öğrenme sürecini etkili yönetmek, çocukların bütünsel gelişimlerini takip edebilmek ve programın tutarlı bir şekilde hazırlanmasını sağlamak amaçlar arasındadır (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004 ÖĞRENME SÜRECİ: Çocuklarla birlikte yapılan orman yürüyüşünde öğretmen çocuklardan doğada bulunan geometrik şekilleri göstermelerini ve bulmalarını ister. Çocuklardan buldukları şekillerin ismini ve özelliklerini söylemeleri istenir. ...
... Context of educational activities matters when it comes to catching students' interest [7] and this is crucial since it plays an important role in students' course and career choices [8]. Moreover, interacting with scientists in out-ofschool learning settings has a positive effect on students' learning and aspirations [9]. Thus, activities at CERN Science Gateway are designed to bring learners in contact with topics that are linked to CERN using authentic research equipment under guidance from volunteers from CERN's scientific community. ...
... Informal Science Education (ISE) programs play an important role in supporting STEM Education. ISE has long been used as the context to promote interest in science and sustain participation in STEM careers among youth and underrepresented groups (Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Tytler and Osborne, 2012). A recent longitudinal study (Habig et al., 2020) investigating how an ISE program, conducted at a museum, impacted the STEM trajectories of youth, found that 82.3 % of youth alumni enrolled in a STEM major and 63.1% engaged in a STEM career. ...
STEM is recognized as a sustainable strategy in education to promote global economic development. However, the goals for STEM education encompass broader outcomes such as STEM literacy. This article positions STEM Education as an integrated field and argues for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. The integrated STEM approach does present challenges for implementation such as practitioners having insufficient knowledge of STEM disciplines. Robotics and Makerspace are suggested as viable strategies for integrated STEM education. Studies indicate these two approaches provide a relevant context in informal and K-12 educational settings to show connections between STEM subjects and promote learning of STEM content.
... Sedangkan siswa perempuan lebih banyak pengalaman dengan membuat roti, merajut, menjahit, dan menanam benih. Bahwa laki-laki pada umumnya lebih tertarik terhadap ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi dibandingkan perempuan sudah banyak ditemukan dari berbagai hasil penelitian (misalnya, Brickhouse, 2001;Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Jenkins & Nelson, 2005;Jones, Howe, & Rua, 2000;Mawson, 2010;Weinburgh, 1995). ...
Setiap orang memiliki keinginan berkarier, yang tumbuh sejak masa kanak-kanak dan berkembang sejalan dengan pengalaman hidupnya. Perubahan minat karier akan terjadi sampai mereka menemukan bidang karier yang dirasa cocok dengan potensi dan kompetensi yang dimilikinya. Pada masa remaja awal merupakan masa pencarian identitas diri, sehingga minat karier mereka masih terus berubah. Dilain pihak, peraturan pemerintah mengharuskan siswa Sekolah Menengah Pertama (SMP) menentukan peminatan ketika mau melanjutkan ke jenjang Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA). Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui perubahan minat karier pada siswa laki-laki dan perempuan. Studi Longitudinal dilakukan dengan dua kali pengukuran, yaitu ketika awal masuk SMP (kelas VII) dan ketika akhir sekolah di SMP (kelas IX). Partisipan sebanyak 169 siswa yang terdiri dari 108 perempuan dan 61 laki-laki. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah RMIB (Rothwell Miller Interest Blank). Analisis data menggunakan analisis deskriptif kuantitatif, untuk melihat perubahan minat karier yang terjadi pada masing-masing siswa. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa ada 67.55% siswa yang minat kariernya berubah atau belum stabil. Siswa laki-laki lebih banyak yang sudah stabil minat kariernya dari pada siswa perempuan. Pada siswa laki-laki ada 49.18 % siswa yang minatnya sudah stabil, sedangkan pada siswa perempuan hanya ada 23.15 % siswa yang sudah stabil.
... Such programs provide expanded content-rich learning opportunities, often engaging students in rigorous, purposeful activities that feature hands-on engagement that inspire inquiry, reasoning, and problem-solving (Afterschool Alliance, 2014;NRC, 2015). In addition, out-of-school STEM activities may allow students to meet STEM professionals and learn about STEM careers ( Bevan and Michalchik, 2013;Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004), and can help learners to expand their identities as achievers in the context of STEM as they are actively involved in producing scientific knowledge and understanding (Barton and Tan, 2010). Despite the strong potential for out-of-school STEM programs to provide positive benefits to participants, it has been difficult for researchers and evaluators to document significant changes in outcomes for youth as a result of participation in these programs (NRC, 2009). ...
Informal STEM learning is the process of learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts outside of the school classroom. Because informal STEM learning can take place anywhere, researchers have found it useful to categorize this learning based on the contexts in which it typically occurs: everyday learning, designed environments and programs. Although significant STEM learning has been shown to take place in all three locations, evidence suggests that the principal benefits of informal STEM experiences are long-term transformations in learners as they pursue a “cascade” of experiences cumulatively across a diversity of physical and social contexts including school, home, museums, media, and science programs. In this article we explore our current understanding of the role of informal STEM learning in the larger educational ecosystem, discuss ways to broaden participation in informal STEM learning, and identify areas for further research.
... Οι Σέρογλου και Adúriz-Bravo επισημαίνουν ότι ακόμα και «στο πλαίσιο μιας ποιοτικής εκπαίδευσης για όλους -αγόρια και κορίτσια-ακόμα και αν καλοπροαίρετα προσπαθούμε να «ανοίξουμε» την εικόνα των φυσικών επιστημών ώστε να νιώθουν όλοι οι μαθητές και οι μαθήτριες ευπρόσδεκτοι και ευπρόσδεκτες να ασχοληθούν με τη μάθηση στις φυσικές επιστήμες, πολλές φορές οι υλοποιήσεις των σχετικών διδασκαλιών αλλά ακόμα και το διδακτικό υλικό που χρησιμοποιείται μπορεί να κουβαλά στερεότυπα, προκαταλήψεις και άλλα στοιχεία άμεσου ή έμμεσου αποκλεισμού» (Σέρογλου & Aduriz-Bravo, 2007). Οι εκπαιδευτικοί συνήθως με ειλικρίνεια δηλώνουν ότι δεν έχουν την πρόθεση να κάνουν διακρίσεις σε σχέση με το φύλο, ωστόσο ασυναίσθητα αναπαράγουν στερεοτυπικές συμπεριφορές: αλληλεπιδρούν περισσότερο με τα αγόρια, τους αναθέτουν συχνότερα πειραματικές εργασίες, τους απευθύνουν περισσότερες ερωτήσεις, έχουν μεγαλύτερες απαιτήσεις και προσδοκίες από αυτά, αξιολογούν διαφορετικά τις εργασίες τους και προσδίδουν διαφορετικά χαρακτηριστικά σε αγόρια και κορίτσια (Archer, Dewitt, Osborne, Dillon, Willis & Wong, 2012;Blickenstaff, 2005;Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004;Σέρογλου & Χατζησάββα, 2007). Τα εγχειρίδια των φυσικών επιστημών, οι αναλογίες, οι εικόνες, οι προβαλλόμενες φιγούρες, οι βιογραφίες των επιστημόνων, οι αφηγήσεις και τα παραδείγματα κουβαλούν στερεοτυπικά πρότυπα, παρουσιάζοντας όχι μόνο κυρίως επιστήμονες άνδρες, αλλά και άνδρες και νέους να μελετούν και να εργάζονται στον χώρο των φυσικών επιστημών (Adúriz-Bravo & Seroglou 2006;Σέρογλου, 2006;Κανταρτζή & Πλιόγκου, 2007 θέματα ισότητας φύλων, την αναμόρφωση των αναλυτικών προγραμμάτων και του διδακτικού υλικού και τον εμπλουτισμό τους με καλά παραδείγματα γυναικείων προτύπων από την ιστορία των φυσικών επιστημών, αλλά και από το παρόν, με παραδείγματα γυναικών και κοριτσιών που εμπλέκονται με τις φυσικές επιστήμες, αναπτύσσουν ενδιαφέρον για αυτές, ασχολούνται ενεργά και δουλεύουν σε αντίστοιχους τομείς (Häussler & Hoffmann, 2002;Μαρκόπουλος και συν., 2017;Σέρογλου, 2007). ...
