1
|
Tatapudy S, Potter R, Bostrom L, Colgan A, Self CJ, Smith J, Xu S, Theobald EJ. Visualizing Inequities: A Step Toward Equitable Student Outcomes. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2024; 23:es9. [PMID: 39321155 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.24-02-0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
The underrepresentation and underperformance of low-income, first-generation, gender minoritized, Black, Latine, and Indigenous students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occurs for a variety of reasons, including, that students in these groups experience opportunity gaps in STEM classes. A critical approach to disrupting persistent inequities is implementing policies and practices that no longer systematically disadvantage students from minoritized groups. To do this, instructors must use data-informed reflection to interrogate their course outcomes. However, these data can be hard to access, process, and visualize in ways that make patterns of inequities clear. To address this need, we developed an R-Shiny application that allows authenticated users to visualize inequities in student performance. An explorable example can be found here: https://theobaldlab.shinyapps.io/visualizinginequities/. In this essay, we use publicly retrieved data as an illustrative example to detail 1) how individual instructors, groups of instructors, and institutions might use this tool for guided self-reflection and 2) how to adapt the code to accommodate data retrieved from local sources. All of the code is freely available here: https://github.com/TheobaldLab/VisualizingInequities. We hope faculty, administrators, and higher-education policymakers will make visible the opportunity gaps in college courses, with the explicit goal of creating transformative, equitable education through self-reflection, group discussion, and structured support.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumitra Tatapudy
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Rachel Potter
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Linnea Bostrom
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Anne Colgan
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Casey J Self
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Julia Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Shangmou Xu
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Elli J Theobald
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nguyen U, Riegle-Crumb C. Gender Typicality and Engineering Attachment: Examining the Viewpoints of Women College Engineers and Variation by Race/Ethnicity. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:573. [PMID: 39062396 PMCID: PMC11274201 DOI: 10.3390/bs14070573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Women remain under-represented in many STEM occupations, including in the high-status and lucrative field of engineering. This study focuses on women who have chosen to enter this men-dominated field, to consider whether and how feelings of gender typicality predict their attachment to the field. Specifically, utilizing a U.S. sample of approximately 800 women college engineers from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, we build on emerging research on gender typicality to distinguish perceptions of feminine typicality as well as masculine typicality. Subsequently, we consider whether these perceptions have implications for their attachment to engineering, including their engineering identity as well as their certainty of staying in the field. Importantly, in doing so, we consider potential racial/ethnic variations in these relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Nguyen
- Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 840 N 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Catherine Riegle-Crumb
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, Stop D500, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vedrenne-Gutiérrez F, López-Suero CDC, De Hoyos-Bermea A, Mora-Flores LP, Monroy-Fraustro D, Orozco-Castillo MF, Martínez-Velasco JF, Altamirano-Bustamante MM. The axiological foundations of innovation in STEM education - A systematic review and ethical meta-analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32381. [PMID: 38994089 PMCID: PMC11237844 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Values are crucial in decision-making, including processes related to science and technology, despite scientists often being unaware of them. Because a goal of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is to foster innovation, values have become fundamental in directing science and technology policies and shaping organizational cultures to leverage innovation. However, most research on STEM education has focused on improving performance or access to STEM education while overlooking its axiological configuration. This study analyzes the different value systems emerging in the current literature on STEM higher education and identifies the relevant stakeholders. Method In this systematic review and ethical meta-analysis, we aimed to assess the most prominent studies on STEM education and its core values. We followed a Ricoeur-inspired hermeneutical methodology using Atlas ti 8.4.4. Values are identified and classified using a systematic approach to integrate axiological landscapes. Results The literature does not explicitly discuss the value of STEM education for innovation. However, social values appear to be at the intersection and the cornerstone of basic, economic, aesthetic, and epistemic values, as most social values also manifest these four systems. The most common manifestation of the value system is the capability approach to justice, followed by the beauty of recognition and success and, in third place, racism and social disparities. The analyzed literature emphasizes STEM education's social, political, and economic determinants. However, there is an epistemic gap in the indispensable value of innovating and assessing STEM education. Conclusions We propose an organizational culture model for STEM education that considers the goals, ends, values, and behaviors of students, teachers, educational institutions, and the government. This model can help fill the axiological gaps in STEM education.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernand Vedrenne-Gutiérrez
- Grupo Transfuncional en Bioética Del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS., Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Doctores, Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Industrial y de Alimentos, Universidad Iberoamericana, Prol. P.° de la Reforma 880, Santa Fe, 01219, Mexico City, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Administrativas y Sociales (CIECAS), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Lauro Aguirre 120, Mexico City, 11360, Mexico
- Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anahuac, Av. Universidad Anahuac 46, Huixquilucan, 52786, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Carolina Del Carmen López-Suero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Industrial y de Alimentos, Universidad Iberoamericana, Prol. P.° de la Reforma 880, Santa Fe, 01219, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adalberto De Hoyos-Bermea
- Grupo Transfuncional en Bioética Del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS., Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Doctores, Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Administrativas y Sociales (CIECAS), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Lauro Aguirre 120, Mexico City, 11360, Mexico
| | - Lorena Patricia Mora-Flores
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Industrial y de Alimentos, Universidad Iberoamericana, Prol. P.° de la Reforma 880, Santa Fe, 01219, Mexico City, Mexico
- ESDAI - Universidad Panamericana Ciudad de México, Cda. Augusto Rodin No. 498, Insurgentes Mixcoac, Benito Juárez, 03920 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
- Facultad de Ingeniería - Universidad Panamericana Ciudad de México Cda. Augusto Rodin No. 498, Insurgentes Mixcoac, Benito Juárez, 03920 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Daniela Monroy-Fraustro
- Grupo Transfuncional en Bioética Del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS., Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Doctores, Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Administrativas y Sociales (CIECAS), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Lauro Aguirre 120, Mexico City, 11360, Mexico
| | | | - José Francisco Martínez-Velasco
- Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Administrativas y Sociales (CIECAS), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Lauro Aguirre 120, Mexico City, 11360, Mexico
| | - Myriam M Altamirano-Bustamante
- Grupo Transfuncional en Bioética Del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS., Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Doctores, Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Signorella ML, Liben LS. Perceptions of Skills Needed for STEM Jobs: Links to Academic Self-Concepts, Job Interests, Job Gender Stereotypes, and Spatial Ability in Young Adults. J Intell 2024; 12:63. [PMID: 39057183 PMCID: PMC11278375 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12070063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Gender gaps in spatial skills-a domain relevant to STEM jobs-have been hypothesized to contribute to women's underrepresentation in STEM fields. To study emerging adults' beliefs about skill sets and jobs, we asked college students (N = 300) about the relevance of spatial, mathematical, science and verbal skills for each of 82 jobs. Analyses of responses revealed four job clusters-quantitative, basic & applied science, spatial, and verbal. Students' ratings of individual jobs and job clusters were similar to judgments of professional job analysts (O*NET). Both groups connected STEM jobs to science, math, and spatial skills. To investigate whether students' interests in STEM and other jobs are related to their own self-concepts, beliefs about jobs, and spatial performance, we asked students in another sample (N = 292) to rate their self-concepts in various academic domains, rate personal interest in each of the 82 jobs, judge cultural gender stereotypes of those jobs, and complete a spatial task. Consistent with prior research, jobs judged to draw on math, science, or spatial skills were rated as more strongly culturally stereotyped for men than women; jobs judged to draw on verbal skills were more strongly culturally stereotyped for women than men. Structural equation modeling showed that for both women and men, spatial task scores directly (and indirectly through spatial self-concept) related to greater interest in the job cluster closest to the one O*NET labeled "STEM". Findings suggest that pre-college interventions that improve spatial skills might be effective for increasing spatial self-concepts and the pursuit of STEM careers among students from traditionally under-represented groups, including women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L. Signorella
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Brandywine Campus, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media, PA 19063, USA
| | - Lynn S. Liben
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cao Y, Zhou T, Gao J. Heterogeneous peer effects of college roommates on academic performance. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4785. [PMID: 38844484 PMCID: PMC11156860 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49228-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how student peers influence learning outcomes is crucial for effective education management in complex social systems. The complexities of peer selection and evolving peer relationships, however, pose challenges for identifying peer effects using static observational data. Here we use both null-model and regression approaches to examine peer effects using longitudinal data from 5,272 undergraduates, where roommate assignments are plausibly random upon enrollment and roommate relationships persist until graduation. Specifically, we construct a roommate null model by randomly shuffling students among dorm rooms and introduce an assimilation metric to quantify similarities in roommate academic performance. We find significantly larger assimilation in actual data than in the roommate null model, suggesting roommate peer effects, whereby roommates have more similar performance than expected by chance alone. Moreover, assimilation exhibits an overall increasing trend over time, suggesting that peer effects become stronger the longer roommates live together. Our regression analysis further reveals the moderating role of peer heterogeneity. In particular, when roommates perform similarly, the positive relationship between a student's future performance and their roommates' average prior performance is more pronounced, and their ordinal rank in the dorm room has an independent effect. Our findings contribute to understanding the role of college roommates in influencing student academic performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Cao
- CompleX Lab, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- CompleX Lab, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jian Gao
