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1. Embedding Life Design in Future Readiness Efforts to Promote Collective Impact and Economically Sustainable Communities: Conceptual Frameworks and Case Example

   https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313189  

   Park, C.; Rodriguez, A.; Flete Gomez, J.R.; Erilus, I.; Kim, H.; Dai, Y.; Oliver-Davila, A.; Trunfio, P.; Howard, K.A.S.; and Solberg, V. S. (November 2021, Sustainability)

   Academic Editor: García-Aracil, Adela (Ed.)

   This is the first of two sequential papers describing the design and first-year implementation of a collaborative participatory action research effort between Sociedad Latina, a youth serving organization in Boston, Massachusetts, and Boston University. The collaboration aimed to develop and deliver a combined STEM and career development set of lessons for middle school Latinx youth. In the first paper, life design and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals are described in relation to the rationale and the design of the career development intervention strategy that aims to help middle school youth discover the ways that learning advanced-STEM skills expand future decent work opportunities both within STEM and outside STEM, ultimately leading to an outcome of well-being and sustainable communities. In addition to providing evidence of career development intervention strategies, a qualitative analysis of the collaboration is described. The second paper will discuss two additional frameworks that guided the design and implementation of our work. As an example of translational research, the paper will provide larger national and regional contexts by describing system level career development interventions underway using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological and person–process–context–time frameworks. 

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2. Spatial Strategies Employed by Blind and Low-Vision (BLV) Individuals on the Tactile Mental Cutting Test (TMCT)

   https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v13i5.38021  

   Green, Theresa; Goodridge, Wade H.; Kane, Daniel; Shaheen, Natalie L. (July 2023, International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP))

   Spatial ability is a well-known predictor of success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand the spatial strategies that were used by blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals as they solved problems on the tactile mental cutting test (TMCT), an instrument that was designed to measure the spatial ability of BLV audiences. The TMCT is an accessible adaptation of the older, 1938 version of the mental cutting test (MCT) that has been used extensively in spatial ability research. Additionally, this paper seeks to compare these strategies with existing strategies that have been investigated with sighted populations. The BLV community is underrepresented in engineering and in spatial ability research. By understanding how BLV students understand and solve spatial problems and concepts, educators can develop and enhance educational content that is relevant to this population. By incorporating perspectives from the BLV community and making STEM curricula accessible to this population, more BLV individuals may be encouraged to pursue STEM or engineering career pathways. 

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3. Development and Validation of the STEM Study Strategies Questionnaire for STEM College Students

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--32345  

   Bradford, Brittany; Beier, Margaret; Wolf, Michael; McSpedon, Megan; Saterbak, Ann (July 2019, American Society for Engineering Education)

   In this research-based paper, we discuss the development of a measure of Rice University students’ STEM study strategies and then explore the measure’s correlation with several important psychological outcomes in a sample of underprepared first-year STEM students (n=94). STEM attrition remains a pressing concern nationally, particularly for students who took less rigorous STEM courses in high school, a population that disproportionally comprises underrepresented minorities. The authors developed an 11-item measure of STEM-specific study strategies, termed the STEM Study Strategies Questionnaire. We explored STEM-specific identity, self-efficacy, and career aspirations, as well as perceived utility of attaining a STEM degree, using a model based on Eccles and Wigfield’s (2002) expectancy-value framework of achievement. An exploratory factor analysis found a four-factor solution to the newly developed scale: Group Work in STEM, Active STEM Learning, Interactions with STEM Professors, and STEM Exam Familiarity. The authors found significant moderate to strong correlations among all psychological variables, as well as with the Group Work and STEM Exam Familiarity factors. Next steps for this research are to develop further measure items to capture each of the four factors and to conduct confirmatory analyses on different samples of STEM students, both those who are relatively underprepared and appropriately prepared for college STEM coursework. 

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4. Undergraduates Graph Interpretation and Scientific Paper Reading Shift from Novice- to Expert-like as a Result of Participation in a Summer Research Experience: A Case Study

   https://doi.org/10.18833/spur/5/2/2  

   Gold, Anne U.; Atkins, Rachel; McNeal, Karen S. (January 2021, Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research)

   Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) programs often introduce students to scientific research and STEM career possibilities. However, the program impact on students and their research skill development is not well understood. In a case study with 10 REU students, the authors used eye-tracking and self-report data to determine student strategies for reading scientific papers and interpreting graphs at the beginning and end of the program. The strategies of REU students and science experts were then compared. The REU students changed their strategies and performed more like experts at posttest. These findings indicate that, during the REU, students acquired expert-like strategies necessary to engage with scientific articles and extract key information from graphs. The study demonstrates that eye-tracking can document skill growth in REU students. 

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5. Using Asset-Based Pedagogy to Facilitate STEM Learning, Engagement, and Motivation for Black Middle School Boys

   Coleman, Sean T.; Davis, Julius (September 2020, Journal of African American males in education)

   There is a shortage of research examining Black male middle school students’ early experiences, content and career exposure, and mentoring in STEM programs at HBCUs. Using Harper’s Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework, this research examined the asset-based pedagogy used to teach middle school Black boys (n=169) using survey data from a more extensive mixed-methods study of STEM programs at HBCUs. Results show that Black boys perceived the instructors and mentors incorporated a relatively high level of engagement and pedagogical practice using transactional strategies (meaningful learning, learning community, teacher student relationship quality). The more Black boys perceived meaningful connections in their lessons, the higher teacher student relationship quality and learning community ratings. The use of the three transactional instructional strategies resulted in Black boys' perceived use of critical thinking in the STEM learning context. As a result of participating in the STEM programs at HBCUs, Black boys significantly increased in STEM-based academic efficacy, specifically in technology. Implications for teachers, teacher educators, and program mentors and instructors in STEM spaces for Black boys are discussed. 

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