Αφορμή για τη συγγραφή αυτού του κεφαλαίου αποτέλεσε μια διδακτική εφαρμογή εμπνευσμένη από την ιστορία των φυσικών επιστημών και από τη θεωρία της μετασχηματίζουσας μάθησης με όχημα την τέχνη και την αισθητική εμπειρία που αυτή προσφέρει. Μέσα από τη διερεύνηση της συμμετοχής των γυναικών στην ιστορία των φυσικών επιστημών και τη σκιαγράφηση της εικόνας του ανθρώπου της επιστήμης, προσεγγίζονται ζητήματα σεξιστικών διακρίσεων, κοινωνικών στερεοτύπων και προκαταλήψεων, που αναστέλλουν το ενδιαφέρον και την ανακαλυπτική διάθεση των κοριτσιών για τα φυσικά φαινόμενα και εμποδίζουν την εμπλοκή και
την εξέλιξή τους στον χώρο των φυσικών επιστημών. Μετά από πολυετείς αγώνες κοινωνικών και φεμινιστικών κινημάτων έχουν αναγνωριστεί σε γυναίκες και άντρες ίδια δικαιώματα στη μόρφωση και την εργασία, ωστόσο διαπιστώνεται ότι στην πράξη άμεσοι ή έμμεσοι αποκλεισμοί εξακολουθούν να υφίστανται στη διαπαιδαγώγηση (οικογένεια), στην εκπαίδευση και στην
κοινωνία. Με όχημα ιστορικές και ψηφιακές αφηγήσεις, καθώς και εικαστικά έργα τέχνης, ενήλικες εκπαιδευόμενοι σε σχολείο δεύτερης ευκαιρίας παρακινούνται και ενθαρρύνονται να επεξεργαστούν κριτικά, να προβληματιστούν και να αμφισβητήσουν το κοινωνικό, οικονομικό και πολιτισμικό υπόβαθρο παγιωμένων αντιλήψεων που καθιστούν κοινωνικά αποδεκτούς διαχωρισμούς και διακρίσεις.
... If this gender stereotype affects women with talents in STEM, it can undermine their self-confidence and make them believe that they are not capable of learning STEM fields as women, thereby leading to a lack of female talent in this field. This is not only a brain drain in STEM fields, but also a pity for the development of science, technology, and society in the country and the world [12]. ...
... In addition, the manner in which courses were taught was important to the recruitment and retention of students in the STEM disciplines (Gill and Bell 2013). Another finding was that informal programmes influence study and career choices, but these needed to be longer, for example, lasting one year (Fadigan and Hammrich 2004). Ainley and Ainley (2011) suggested that efforts to increase the attractiveness of science to students should take heed of the fact that enjoyment of science had a central role in the paths linking personal value, interest and current science activities to intentions for future participation in science. ...
... In addition, the manner in which courses were taught was important to the recruitment and retention of students in the STEM disciplines (Gill and Bell 2013). Another finding was that informal programmes influence study and career choices, but these needed to be longer, for example, lasting one year (Fadigan and Hammrich 2004). Ainley and Ainley (2011) suggested that efforts to increase the attractiveness of science to students should take heed of the fact that enjoyment of science had a central role in the paths linking personal value, interest and current science activities to intentions for future participation in science. ...
... Habig et al. (2020) describe important design principles of successful out-of-school science learning programs. For example, interviewees highlighted the importance of interaction with STEM professionals, which is in line with the results by Fadigan and Hammrich (2004) who report that scientists in out-of-school settings can greatly influence (female) students' educational and career decisions. Moreover, Habig et al. (2020) highlight the value of providing authentic learning experiences that allow learners to become practitioners of science, for example, through laboratory investigations. ...
Previous studies highlight the positive effects of science outreach labs, in particular on students' motivational variables. However, out‐of‐school learning is generally associated with high novelty and specific setting characteristics that can impact learning and development. Indeed, previous studies call for further research on students' perception of the learning settings to ensure the best possible use of science outreach labs. This study aims to take this call up by analyzing motivational outcomes (situational interest and self‐concept) together with an unprecedented number of carefully chosen student and setting factors supposed to contribute to students' experience at science outreach labs. This study involved 509 high‐school students from 13 countries who took part in a half‐day hands‐on session at the particle physics outreach lab S'Cool LAB at CERN and a single group longitudinal pre‐ and post‐test research design. The results confirm that this intervention led to very high situational interest and self‐concept, even for a student sample that showed higher‐than‐average dispositional interest and self‐concept beforehand. Moreover, the initial motivational gender gap was closed after the intervention. To take the nested data into account, multilevel models were employed to study the predictive power of a set of student factors as well as students' perception of setting factors. Here, even after controlling for student factors such as their dispositional interest, support by the learning environment and educators was a crucial setting factor and was associated with especially high situational interest. Furthermore, students' cognitive preparedness and cognitive load were vital with respect to their situational self‐concept. Overall, regression models account for almost 60% of the variance of both motivational outcomes. We conclude that a systematic measurement of student and setting factors together with a multilevel approach provides highly valuable information about science outreach labs and how to optimize their effectiveness.
... Com algumas diferenças, especialmente no caso de Sikes et al. (1985), que tomam por referência a idade e não o tempo de experiência, estes estudos identificaram e descreveram padrões na forma como os professores são e estão nas suas vidas profissionais, embora estas fases não possam ser vistas de forma linear e estática. Circunstâncias pessoais e organizacionais (Meister & Ahrens, 2011) provocadoras de "dinâmicas de fluxos e refluxos" (Fessler & Christensen, 1992, p. 42) e até as questões de género (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004) são fatores que podem afetar e/ou alterar as características dos ciclos de vida docente. No contexto português, num estudo sobre a carreira dos professores do ensino primário, Gonçalves (1995), fundamentado em Huberman (1989), postula um "itinerário-tipo" de desenvolvimento onde identifica cinco ciclos da carreira docente. ...
O objetivo deste artigo é contribuir para o enriquecimento do corpus de conhecimentos sobre o estudo dos professores em final de carreira, numa altura em que esse final se alterou substancialmente. Realizou-se uma revisão de literatura com o objetivo de mapear e relacionar terminologias, cronologias, geografias e metodologias. Nas bases de dados Scopus e Web of Science (WOS), consideraram-se as publicações do período de 2000 a 2019 que tinham por população em estudo os professores em fase avançada da sua carreira docente, ou seja, com mais de 50 anos e/ou mais de 20 anos de experiência. Identificaram-se artigos com ênfase no desenvolvimento profissional, nos conhecimentos profissionais, na satisfação profissional e na saúde, ênfases a que correspondem, por vezes, diferentes terminologias, geografias e cronologias. Verifica-se que, sendo o final de carreira cada vez mais variável, se torna necessário que a investigação vá para além dos critérios enunciados (idade e anos de experiência), de forma a discriminar situações que oscilam entre os 50 e os 70 anos de idade, ou entre os 20 e os 45 anos de serviço. Este alargamento exigirá alterações de terminologias e inversões de tendência nos estudos sobre o ciclo de vida dos professores.
... Parents' own childhood home environments likely relate to whether they enrolled in college and/or pursued STEM careers (Degol, Wang, Ye, & Zhang, 2017;Rozek, Svoboda, Harackiewicz, Hulleman, & Hyde, 2017). For example, a longitudinal study showed that participation in an intensive after-school, science museum program during high school influenced college matriculation and pursuit of STEM, medical and health-related careers (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). Parents with STEM-related careers may have taken proactive steps to support their own science and math interest and learning (e.g., Patall et al., 2019) that, in turn, could make science and math topics more personally relevant and promote their child's identity as someone who could hold a future STEM-related career (cf. ...