- Center for Science of Science and Innovation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Radke M, Sulejmani F, Vogl BJ, Hatoum H. Integrating Cardiovascular Engineering and Biofluid Mechanics in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: An Experiential Approach. J Biomech Eng 2024; 146:051005. [PMID: 38395449 DOI: 10.1115/1.4064822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education workshops and programs play a key role in promoting early exposure to scientific applications and questions. Such early engagement leads to growing not only passion and interest in science, but it also leads to skill development through hands-on learning and critical thinking activities. Integrating physiology and engineering together is necessary especially to promote health technology awareness and introduce the young generation to areas where innovation is needed and where there is no separation between health-related matters and engineering methods and applications. To achieve this, we created a workshop aimed at K-12 (grades 9-11) students as part of the Summer Youth Programs at Michigan Technological University. The aim of this workshop was to expose students to how engineering concepts and methods translate into health- and medicine-related applications and cases. The program consisted of a total of 15 h and was divided into three sections over a period of 2 weeks. It involved a combination of theoretical and hands-on guided activities that we developed. At the end of the workshop, the students were provided a lesson or activity-specific assessment sheet and a whole workshop-specific assessment sheet to complete. They rated the programs along a 1-5 Likert scale and provided comments and feedback on what can be improved in the future. Students rated hands-on activities the highest in comparison with case studies and individual independent research. Conclusively, this STEM summer-youth program was a successful experience with many opportunities that will contribute to the continued improvement of the workshop in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magen Radke
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - Fatiesa Sulejmani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318
| | - Brennan J Vogl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| | - Hoda Hatoum
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931; Health Research Institute, Center of Biocomputing and Digital Health and Institute of Computing and Cybersystems, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Castle SD, Byrd WC, Koester BP, Pearson MI, Bonem E, Caporale N, Cwik S, Denaro K, Fiorini S, Li Y, Mead C, Rypkema H, Sweeder RD, Valdivia Medinaceli MB, Whitcomb KM, Brownell SE, Levesque-Bristol C, Molinaro M, Singh C, McKay TA, Matz RL. Systemic advantage has a meaningful relationship with grade outcomes in students' early STEM courses at six research universities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STEM EDUCATION 2024; 11:14. [PMID: 38404757 PMCID: PMC10891193 DOI: 10.1186/s40594-024-00474-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Background Large introductory lecture courses are frequently post-secondary students' first formal interaction with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Grade outcomes in these courses are often disparate across student populations, which, in turn, has implications for student retention. This study positions such disparities as a manifestation of systemic inequities along the dimensions of sex, race/ethnicity, income, and first-generation status and investigates the extent to which they are similar across peer institutions. Results We examined grade outcomes in a selected set of early STEM courses across six large, public, research-intensive universities in the United States over ten years. In this sample of more than 200,000 STEM course enrollments, we find that course grade benefits increase significantly with the number of systemic advantages students possess at all six institutions. The observed trends in academic outcomes versus advantage are strikingly similar across universities despite the fact that we did not control for differences in grading practices, contexts, and instructor and student populations. The findings are concerning given that these courses are often students' first post-secondary STEM experiences. Conclusions STEM course grades are typically lower than those in other disciplines; students taking them often pay grade penalties. The systemic advantages some student groups experience are correlated with significant reductions in these grade penalties at all six institutions. The consistency of these findings across institutions and courses supports the claim that inequities in STEM education are a systemic problem, driven by factors that go beyond specific courses or individual institutions. Our work provides a basis for the exploration of contexts where inequities are exacerbated or reduced and can be used to advocate for structural change within STEM education. To cultivate more equitable learning environments, we must reckon with how pervasive structural barriers in STEM courses negatively shape the experiences of marginalized students. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40594-024-00474-7.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D. Castle
- Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science, University of Idaho, MS 1103, 875 Perimeter Dr, Moscow, ID 83844 USA
| | - W. Carson Byrd
- Center for the Study of Higher & Postsecondary Education, University of Michigan, 2117 School of Education Building, 610 E University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Benjamin P. Koester
- LSA Dean: Undergraduate Education, University of Michigan, 450 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Meaghan I. Pearson
- Combined Program in Education and Psychology, University of Michigan, 610 East University Ave, Suite 1400 D, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Emily Bonem
- Center for Instructional Excellence, Purdue University, 155 South Grant St, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Natalia Caporale
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, 188 Briggs Hall, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Sonja Cwik
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 3941 O’Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Kameryn Denaro
- Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation, University of California Irvine, 3000 Anteater Instruction Research Building, 653 E Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Stefano Fiorini
- Institutional Analytics—Research and Analytics, UITS and Department of Anthropology, Indiana University Bloomington, Cyberinfrastructure Building, 2709 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47401 USA
