An official website of the United States government
SPARK is the first project at Texas State University designed to recruit and retain low income, female, first year students who show an early interest in majoring in engineering and computer science (ECS). Female students who show an initial extrinsic interest in these majors can be driven away far too easily by their experiences. SPARK has two primary goals: (1) create an environment where belonging to a like-minded cohort nurtures a strong sense of self, and (2) deliver high quality, high impact practices that engender female students’ success and retention in ECS. Guided by Albert Bandura and Frank Pajares’ research on self-efficacy in theory and practice, the SPARK project sheds light on self-efficacy and confidence as predictive of persistence for female students in ECS. Additionally, the effect of SPARK students’ spatial visualization skills was assessed and tracked throughout the life of the project, utilizing Sheryl Sorby’s research correlating spatial visualization skills to STEM success. Current research-based approaches to student engagement provide good evidence that mattering and sense of belonging are also highly correlative with persistence, particularly for first year students. This is important because the national conversation on what works to mend the gender gap in STEM is currently wedged between Sheryl Sandberg’s “leaning in” and Angela Duckworth’s views on “grit” as an indicator of persistence. In this paper, we will discuss the context and history of the SPARK program, present assessment outcomes about impact to date, share lessons learned, and consider future directions. This work will contribute to the growing body of research on retaining females in ECS by developing and analyzing student motivation; recognizing factors that may contribute to aspirational deficient, attrition, and marginalization; and designing and assessing activities that strengthen self-confidence, self-efficacy, and persistence in retention programs for females in ECS.
more »
« less
Engaging Secondary Female Students in STEM Activities Through a Constructivist Learning Environment
In STEM education, fewer female students participate in STEM related activities than males (Kim, ND; Sahin et al., 2015). This underrepresentation of females in STEM fields may be attributed to lack of confidence in STEM related to their self-concept, gender stereotyping, or lack of cultural/family support (Cokley, 2002). This study is part of an NSF program that focuses on engaging secondary female students in a constructive learning environment (CLE) to enhance their self confidence in STEM related fields and encourage interest in STEM learning in order to increase females in STEM workforce. The purpose of this proposal is two-fold: 1) to examine the CLE, and 2) to investigate the factors that influence female students’ self-confidence in STEM within a CLE. Using both quantitative and qualitative data sources, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) What is the relationship between a CLE and STEM self-efficacy?; (2) How does students’ sense of belonging impact the relationship between CLE and STEM self-efficacy; and (3) How does the project experience impact secondary female students’ attitudes toward participation in STEM learning?
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1949585
- PAR ID:
- 10406147
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- 2023 AERA Annual Meeting
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Women make up only 28% of the workforce in STEM fields. It’s important to engage more girls in learning STEM; however, girls’ interests in STEM careers keep declining. It is well studied that the lack of sense of belonging underlies gender differences in STEM differentiation and achievement. Researchers have found that secondary girls’ sense of belonging declines as they age. To enhance secondary female students’ interests and self-concept in computing and engineering fields, the UNLV ITEST project sets the focus on engaging Girls in Ubiquitous Intelligence and Computing (GUIC) through a constructivist learning environment. In the GUIC Summer Camp, 40 secondary female students will take three-week training courses in Arduino & Internet of Things and Robotics Design and conduct two-week engineering project development in tiered teams co-mentored by STEM teachers and college student mentors. Based on the active learning method, the training courses are designed with interactive lectures and hands-on labs/activities. The engineering projects in ubiquitous intelligent systems are designed to connect computing & engineering concepts with real-world problems. Project demo results and students’ feedbacks have confirmed the effectiveness of the project activities in enhancing female students’ interests and self-efficacy in learning engineering and STEM. The unique constructivist learning environment is helpful in improving female students’ sense of belonging in STEM.more » « less
-
The purpose of the study is to explore and theorize the constructivist learning environment for secondary female students’ STEM learning. The study was built on a funded program featured a tiered-team structure, hands-on experience, and interactive mentorship for engaging female students from Grades 6-11 in a five-week Summer Camp to learn Arduino programming & Robotics Design and integration of these tools to conduct projects in ubiquitous intelligent systems. In conducting this study, we used the case study method to provide a more multifaceted perspective on the camp, and how these perspectives inform an understanding of how the project’s features impacted the students. All 37 female students participated in the survey, and eight participated in the interviews. The findings indicate that students were able to heighten their self-confidence and motivation. The themes of the learning environment were identified: knowledge enhancement, STEAM experience, as well as support and encouragement. The program had significant impacts on students’ identity related to STEM identity, motivation and interest, and self-confidence. It also significantly impacts their sense of belonging, including peers' and mentors' sense of belonging. The study provided research evidence for designing STEM learning projects to enhance female STEM learning.more » « less
-
Previous research has shown that female and Hispanic students who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) face more educational barriers than their non-Hispanic, male peers. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of intersectional identities in the STEM space. In an effort to bridge the gap in underrepresented students' experience, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies organizes a paid, interdisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning and internship program called the Green Teams that occurs during 10 weeks of the summer. The Green Teams Program strives to provide undergraduate students from all backgrounds–academically, economically, and demographically–an opportunity to develop their abilities in STEM fields and prepare them to enter the professional world. Based upon a survey given post-internship, self-reported learning gains for all students were analyzed to determine if the program had a significantly greater impact on students who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM in their STEM-related learning gains and their confidence in STEM disciplines. Through t-tests, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a 2-way factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Hispanic and female participants were found to report significantly higher learning gains than their counterparts in multiple STEM areas from increased tolerance for obstacles to gains in self confidence. The results of the study suggest Hispanic and female students benefit from paid work experiences in STEM with diverse peers and intentional, supportive mentoring. This research on the Green Teams Program provides insight into how this approach positively impacts STEM education of individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM. The findings may help to further guide the development of the Green Teams Program and the adoption of paid, interdisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning and internship experiences in additional academic STEM settings.more » « less
-
Underrepresented and marginalized students have challenges when connecting their personal identities to STEM identities. This has a direct impact on the post-secondary educational and career choices of these students. Some factors which contribute to the disenfranchisement of marginalized students include inequity in academic preparation, students’ lack of self-efficacy and self-identity in STEM, students’ lack of connection to the STEM curriculum and students’ lack of role models and mentors. Although the opportunities in the STEM workforce are abundant and lucrative, students who identify as students of color, female and/or English language learners are poorly represented in the STEM professions. Through the CCERS STEM + C Program, students are asked to expand their STEM identity through near-peer mentoring, encounters with STEM experts and individual STEM Research projects that are focused on the environmental restoration of New York Harbor, its watershed and the native oyster population.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