Using expectancy-value theory, we explored whether parents' perceived expectancies, value, and costs relate to parent involvement in science and math activities. We also explored whether informal learning varied based on child gender and parent's report of having a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related career. Specifically, we examined the mediating role of parents' STEM expectancies, value, and cost as well as whether parents held a STEM-related career on the outcome of parental involvement. Our sample consists of 208 parents of 3- to 5-year-olds from mostly middle class families of diverse races/ethnicities. Descriptively, 56% of these parents reported reading everyday with their child, but just 35% reported any daily STEM activities. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, results revealed that only a parent's rating of STEM value, not expectancies or cost, was directly related to parental involvement in science and math. But maternal report of a STEM-related career was indirectly related to parental involvement in STEM through parents' higher self-efficacy for facilitating informal STEM learning. No significant relations were found for child gender. We discuss implications for supporting parents' involvement in early STEM given these findings that parents who feel empowered to do science and math engage their preschooler in informal STEM learning more often.
... Freechoice learning-or learning in which people choose what they want to learn about and for how long-in MCZAs both motivates students to persist in the sciences, and increases their understanding of science outside the formal classroom (NRC, 1996). At the K-12 level, free-choice learning is associated with increased student ownership of learning, increased understanding of science concepts, and increased persistence in the sciences compared to formal environments (Adams and Branco, 2017;Drissner et al., 2014;Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Gardner, 1991;Martell, 2008;Schwan et al., 2014;Subramaniam, 2002;Zimmerman and McClain, 2015). Informal learning experiences also benefit the learning of middle-aged and older adults (Alsop and Watts, 1997;Evans et al., 2005;Sachatello-Sawyer and Fellenz, 2000;Sachatello-Sawyer et al., 2002;Schwan et al., 2014). ...
... OST programs provide expanded content-rich learning opportunities, often engaging students in rigorous, purposeful activities that feature hands-on engagement, which can help bring STEM to life and inspire inquiry, reasoning, problem-solving, and reflecting on the value of STEM as it relates to children and youth's personal lives (Noam and Shah, 2013;National Research Council, 2015). In addition, OST STEM activities may allow students to meet STEM professionals and learn about STEM careers Fadigan and Hammrich (2004), Bevan and Michalchik (2013), and can help learners to expand their identities as achievers in the context of STEM as they are actively involved in producing scientific knowledge and understanding (Barton and Tan, 2010). ...
The aim of this paper is to describe an analytical approach for addressing the ceiling effect, a measurement limitation that affects research and evaluation efforts in informal STEM learning projects. The ceiling effect occurs when a large proportion of subjects begin a study with very high scores on the measured variable(s), such that participation in an educational experience cannot yield significant gains among these learners. This effect is widespread in informal science learning due to the self-selective nature of participation in these experiences, such that participants are already interested in and knowledgeable about the content area. When the ceiling effect is present, no conclusions can be drawn regarding the influence of an intervention on participants’ learning outcomes which could lead evaluators and funders to underestimate the positive effects of STEM programs. We discuss how the use of person-centered analytic approaches that segment samples in theory driven ways could help address the ceiling effect and provide an illustrative example using data from a recent evaluation of a STEM afterschool program.
... As a result, partly explained by gender stereotypes operating early in pre-school (Beede et al., 2011;Bordón, Canals, & Mizala, 2020;Savinskaya, 2017), women are a minority in STEM areas at the university level. Nonetheless, teachers can influence the interest of young girls in learning these areas (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). Indeed, the gender of the teacher has a significant impact in modeling the role of women in STEM (García-Holgado, Camacho, & García-Peñalvo, 2019;Chen, Sonnert, and Sadler, 2020;Jeong et al., 2019). ...
Education in the early years is an excellent space for promoting integrated learning. The STEAM education model combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics holistically and has gained force globally, mostly in developed countries. However, in developing countries of Latin America, STEAM education programs are incipient and still unfamiliar to many early childhood and primary school educators. "Pequeños Científicos" is a pioneer educational program in Chile aimed at providing extracurricular academic enrichment to students 3 to 10 years old, with a gender-empowering approach. With a cross-sectional design and integrating data from students, researchers and educators, this article documents program design and implementation issues based on a partial application of SWOT analysis grounded on strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. The strengths were the strongest elements that might be transferred to similar interventions, for instance, students were positively engaged in the learning processes and actively communicating their advances through diverse artistic formats. The weaknesses were mainly difficulties that can be avoided in future replication, such as teachers' management of children's behavior. Opportunities present alternatives to these types of programs to improve and grow; for example, through articulation of the courses and including children with additional needs. We call for tackling the weaknesses for more efficient application and discuss the promotion of STEAM learning in the early years in the contexts of high educational inequality for future replication in diverse contexts.
... Beginning in 2008, the student representatives on the Board of Directors began coordinating a Lunch with a Mentor program, providing student attendees with the opportunity to meet with a professional over lunch on 1 day of the conference. While not specifically targeting inclusivity, research shows that mentorship is highly beneficial for women and under-represented groups to increase contributions and remain engaged in academic research (Jacobi 1991;Fadigan and Hammrich 2004). The Lunch with a Mentor program provides students with direct access to early, mid, and late career NASBR participants. ...
The North American Society for Bat Research (NASBR) began in 1970 at a turning point in history for women’s rights. Participation by women in NASBR has risen steadily over the society’s history, reflecting societal shifts of reducing barriers to advancement and achievement by women in science. Gender parity has been achieved in all forms of presentation type at NASBR (general and student oral presentation and poster sessions). The 50% milestone of women participants in the general oral presentations and as session chairs was only reached in 2015, whereas women have represented the majority of participants in student sessions since the 1990s. The current culture of inclusivity and support for gender and racial diversity in the NASBR society is viewed as generally positive based on a survey of NASBR affiliates. The current Society and annual NASBR meeting have made visible efforts to offer opportunities for raising awareness and discussion around diversity, provide mentoring opportunities, and codified expectations of behavior to create a safe and inclusive conference environment for all participants. Over the past 50 years, NASBR has not only supported and advanced research on bats but has grown as a society to reflect values of inclusion and support for all people working to advance research on bats.
... Parents' own childhood home environments likely relate to whether they enrolled in college and/or pursued STEM careers (Degol, Wang, Ye, & Zhang, 2017;Rozek, Svoboda, Harackiewicz, Hulleman, & Hyde, 2017). For example, a longitudinal study showed that participation in an intensive after-school, science museum program during high school influenced college matriculation and pursuit of STEM, medical and health-related careers (Fadigan & Hammrich, 2004). Parents with STEM-related careers may have taken proactive steps to support their own science and math interest and learning (e.g., Patall et al., 2019) that, in turn, could make science and math topics more personally relevant and promote their child's identity as someone who could hold a future STEM-related career (cf. ...
Using expectancy-value theory we explored whether parents’ perceived expectancies, value, and costs relate to involvement in STEM activities. We also explored whether informal learning varied based on child gender and parent’s report of having a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related career. Moreover, we examined the mediator role of parents’ expectancy, values, and cost of mother’s STEM-related career and parental involvement. Our sample consists of 208 parents of 3- to 5-year-olds from mostly middle class families of diverse races/ethnicities. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, results revealed that only a parent's rating of STEM value, not expectancies or cost, was directly related to parental involvement in science and math. Maternal report of a STEM-related career was indirectly related to parental involvement in STEM through parents’ higher self-efficacy for facilitating informal STEM learning. No significant relations were found for child gender. We discuss implications for supporting parents’ involvement in early STEM.
... Keywords: informal science education, museum education, research design, STEM, rubric design, evidence-based outcomes, out-of-school time INTRODUCTION Informal science education (ISE) programs can be important vehicles for facilitating interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (National Research Council, 2009;Young et al., 2017;Habig et al., 2018). Indeed, in the last few decades, multiple studies and evaluations have reported evidence that involvement in informal, out-ofschool time (OST) STEM programs is linked to participants' awareness, interest, and engagement in STEM majors and careers (e.g., Fadigan and Hammrich, 2004;Schumacher et al., 2009;Winkleby et al., 2009;McCreedy and Dierking, 2013). Because many of these studies and evaluations vary considerably in how they are designed and in the quality of their designs, it is often difficult to gauge whether the outcomes reported are supported with sufficient evidence (Institute for Learning Innovation, 2007). ...