| | - Yangqiuting Li
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, 103 SW Memorial Place, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
| | - Chris Mead
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, PO Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Heather Rypkema
- Foundational Course Initiative, Center for Research On Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan, 100 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Ryan D. Sweeder
- Lyman Briggs College and the Office of Undergraduate Education, Michigan State University, 919 E Shaw Ln, East Lansing, MI 48103 USA
| | - Montserrat B. Valdivia Medinaceli
- Program in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology, Indiana University Bloomington, 201 N Rose Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
| | - Kyle M. Whitcomb
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 3941 O’Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Sara E. Brownell
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA
| | - Chantal Levesque-Bristol
- Center for Instructional Excellence, Purdue University, 155 South Grant St, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Marco Molinaro
- Academic Innovation and Technology/Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, University of Maryland, College Park, 4131 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Chandralekha Singh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 3941 O’Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Timothy A. McKay
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Rebecca L. Matz
- Center for Academic Innovation, University of Michigan, 317 Maynard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Harlan-Williams LM, Pomeroy M, Moore WT, Chang K, Koestler DC, Nissen E, Fife J, Ramaswamy M, Welch DR, Jensen RA. Summer Cancer Research Experience for High School Students from Historically Marginalized Populations in Kansas City. JOURNAL OF STEM OUTREACH 2024; 7:10.15695/jstem/v7i2.01. [PMID: 38436044 PMCID: PMC10906810 DOI: 10.15695/jstem/v7i2.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) summer research program at The University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC) is a six-week, cancer-focused, summer research experience for high school students from historically marginalized populations in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Cancer affects all populations and continues to be the second leading cause of death in the United States, and a large number of disparities impact racial and ethnic minorities, including increased cancer incidence and mortality. Critically, strategies to bolster diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are needed to address persistent cancer disparities. The ACE program offers an educational opportunity for a population of students who otherwise would not have easy access onto a medical center campus to make connections with cancer physicians and researchers and provides a vital response to the need for a more diverse and expansive oncology workforce. Students grow their technical, social, and professional skills and develop self-efficacy and long-lasting connections that help them matriculate and persist through post-secondary education. Developed in 2018, the ACE program has trained 37 high school junior and senior students. This article describes the need for and how we successfully developed and implemented the ACE program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Harlan-Williams
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Marcia Pomeroy
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - W. Todd Moore
- Departments of Health Policy and Management, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Karin Chang
- School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences, The University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Devin C. Koestler
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS
- Departments of Biostatistics and Data Science, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Emily Nissen
- Departments of Biostatistics and Data Science, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - John Fife
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Megha Ramaswamy
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS
- Department of Population Health, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Danny R. Welch
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| | - Roy A. Jensen
- The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Sciences, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Omar D, Syder N, Brown-Korsah JB, McKenzie S, Elbuluk N, Taylor S. Racial and ethnic disparities in clinical research and the dermatology workforce: Part 2. J Am Acad Dermatol 2023; 89:895-902. [PMID: 35390428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2022.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Although racial and ethnic demographics are shifting in this country, it is not reflected in the diversity of clinical trial research participants; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline programs; or the workforce in the field of dermatology. Barriers to recruitment of minority patients for research studies also exist for numerous reasons including lack of education of prospective subjects, lack of awareness of ongoing trials, and mistrust within the health care system. Gaps in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline for racial and ethnic minorities, particularly Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and American Indian or Alaska Native, are due in large part to structural racism. Lack of exposure as well as lack of educational, mentorship, and research opportunities contribute to gaps in the dermatology workforce. Having a representative population in the dermatology workforce and in clinical research trial patients is essential for optimum patient care, excellence in the specialty, and knowledge of appropriate treatments for minority populations. This article will discuss knowledge gaps for increasing minority subjects who participate in clinical research trials and discuss mechanisms to engage this community in trial recruitment. Additionally, this article addresses lack of racial and ethnic diversity of the dermatology workforce and performance gaps in the recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities into dermatology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deega Omar
- George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nicole Syder
- Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jessica B Brown-Korsah
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Shanice McKenzie
- Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Nada Elbuluk
- Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Susan Taylor
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bardoe D, Hayford D, Bio RB, Gyabeng J. Challenges to the implementation of STEM education in the Bono East Region of Ghana. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20416. [PMID: 37822609 PMCID: PMC10562843 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
STEM education interrelates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, ensuring that all interrelated contents are taught in coherence instead of in isolation. This promotes collaboration, critical thinking, and active engagement among students. The study ascertained the factors that compromise the implementation of STEM practices in the Bono East Region of Ghana to gain a moderately broad and deep understanding, allowing for a critical analysis of outcomes. It adopted a descriptive survey design to explore information concerning STEM education as it existed from May to October 2022. The study was carried out in Public Senior High and Vocational-Technical Schools in the Bono East Region of Ghana. The schools were split into STEM-related schools and non-STEM-related schools using a stratified sampling technique. Ten STEM-related schools were chosen using a purposive sampling method. 271 instructors from the departments of Science, Mathematics, and Information Communication Technology made up the study's population. A survey using a well-structured closed-ended questionnaire was administered online and the response obtained was transformed into frequencies and percentages in tabular forms using Microsoft Excel version 2016 (Microsoft, USA). Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 (IBM, USA) was used to perform a chi-square test to determine differences between responses obtained at the test significance of 5%. The study revealed that the general implementation of STEM practices throughout the studied Senior High Schools was below the mark. Inadequate STEM teaching-learning materials, limited certified STEM teachers, lack of STEM-dedicated infrastructure, inadequate professional development opportunities, absence of STEM documented standards and curriculum, limited access to technology, and limited time for teaching STEM-related subjects were some of the major factors contributing to the unsuccessful implementation of STEM practices in studied Public Senior High and Vocational-Technical Schools. Be that as it may, the study, therefore, recommended some measures including comprehensive STEM policies, adoptions of systematic STEM framework, and rigorous curriculum overhaul to be considered by the various stakeholders of education to realize the aspirations of inclusive STEM education.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Bardoe
- Department of Public Health Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skill Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Mampong, Ghana
| | - Daniel Hayford
- Department of Integrated Science Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skill Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Mampong, Ghana
| | - Robert Bagngmen Bio
- Department of Public Health Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skill Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Mampong, Ghana
| | - Jones Gyabeng
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kao S, Chea P, Song S. Upper secondary school tracking and major choices in higher education: to switch or not to switch. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE 2023; 23:1-25. [PMID: 38625248 PMCID: PMC10258467 DOI: 10.1007/s10671-023-09356-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the characteristics of students who switch versus those who do not switch when they transition from upper secondary to higher education. The data from 1338 students randomly selected from 21 HEIs in Cambodia in 2020 found that upper secondary school students are more likely than not to switch academic majors when they enter higher education. The tendency to switch is more common for female students in science-track, most of whom chose non-STEM majors such as business, management, accounting and finance. Probit analysis revealed that the decision to switch is influenced by individual academic performance and interest in science and mathematics at upper secondary school, household's socioeconomic status, higher education institution (HEI)'s location and type. However, students whose like mathematics and physics and who have a higher technology readiness index score and those who were awarded scholarships are less likely to switch from science to non-STEM majors. Teaching approaches that create opportunities for students to engage in practical classroom activities and stimulate their curiosity in science and mathematics should be considered. Efforts to optimise learning experiences should therefore focus on creating a highly interactive teaching-learning environment as a cognitive-activation strategy for promoting students' interest and enjoyment of the subjects they are studying. Scholarship can also be an alternative to address the switching issue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sovansophal Kao
- Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Phal Chea
- Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Sopheak Song
- Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wang C, Li X, Wang HJ. The mediating effect of math self-efficacy on the relationship between parenting style and math anxiety. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1197170. [PMID: 37359871 PMCID: PMC10289032 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1197170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the associations among math self-efficacy, parenting style, and math anxiety in primary school children. The sample comprised 400 participants, aged between 10 and 11 years old, from an elementary school in China. Participants completed three self-reported questionnaires on math anxiety, parenting styles and math self-efficacy. The results revealed that rejection was strongly and positively correlated with math anxiety, while emotional warmth was negatively related to math anxiety. Interestingly, math anxiety was found to be related to rejection, with math self-efficacy playing a mediating role in this relationship. Conversely, math self-efficacy played a mediating role in the relationship between parenting styles and math anxiety, while over protection exhibited no significant correlation with math anxiety. The study also showed that gender differences existed in the level of math anxiety and math self-efficacy, with boys exhibiting lower math anxiety and higher math self-efficacy than girls. These results provide important insights into the development and treatment of math anxiety in primary school children. Specifically, parents and educators should focus on enhancing children's math self-efficacy beliefs, while adopting a parenting style characterized by emotional warmth and low levels of rejection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Department of Psychology, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Xian Li