Informal learning institutions, such as museums, science centers, and community-based organizations, play a critical role in providing opportunities for students to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities during out-of-school time hours. In recent years, thousands of studies, evaluations, and conference proceedings have been published measuring the impact that these programs have had on their participants. However, because studies of informal science education (ISE) programs vary considerably in how they are designed and in the quality of their designs, it is often quite difficult to assess their impact on participants. Knowing whether the outcomes reported by these studies are supported with sufficient evidence is important not only for maximizing participant impact, but also because there are considerable economic and human resources invested to support informal learning initiatives. To address this problem, I used the theories of impact analysis and triangulation as a framework for developing user-friendly rubrics for assessing quality of research designs and evidence of impact. I used two main sources, research-based recommendations from STEM governing bodies and feedback from a focus group, to identify criteria indicative of high-quality STEM research and study design. Accordingly, I developed three STEM Research Design Rubrics, one for quantitative studies, one for qualitative studies, and another for mixed methods studies, that can be used by ISE researchers, practitioners, and evaluators to assess research design quality. Likewise, I developed three STEM Impact Rubrics, one for quantitative studies, one for qualitative studies, and another for mixed methods studies, that can be used by ISE researchers, practitioners, and evaluators to assess evidence of outcomes. The rubrics developed in this study are practical tools that can be used by ISE researchers, practitioners, and evaluators to improve the field of informal science learning by increasing the quality of study design and for discerning whether studies or program evaluations are providing sufficient evidence of impact.
... 8,10,11 Our study answers the call in the literature for more institution-type and discipline specific research. 12,13 Focusing on successful students separates us from Seymour and Hewitt. 7 Other studies using open ended interview protocols use smaller sample sizes. ...
... We held the first annual National Training Summit (NTS) at Duke University from July [29][30][31]2005. Mentors and staff members for the Duke and Maryland programs, as well as other interested undergraduates from universities such as Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pennsylvania, participated in the training. ...
... To evaluate the success of a single sex approach, researchers have examined single-sex after school programs and special girls-only programs within co-ed schools. For example, Fadigan and Hammrich [17] examined a museum program for girls and showed that the program created a space for girls that supported a positive sense of self. ...
... Structured informal (out-of-school) programming has been growing rapidly over the past two decades, especially in the form of after-school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs [1] and STEM intervention summer programs [2]. These structured out-ofschool STEM learning experiences have been shown to play an important role in supporting STEM engagement and learning [3], including developing children's exposure to STEM based experiences and career pathways [4]. Further, out-of-school learning environments offer one means to bring to life ideas of great school reformers and educational theorists (e.g. ...
... In addition, the manner in which courses were taught was important to the recruitment and retention of students in the STEM disciplines (Gill and Bell 2013). Another finding was that informal programmes influence study and career choices, but these needed to be longer, for example, lasting one year (Fadigan and Hammrich 2004). Ainley and Ainley (2011) suggested that efforts to increase the attractiveness of science to students should take heed of the fact that enjoyment of science had a central role in the paths linking personal value, interest and current science activities to intentions for future participation in science. ...
Systems thinking is a very important skill in both science education and sustainability education. In order to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), the quality of education should be increased to be able to deal with the complex problems of today, and the systems thinking skills of students and teachers should be developed. Many studies have so far investigated systems thinking skills within the science education and sustainability education context, and they have shown that systems thinking skills can be developed at different grade levels using various teaching strategies. The aim of this literature review is to examine these studies in terms of topic, research methodologies and systems thinking models. Moreover, 32 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 2009 to 2019 were selected and examined. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The results revealed that the topics that the majority of researchers focused on included sustainability problems, complex systems and earth system (especially water cycle). In the 13 articles, researchers studied systems thinking skills with lower secondary school students. Fewer studies were conducted with primary school, upper secondary school and undergraduate students. Furthermore, 17 articles included intervention studies and the most frequently used teaching strategies were inquiry-based teaching and computer simulation programs. Systems thinking models used in the selected articles were also examined and discussed. This literature review provides several directions for future studies.
... 42). Both Fadigan and Hammrich (2004) and Acker (1995) reported female career trajectories to be distinctly different to males, while White (2008) declared 'even a latecareer teacher can return to being a novice if faced with a totally new and exotic teaching assignment' (p. 2). ...
Since the mid-1980s, the working lives of teachers has become an enduring research topic. Much research has focused on early-career teachers and is often reported from deficit positions, i.e. why they leave the profession. However, career trajectory studies have described a small cohort of veteran teachers who remain positive and committed to teaching. This article reports on the creation and piloting of an instrument designed to test whether this positive cohort can be empirically identified within a wider teaching population. Four constructs (experimentation, challenge, comfort and leadership) drawn from Huberman (1993), and Day and Gu (2007) formed the basis for an online pilot survey completed by 145 teachers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported three of the four factors (experimentation, comfort, leadership), with challenge loading strongly with experimentation. Initial findings suggest the potential of the instrument in helping identifying positive veteran teachers within systems, as well as the voracity of the research approach. Examining and articulating how these veteran teachers maintain their positive outlook may prove valuable as many countries confront an ageing teaching workforce, increasing student numbers and difficulties in retaining experienced teachers, meaning those who remain will be expected to sustain their commitment for longer.
Women report that they must conform to masculine behavioral norms to progress in chemistry, with the necessity of adopting such norms pushing them from the field. Advancing gender-based equity within...
Purpose
This paper provides novel evidence on the role of gender in the performance of university students, which is particularly relevant to the debate on the performance of female students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Design/methodology/approach
Our approach relies on the metafrontier approach proposed by Huang et al . (2014), which measures students' efficiency within a given faculty and the impact of the faculty’s technology on students’ efficiency. We use a sample of 53,159 first-year students in 8 faculties from a large university in southern Italy from 2002–2003 to 2010–2011.
Findings
Students’ efficiency is relatively low, reflecting an essential role of unobserved heterogeneity. The different technologies of somewhat similar faculties have minimal impact on efficiency. There is a performance gap against women in five faculties, which on average is strongest for the faculties in the pure and applied science area. This gap increases with the proportion of female students and decreases with female lecturers.
Practical implications
The metafrontier has the benefit of providing relevant policy information on the drivers of student success by relying on data that universities routinely generate and preserve.
Originality/value
The stochastic metafrontier approach allows us to separate the group-specific frontiers from the metafrontier, yielding a decomposition of the efficiency scores of various faculties into technical efficiency scores and technological gaps.
Much research investigates why women do not participate in physics, or why female attrition in physics is high; this study focuses on elite female academic physicists and how they have persisted and succeeded in their fields. As opposed to researching reasons for attrition or not participating, this study focuses on six elite female academic physicists' strategies for flourishing in a male‐dominated field. Through semi‐structured life‐history interviews, the participants' narratives revealed their gendered identities to be hybrid : they all identified as female, but performed a particular kind of masculinity by actively embodying four of the same characteristics that normally deter females from participating in physics. This perspective is used to discover how these women, pioneers in their subfields, actively negotiated hostile environments and became successful. These findings give insight into the identities female physicists construct so that they can follow their passion; understanding why they made these choices provides an opportunity to make change in physics departments as well as the messages the science education community sends to young physicists.
Contemporary physics education has an immense potential to positively influence students not just in their course and career aspirations but also in their fundamental understanding of the Nature of Science. However, teachers might face a number of challenges when integrating modern physics topics into their teaching. In this chapter, we will discuss the following three challenges and opportunities in contemporary physics education: working with invisible entities, aiming for authentic experiences and interactions and evaluating ideas and designs with the target audiences. We showcase how we navigated these aspects in the development of CERN Science Gateway, a new education and outreach facility at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. Moreover, we describe the advantages of digital tools in these contexts and derive recommendations for teachers.
Potrebe i zahtjevi tržišta rada ukazuju na nedostatak mnogih zanimanja, među kojima su često i različiti profili iz područja tehnike i tehnologije. S obzirom da se djeca već u osnovnoj školi trebaju poticati i usmjeravati u takva zanimanja, izvjesno je da na njihove stavove i interese može utjecati i školovanje. Stoga je u ovom radu provedeno istraživanje i analiza stavova i interesa učenika prema karijernom razvoju u području tehnike i tehnologije. Istraživanje je provedeno na stratificiranom uzorku (N = 2155) osnovnoškolskih učenika predmetne nastave. Analizom su obuhvaćene spolne i dobne razlike s obzirom na njihov izravni interes, stavovi prema poslovima, iskustveni stavovi, te karijerne težnje. Za obradu prikupljenih podataka korišten je t-test i jednosmjerna analiza varijance uz Scheffé post-hoc testove. Rezultati pokazuju da su vrlo zainteresirani za aktivnosti u tehnici i tehnologiji te da uvažavaju razloge za izbor poslova u ovom području. Ipak, po pitanju vlastitih težnji i percepcije u tim poslovima te iskustvenih stavova, uočavaju se bitne spolne i dobne razlike. Djevojčice su pritom znatno manje sklone poslovima, iskustvima i zanimanjima u tehnici i informatici u odnosu na dječake. Iako su učenici nižih razreda više zainteresirani za tehniku i tehnologiju, istodobno su manje skloni aktivnostima, poslovima i zanimanjima u ovom području u odnosu na učenike viših razreda. Ovakvi nalazi ukazuju na nužnost prilagodbe sadržaja i aktivnosti koje će podjednako afirmirati djevojčice i dječake, što uključuje promjenu pedagoških pristupa, stilova poučavanja te više istraživačkih i dizajnerskih aktivnosti u nastavi. Dobna prilagodba traži izvedbene promjene kurikuluma (osobito nastave informatike), više smislenih praktičnih, istraživačkih i integriranih aktivnosti, te više vremena za takve aktivnosti u osnovnoškolskom kurikulumu.
To bridge the gap between the biological sciences (typically female-dominated) and engineering (typically male-dominated), biomedical engineering (BME) activities could potentially be used as a vehicle to alter female students' perception of engineering as a whole. Female's pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees is typically confined to the biological sciences and females earn a high proportion of degrees in nursing, psychology and the social sciences, yet male presence persists in physical sciences and engineering. Female's participation in engineering remains much lower than men at all degree levels. Here, research questions included do female high school students: 1) perceive engineering as relevant? 2) have an interest & aptitude towards exploring engineering in college and as a career? 3) have anxiety in terms of engineering? 4) have engineering "role-confidence"? Participants, a randomly selected pool of 28 high school students (almost exclusively female from schools throughout the DC Metro area) took part in a week-long, all-day workshop where they were exposed to female engineering mentors, peers, and activities tied to BME & Engineering. Pre and post surveys, adapted from standard STEM surveys, were administered to the pool of participants. Increases in confidence and interest in engineering and decreased anxiety were observed following female high school students' participation in hands-on activities in BME.
This two-year case study examined multi-modal, interdisciplinary approaches to engage both immigrant English Second Language (ESL) and English Language Learners (ELL) in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning and to build STEM identity and self-efficacy. Leveraging innate abilities, multiple intelligences, and self-identified interests, children in Grades 3 through 8, new to America and STEM, became inquiry-based researchers of sound-making, soundscapes, and nonverbal communication systems in diverse species including human music-making using technology, analysis, communication research, and observation skills. Using generative and lateral thinking methodology for science translation, interdisciplinary methods, and team-based learning, the students demonstrated increased STEM interest, STEM learning, and STEM skill sets while developing self-efficacy as STEM learners and communicators.
This chapter draws on longitudinal interview data collected from seven young woman in England who were tracked from age 10–19 and who had all expressed an aspiration at age 16 to study Advanced level (A level) physics. Applying a feminist Bourdieusian conceptual lens, we explore their trajectories in, through and out of physics: from Danielle, who is denied entry to A level physics; to Victoria and Thalia, who are debarred from the course before completion; to Davina, Kate and Mienie, who complete the A level but who choose not to pursue the subject further; and finally Hannah, who goes on to study physics at university. Attention is drawn to the pedagogic work conducted by the field of physics, notably the cultivation of habitus and hexis through the bodies, minds and identities of the young women, and its stringent gate-keeping practices, which ensure the reproduction of the elite status of the field and the simultaneous disadvantaging of women.
This two-year case study examined multi-modal, interdisciplinary approaches to engage both immigrant English Second Language (ESL) and English Language Learners (ELL) in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning and to build STEM identity and self-efficacy. Leveraging innate abilities, multiple intelligences, and self-identified interests, children in Grades 3 through 8, new to America and STEM, became inquiry-based researchers of sound-making, soundscapes, and nonverbal communication systems in diverse species including human music-making using technology, analysis, communication research, and observation skills. Using generative and lateral thinking methodology for science translation, interdisciplinary methods, and team-based learning, the students demonstrated increased STEM interest, STEM learning, and STEM skill sets while developing self-efficacy as STEM learners and communicators.
Key Words: science education, immigrant, English Language Learners (ELL), multi-modal learning, interdisciplinary, learner-centered, knowledge translation.
This two-year case study examined multi-modal, interdisciplinary approaches to engage both immigrant English Second Language (ESL) and English Language Learners (ELL) in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning and to build STEM identity and self-efficacy. Leveraging innate abilities, multiple intelligences, and self-identified interests,
children in Grades 3 through 8, new to America and STEM, became inquiry-based researchers of sound-making, soundscapes, and nonverbal communication systems in diverse species including human music-making using technology, analysis, communication research, and observation skills. Using generative and lateral thinking methodology for science translation, interdisciplinary methods, and team-based learning, the students demonstrated increased STEM interest, STEM learning, and STEM skill sets while developing self-efficacy as STEM learners and communicators.
Key Words: science education, immigrant, English Language Learners (ELL), multi-modal learning, interdisciplinary, learner-centered, knowledge translation.
A theoretical framework for understanding the career maturity of diverse groups is needed since the career maturity construct has evolved using white, middle class samples (Cheatham, 1990). Krumboltz holds that career beliefs can be influenced by one's social environment (1991). If career beliefs were related to the career maturity of a diverse group, they could be used to provide a more coherent understanding of the unique social experiences that surround their career maturity. This study examined relationships between the career beliefs and the career maturity of academically at-risk students who were failing core academic courses. Several career beliefs were significantly related to the career maturity of the sample in this study such as the belief that obstacles can be overcome and college/occupation variation. The career beliefs construct appeared to clarify the role that social experiences played on the career maturity of the sample in this study.
Contemporary research on gender and persistence in undergraduate education in science and engineering has routinely focused on why students leave their majors rather than asking why students stay. This study compared three common ways of measuring persistence-commitment to major, degree aspirations, and commitment to a science or engineering career-and emphasized factors that would encourage students to persist, including positive images of scientists and engineers, positive attitudes toward gender equity in science and engineering, and positive classroom experiences. A survey was administered in classrooms to a total of 285 female and male students enrolled in two required courses for majors. The results indicate that the different measures of persistence were sensitive to different influences but that students' gender did not interact with their images, attitudes, and experiences in predicted ways. The study concludes that an individual student's gender may be a more important factor in explaining why some female students leave their science and engineering majors than in explaining why others stay.
Presents a developmental theory of occupational aspirations by providing definitions of key constructs, by reviewing evidence showing that all social groups share the same images of occupations, and by formulating a hypothetical cognitive map of occupations that summarizes those images and the dimensions of people's occupational preferences. Also described is the progressive and usually permanent circumscription of occupational preferences according to one's developing self-concepts. Four stages of development of self-concept and preferences are proposed: orientation to size and power (ages 3–5 yrs), orientation to sex roles (ages 6–8 yrs), orientation to social valuation (ages 9–23 yrs), and orientation to the internal, unique self (age 14 yrs). This development is considered to be highly conditioned by both cognitive development and one's social environment (e.g., social class). People's perceptions of their opportunities for implementing their choices and the priorities they use in reaching a compromise among conflicting goals are examined. (90 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This is the original description of the Draw-a-Scientist-Test, (DAST) first developed by Chambers in the nineteen sixties and seventies. The paper includes a detailed historical account of early cultural manifestations of stereotypical attitudes toward the scientific profession. Finally, it documents at what age these perceptions first arise among grade school children.
A meta-analysis covering the literature between 1970 and 1991 was conducted using an approach similar to that suggested by Glass, McGaw, and Smith (1981) and Hedges, Shymansky, and Woodworth (1989). This analysis examined gender differences in student attitudes toward science, and correlations between attitudes toward science and achievement in science. Thirty-one effect sizes and seven correlations representing the testing of 6,753 subjects were found in 18 studies. The mean of the unweighted effect sizes was .20 (SD = .50) and the mean of the weighted effect size was .16 (SD = .50), indicating that boys have more positive attitudes toward science than girls. The mean correlation between attitude and achievement was .50 for boys and .55 for girls, suggesting that the correlations are comparable. Results of the analysis of gender differences in attitude as a function of science type indicate that boys show a more positive attitude toward science than girls in all types of science. The correlation between attitude and achievement for boys and girls as a function of science type indicates that for biology and physics the correlation is positive for both, but stronger for girls than for boys. Gender differences and correlations between attitude and achievement by gender as a function of publication date show no pattern. The results for the analysis of gender differences as a function of the selectivity of the sample indicate that general level students reflect a greater positive attitude for boys, whereas the high-performance students indicate a greater positive attitude for girls. The correlation between attitude and achievement as a function of selectivity indicates that in all cases a positive attitude results in higher achievement. This is particularly true for low-performance girls. The implications of these finding are discussed and further research suggested.
A theoretical framework for understanding the career maturity of diverse groups is needed since the career maturity construct has evolved using white, middle class samples (Cheatham, 1990). Krumboltz holds that career beliefs can be influenced by one's social environment (1991). If career beliefs were related to the career maturity of a diverse group, they could be used to provide a more coherent understanding of the unique social experiences that surround their career maturity. This study examined relationships between the career beliefs and the career maturity of academically at-risk students who were failing core academic courses. Several career beliefs were significantly related to the career maturity of the sample in this study such as the belief that obstacles can be overcome and college/occupation variation. The career beliefs construct appeared to clarify the role that social experiences played on the career maturity of the sample in this study.
In this study, the influence of career exploration and commitment, life-role salience, and chronological age on identity development in gifted female adolescents was examined. A set of factors, including vocational exploration and commitment, commitment to the role of work, and participation in the role of studying, explained 43.3% of the variance in the identity development of the gifted females who participated in the study. Of these factors, vocational exploration and commitment contributed the most to identity development. Based on results of this investigation as well as past research, the authors emphasize the need to expand efforts to enhance career exploration opportunities for all adolescents, especially gifted females.
Excerpts from Science and Engineering Indicators 1998, the biennial report to Congress from the National Science Board, present new data on public attitudes toward, and public understanding of, science. Selections from the new chapter on the economic and social significance of new information technologies (IT) are provided as well.
We examined the potential benefits and risks associated with participation in five types of activities: prosocial (church and volunteer activities), team sports, school involvement, performing arts, and academic clubs. Our sample included 1,259 mostly European American adolescents (approximately equal numbers of males and females). First, we explore the link between involvement in these activities and our indicators of positive and negative development. Involvement in prosocial activities was linked to positive educational trajectories and low rates of involvement in risky behaviors. In contrast, participation in team sports was linked to positive educational trajectories and to high rates of involvement in one risky behavior, drinking alcohol. Then, we explore two possible mediators of these associations: peer associations and activity-based identity formation. The evidence supported our hypothesis that group differences in peer associations and activity-based identities help explain activity group differences.
The purpose of this study was to examine barriers to and facilitators of career goals among college students in the framework of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackétt, 1994). Questionnaires were completed by 2,743 college freshmen. Chi-square tests and MANOVA were used to analyze the data. The authors found gender and ethnic differences in perceptions of barriers to career goals. Differences were found by ethnicity, but not by gender, in perceptions of facilitators of career goals. The authors examined factors influencing career choice goals and specific barriers and facilitators. They discuss implications for career counselors.
Eleventh graders participated in a longitudinal study of career decision making in which they completed a series of career-related inventories and follow-up interviews. There was little change in work-related values between the 2 administrations of the Values Scale (G.W. Fitzsimmons, D. Macnab, & C. Casserly, 1985); however, greater variation occurred on the Salience Inventory (G. W. Fitzsimmons et al., 1985), particularly Role Value Implementation. Role salience seems less stable than values, perhaps reflecting the transition from high school to postsecondary education or the world of work. Implications for D. E. Super's (1981, 1990, 1994, 1995) theory of career development and applications to career counseling are outlined.
I summarize a theoretical model of the social, cultural, and psychological influences on achievement-related choices and outline how this model can help us understand gendered educational and occupational choices. I argue that both gender differences and individual differences within each gender in educational and occupational choices are linked to differences in individuals’ expectations for success and subjective task value. With regard to the gender difference in the occupations linked to math and physical science in particular, females are less likely to enter these fields than males both because they have less confidence in their math and physical science abilities and because they place less subjective value on these fields than they place on other possible occupational niches. Furthermore, gendered socialization practices at home, in the schools, and among peers play a major role in shaping these individual differences in self-perceptions and subjective task values. I relate these theoretical and empirical conclusions to the other four papers in this special section.
This study examined the effects of single-sex middle school science and mathematics classrooms with high minority enrollment on achievement, affect, peer, and teacher-student interactions. All students earned higher grades in mathematics than in science. Girls earned higher grades than boys. The higher grades of girls were not clearly attributable to the singlesex environment, and aspects of the single-sex environment interfered with boys' achievement. The single-sex environment contributed to girls', but not boys', feelings of empowerment, peer support, and positive self-concept. The curriculum and pedagogy were better suited to girls than to boys, leading to discipline problems and hostile interactions. However, boys were more engaged in technology-based activities than girls. Overall, all-boy classes were less supportive learning environments than all-girl classes. Although the results replicate findings elsewhere, this is the only study to look at minority students in middle school.
In this investigation of the scientist's images, black females were the sole participants. The data were obtained via semistructured interviews and were interpreted from a framework that emerged from the analysis of the data. Tesch's organizing system method was used to analyze the data, responses to the questions, “What do the teenaged, academically competent black females believe about the scientist?” and “What attribute (e.g., values, lifestyles) do they ascribe to the scientist?” From the analysis, two cultural orientations—the dominant culture and the African-American culture that exists in the United States—became evident. It was found that descriptions of the scientist differed with the ethnicity ascribed to him or her. These differences corresponded to the tenets of the dominant culture and the African-American culture in the United States. When these images of the scientist are viewed as windows to self-concepts, the results of the study have implications for science instruction, a consistent way through which African-American females are exposed to the sciences. J Res Sci Teach 34: 745–768, 1997.
Many high ability students from culturally diverse populations exist in large economically deprived urban environments and they are often included in the statistical reports of high school dropouts. A 3-year investigation of the culture of highability, high-achieving students in an urban high school was undertaken by researchers from the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Through ethnographic interviews and case study methods, descriptions emerged of culturally diverse teenagers who achieved in an urban high school. Specific factors that enabled these students to succeed included: the development of a belief in self, supportive adults, interaction with a network of high-achieving peers, extracurricular activities, challenging classes such as honors classes, personal characteristics such as motivation and resilience, and family support. The findings of the study offer educators useful suggestions and strategies for addressing the academic needs of talented youth in an urban setting.
This article presents the findings of a year-long, qualitative study of a network of neighborhood youth programs in a low-income, Latino neighborhood in Chicago. It discusses the characteristics of youth served by the programs, the programs' daily functioning, how youth workers construct and carry out their roles, the nature of youth-worker-youth relationships, and implementation issues. The authors also reflect on the strengths and limitations of the programs, and their role in the lives of youth served.
Using the resilience literature as a theoretical framework, this article discusses research on the influence of social resources such as parent, teacher, and school support on the resilient outcomes of children and adolescents. Findings from several projects conducted at the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk indicate that access to social resources such as caring parents who have high expectations for their children and are involved in their children's schooling, participation in extracurricular activities (e.g., after-school sports), and supportive relationships with teachers have positive benefits for students' academic performance. This article also reports results that show children's perceived exposure to violence has significant negative effects on their mathematics and reading performance on a standardized exam. The findings demonstrate the importance of social resources and highlight the need for effective programs of intervention.
In this study we examined the main and interactive effects of academic risk status and gender on the early career development of adolescents, including career decision-making and occupational aspirations and expectations. Male adolescents were more likely than female adolescents to feel discouraged, lack necessary information about careers, perceive external barriers, and lack interest in making choices. Students identified as being at substantial academic risk were more likely to feel discouraged and indicate a lack of information needed to make career choices. Gender and at-risk status did not significantly influence occupational aspirations. However, adolescents at substantial academic risk reported significantly lower occupational expectations and had larger discrepancies between occupational aspirations and expectations than their peers. Implications of these findings for research and practice are examined.
Assessed in the present study were the contributions of variables thought to be related to positive expectations for the future in a sample of inner-city sixth-grade through eighth-grade students. Students completed self-report measures in September and June. At each time point, higher levels of positive expectations for the future were related to lower levels of problem behaviors and peer negative influences and to higher levels of school involvement, internal resources, and social support. In prospective analyses, higher levels of Time 1 problem behaviors and peer negative influences predicted decreases over 9 months in positive expectations for the future; higher levels of family support and problem-solving efficacy predicted increases over 9 months in positive expectations for the future. These findings have implications for further prospective research as well as for designing resilience-promoting prevention programs for at-risk youth.
Factors that differentiate women and men who choose a science career from those who do not were investigated using longitudinal data from 1980 and 1990. The participants (N = 459) were ninth or twelfth graders at six midwestern high schools in 1980. Women in science compared to women in other careers were significantly more likely to value math and science for their future career goals, whereas men in science compared to men in other careers had significantly higher high school grade point averages in natural science and higher career aspirations. Not unexpectedly, both women and men in science careers compared to those in nonscience careers took more high school elective science courses because they wanted to, aspired to higher prestige careers as young adults, and attributed their math successes more to their ability. The male model accounted for more than twice the variance accounted for by the female model, and context variables were not predictive for either model. Suggestions for revising the model and improving the assessment of context influences are made. Implications for research and practice include designing and evaluating programs to increase the number of intellectually able girls valuing math and science as these relate to their future goals.
Vocational researchers interested in the career development of women and people of color have noted the potentially strong influence of perceived barriers in the formulation and pursuit of educational and career goals. In this study, ethnic and gender differences in perceived educational and career barriers were investigated in a sample of 1139 Mexican-American and Euro-American high school juniors and seniors. Differences in perceived barriers were assessed using MANOVA and ANOVA procedures. Results were consistent with the hypotheses, suggesting that (1) female participants anticipated more barriers than male participants; (2) Mexican-American participants anticipated more barriers than Euro-Americans; and (3) these differences were consistent within ethnic and gender groups. Implications for future research are discussed.
Using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88),we analyze how educational aspirations are formed and maintained from eighth to twelfth grades among a single cohort of youth. Guided by research in the status-attainment literature, which focuses on how aspirations are shaped, and the blocked-opportunities framework, which considers the structural obstacles that bound or level aspirations, we find that the relative shares of minority youth who have high educational aspirations are high from eighth to twelfth grades. However, ethnic groups differ in the extent to which high educational aspirations are maintained such that black and Hispanic youth have less stable aspirations. Our results suggest that family socioeconomic status (SES) not only contributes to ambitious aspirations in eighth grade but, more important, to the maintenance of high aspirations throughout the high school years. Because black and Hispanic students are less likely to maintain their high aspirations throughout high school, owing to their lower family SES background, we argue that their early aspirations are less concrete than those of white and especially Asian students. Focus-group discussions with adolescents support quantitative findings that, compared to whites and Asians, black and Hispanic youth are relatively uninformed about college, thus dampening their odds of reaching their educational goals.
Starbase-Atlantis is a program located in a Mid-Atlantic urban area serving at-risk or low-income students. The program focuses on the practical uses of how math, science, and technology skills come together in real-life applications. This study reports a comparison of the information from Starbase-Atlantis's 1995-97 school years. Data indicate a positive relation between a bands-on experiential science curriculum and improved science abilities among students. Descriptive statistics, percentage modified gains, and qualitative surveys were available since program inception in May 1995. A pretest-posttest control group design examined the effects of the Starbase-Atlantis program. Results of the total comparison were significant. Special education students interacted frequently with regular education students with positive results. Female students outperformed male students, though both genders achieved gains. All ethnic groups made significant gains.
Describes a study in which fourth and fifth grade students drew pictures of what they believed a scientist looks like. Scientists then visited the classrooms and students were asked to draw another picture of what scientists look like. More stereotypic views of scientists were seen in the first drawings than in the second. (SAH)
After-school programs have the potential to keep children safe and out of trouble and can help to improve the academic performance of the increasing numbers of participating children. This report presents positive research on after-school programs and examples illustrating the potential of high-quality after-school activities to keep children safe, out of trouble, and learning. The report presents empirical and anecdotal evidence of successful programs, identifies key components of high-quality programs and effective program practices, and showcases exemplary after-school and extended learning models. The report is presented in three chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the potential of after-school programs, focusing on their potential impact to reduce juvenile crime; to improve academic achievement; to support children's social development and their relationships with adults and peers; and to strengthen schools, families, and communities. Chapter 2 highlights the components of exemplary after-school programs, including goal setting, strong management, and sustainability; high-quality after-school staffing; attention to safety, health, and nutrition issues; effective partnerships with community and other organizations; strong family involvement; enriching learning opportunities; linkages between school-day and after-school personnel; and evaluation of program progress and effectiveness. Chapter 3 describes 10 exemplary after-school programs. A list of resources for after-school programs is appended. (Contains 110 references.) (KB)
Reported are the results of a survey of elementary and secondary school students' portraits of scientists. Discussed are sample demographics, gender and race comparisons, scientists and role models. The positive results of these voluntary submissions are stressed. (CW)
This study identified a set of factors, including vocational exploration and commitment, commitment to the role of work, and participation in the role of studying, which explained 43.3 percent of the variance in the identity development of 95 gifted female adolescents. Of these factors, vocational exploration and commitment contributed the most to identity development. (Contains references.) (DB)
Describes a study of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Program for Women and Girls (PWG) conducted by the Urban Institute between 1998 and 2000. Assesses the PWG's contributions to the field of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education and gender equity. Concludes that the PWG successfully effected both positive, short-term changes in human capital and long-term changes in knowledge capital and social capital resources to improve equity in SMET. (Author/KHR)
Focusing on “where we’ve been, where we are, and where
we’re going,” the authors examine minority women’s and
White women’s progress in science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology (SMET) over the past decade. Starting from an exploration of
participation and achievement data, the authors move on to cover the
theories behind SMET gender differences, including those based on
testing, biology, social-psychology, and cognitive sciences. Looking at
practice as well as theory, the authors explore the impacts that
interventions and contextual influences, such as societal change and
education reform, have had on efforts to achieve gender parity in SMET.
The article concludes with the recommendation of logical next steps to
preserve and expand the gains made by women in these fields.
Gender equity, especially in technical areas involving mathematics, is the focus of much current research. There are three explanations offered for gender inequities: biological causes, greater variability among male students, and cultural causes. High-achieving 11th-grade mathematics students (330 boys, 213 girls) who participated in the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) were studied. Campbell's differential socialization paradigm was used as a theoretical framework. The results uncovered a 10.8% gender gap favoring the boys. The path models for both sexes indicated that educated mothers have strong indirect effects on their children's mathematics achievement. Furthermore, the students' self-imposed pressure and persistence had important direct effects on their achievement. The mathematics self-concept had important direct effects on the boys' mathematics achievement, but it had little effect on the girls' achievement. Several macro-inequities and micro-inequities were uncovered. Findings indicate that socialization causes are responsible for these inequities.
Presents descriptive data on 464 high school students' perceptions of various factors that might influence their current career expectations. Results suggest that high school adolescents are aware of a variety of internal and external influences on their current career expectations. Girls endorsed more types of influence for mothers, female friends, and female teachers than did boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This book is one result of a 5-yr ethnographic research project begun in 1987. The project's goal was to identify the role of more than 60 neighborhood organizations in the lives of over 24,000 inner-city youth residing in 3 urban areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest US. The varying locales offered the opportunity to explore the significance of ethnicity for community youth resources. Six successful youth organizations, the adults who lead them, and composite portraits of their members are the focus of this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This important report summarizes the research on single-sex education, an ever-present but long-ignored segment of our educational system, which the report suggests has much worth modeling; single-sex schools give definite educational advantages to at least some subgroups of the students who attend them. Keywords (Audience): High School / Introductory Chemistry
No comprehensive model of the career development of racial and ethnic minorities has yet been developed; even less attention has been devoted to models of the career development of racial and ethnic minority women. One of the more promising career theories that may prove satisfactory in accounting for ethnicity in career development is Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory (Lent & Brown, 1996; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). In this article, the authors selectively review the literature on African American women's career development to clarify how social cognitive mechanisms may be operating. The primary focus of this conceptual analysis is on the central elements of social cognitive theory, namely, self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Implications for counseling are presented.
In this study, we examined how students used science equipment and tools in constructing knowledge during science instruction. Within a geographical metaphor, we focused on how students use tools when constructing new knowledge, how control of tools is actualized from pedagogical perspectives, how language and tool accessibility intersect, how gender intersects with tool use, and how competition for resources impacts access to tools. Sixteen targeted students from five elementary science classes were observed for 3 days of instruction. Results showed gender differences in students' use of exclusive language and commands, as well as in the ways students played and tinkered with tools. Girls tended to carefully follow the teacher's directions during the laboratory and did little playing or tinkering with science tools. Male students tended to use tools in inventive and exploratory ways. Results also showed that whether or not a student had access to his or her own materials became indicative of the type of verbal interactions that took place during the science investigation. Gender-related patterns in how tools are shared, how dyads relate to the materials and each other, and how materials are used to build knowledge are described. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 760–783, 2000
Despite receiving over 55% of U.S. bachelor's degrees in 1996, women earned <19% of engineering degrees. Polynesian and Filipino women compose an almost vanishing percentage of these graduates. Interviews with four minority women who were close to or had recently completed degrees in civil or mechanical engineering reveal issues of class, race, and gender that affect school success in general and science success in particular. They specifically describe how stereotyping can lead to social stratification and unequal academic and occupational expectations. Narratives are interpreted through Butler's sex/gender theories, Bhaba's postcolonial theories of mimicry, Bourdieu's concepts of social capital and habitus, Bakhtin's theory of speech genres, and Stanton-Salazar's concept of social networks. The results suggest that Grade K–12 educators, especially in elementary grades, need to challenge practices that segregate students into groups that reflect socioeconomic and ethnic status. In addition to content knowledge, teachers need the kind of multicultural preparation that will help them work effectively with diverse students and their families. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 621–636, 1999
This article examines gender differences in science achievements and attitudes during the middle grade, when our nation's scientific pipeline begins to emerge. It uses data from a large, nationally representative sample of eighth-grade students (NELS-88). The findings show that in these grades female students do not lag behind their male classmates in science achievements tests, grades, and course enrollments. Actually, some female students have higher probabilities of enrolling in high-ability classes than males. However, female students have less positive attitudes toward science, participate in fewer relevant extracurricular activities, and aspire less often to science careers than males. Students' science attitudes and career interests vary according to students' gender as well as their racial or ethnic background. These findings emphasize the need to further examine the interrelationships between gender and race or ethnicity in our efforts to understand the processes leading to women's limited participation in science-related careers.
This study attempts to help us better understand scientific competence and how it is acquired. We interviewed 10 associates at a company that produces unique technical products. Although none of the 10 had obtained degrees beyond high school, they all engaged in highly technical work that would be typical of a practicing engineer. These associates described to us their learning of science as they solved practical problems at work. Both what they learned and how they learned was task-driven. Contextual factors such as choice of tasks and social access to expertise within the company were important factors in their learning. The only influence outside work that was repeatedly named as significant on the acquisition of scientific competence was extensive tinkering experience. Understanding the successful acquisition of scientific competence within communities such as this one suggests that certain features of these communities may be useful for school science communities as well. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed86:756–782, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10034
Several instruments have been developed to assess student images of scientists, but most require children to respond in writing. Since not all children can respond appropriately to written instruments. Chambers (1983) developed the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) in which children's drawings are rated according to particular characteristics present or absent in the drawings, allowing researchers to determine the images of scientists children hold. In order to improve the objectivity and interrater reliability of this means of assessment, the authors built upon Chambers' study to develop a checklist useful in assessing DAST drawings. This checklist provides drawing raters with stereotypic components identified in previous research as well as some additional ones, making the identification and recording of such components more efficient and more readily quantifiable for data analysis. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and field test of this checklist.
The purpose of this study was to try to determine what influences girls to choose science. Forty girls were interviewed in Grades 2, 5, 8, 11 using a semistructured protocol. The interview focused on feelings about science, science careers, peer and parental support, and how science is taught. To determine whether their responses were based on gender, each girl was asked to respond to questions as if she were a boy. The girls were highly self-confident and positive about science. All of the girls took a strong equity position and asserted that women can and should do science. The girls liked learning science in an interactive social context rather than participating in activities that isolated them such as independent reading, writing, or note taking. Those who chose science careers were drawn to them because of strong affective experiences with a loved one and a desire to help. The interviews were analyzed through the framework of women's affective and psychological needs.
A project designed to foster the full and fair participation of girls in high-school science classes addressed obstacles, both perceived and actual, to equal participation. In order to modify existing classroom techniques and environments, a Teacher Intervention Program was designed. By means of a workshop and periodic personal communications, teachers were sensitized to the importance of a stimulating, gender-free learning environment. In addition, they were presented with a variety of methods and materials which had been shown to encourage girls in science. Twelve teachers, who were selected randomly, taught in diverse communities throughout one Midwestern state. The subjects tested were students in 24 general biology classes taught by the 12 teachers. Although both qualitative and quantitative measures were used during the research, only the quantitative results are discussed in this paper. Using ANOVA's, treatment group by student sex, a comparison of the mean scores was made for all students, as well as for all females and for all males. The results indicated that the experimental group, compared to the control group, had significantly higher mean scores on tests of attitudes toward science, perceptions of science, extracurricular science activities, and interest in a science-related career.
Despite much effort on the part of educators the number of females who choose science careers remains low. This research focuses on two factors which may be influencing females in their choice of careers. These factors are role-specific self-concept in science and self perception in terms of stereotypical masculine and feminine characteristics. In addition logical ability and mathematics and science courses were also examined as factors in career choice. Females preferring science related careers and females preferring nontraditional careers such as police, military and trades were found to have a positive role-specific self-concept and a masculine perception of themselves. Females preferring traditional careers such as teacher or hairdresser had a poor role-specific self-concept and a more feminine perception of themselves. Males as a group were found to have a more positive role-specific self-concept than females. Logical ability was also related to a science career preference for both males and females. Males expected to take more higher level math courses than females, while females preferring science careers expected to take the most higher level science courses.