- Department of Psychology, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| | - Hui-jiao Wang
- Department of Psychology, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Yang D, Wu X, Liu J, Zhou J. CiteSpace-based global science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education knowledge mapping analysis. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1094959. [PMID: 36704670 PMCID: PMC9871905 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1094959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
To better understand the latest developments in global science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research, this study collected STEM education research materials to sort out the development of STEM education as a whole, so as to get a clearer path and trend of STEM education development. This study conducted a visualization and quantitative analysis of the literature on STEM education research in Science Citation Index Extended (SCI-E) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) using the CiteSpace (5.8.R3) tool. First, the basic information of STEM education was analyzed in terms of annual publication volume, authors, countries, and research institutions. Secondly, the main fields, basic contents and research hotspots of this research were analyzed by keyword co-occurrence and keyword time zone mapping. Finally, the research frontiers and development trends are presented through co-citation clustering and high-frequency keyword bursts. The research hotspots are focused on engineering education, teachers' professional development, and gender differences. The research frontiers are mainly related to teacher professional development, 21st century skills, early childhood creativity, and gender differences. This study systematically analyzes the latest developments in global STEM education research, which is beneficial for readers to understand the full picture of STEM education research so that researchers can conduct more in-depth studies and promote better development of STEM education. The number of analyzed literature is limited. We only analyzed articles from SSCI and SCI-E databases, and the articles were written in English. In addition, we only analyzed the literature and lacked empirical studies on the findings of the literature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duo Yang
- School of Computer and Information, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun, China
| | - Xiaopeng Wu
- School of Computer and Information, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun, China,Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China,*Correspondence: Xiaopeng Wu, ✉
| | - Jiali Liu
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun, China
| | - Jincheng Zhou
- School of Computer and Information, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun, China,Key Laboratory of Complex Systems and Intelligent Optimization of Guizhou Province, Duyun, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bonilla A, Schultz PW, Woodcock A, Hernandez PR. Diversifying STEM: Communal goal mismatch predicts student intentions. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-022-09750-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
15
|
Calvo-Villamañán A, San Millán Á, Carrilero L. Tackling AMR from a multidisciplinary perspective: a primer from education and psychology. Int Microbiol 2023; 26:1-9. [PMID: 36224500 PMCID: PMC9556281 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-022-00278-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of the most concerning threats in public health. The efforts to tackle the problem require a global One Health approach, using multidisciplinary approaches and a thorough understanding of the topic both by the general public and the experts. Currently, the lack of a shared mental model of the problem, the absence of a sense of responsibility amongst the different actors and a deficient education on the topic burden the efforts to slow down the emergency and spread of antimicrobial resistant infections. We here propose a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the AMR problem, taking into consideration not only the input from the biological and medical sciences but also the input from the social sciences. Specifically, we suggest strategies from education and psychology to increase awareness about antimicrobial resistance and to implement more effective interventions. Finally, we advocate for a comprehensive and a solidaristic model as the only solution for a problem which knows no borders. As such, political will and international cooperation will be key to achieve the desired change in antibiotic resistance trend.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Calvo-Villamañán
- grid.428469.50000 0004 1794 1018Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología–CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro San Millán
- grid.428469.50000 0004 1794 1018Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología–CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Carrilero
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
McQuillan J, Hill PW, Jochman JC, Kelly GM. Decline Is Not Inevitable: Changes in Science Identity during the Progression through a U.S. Middle School among Boys and Girls. SOCIUS : SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH FOR A DYNAMIC WORLD 2023; 9:10.1177/23780231231152195. [PMID: 37426176 PMCID: PMC10328428 DOI: 10.1177/23780231231152195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, science capital is important for navigating many aspects of life. Yet during middle school, science interest declines more for girls than boys. It is unclear, however, whether science identity also declines during the middle school years and if there are differences by gender. The authors advance prior research by modeling changes in science identity and associations with changes in identity-relevant characteristics using growth curve analyses on four waves of data from 760 middle school youth. For girls and boys, science identity changes over time; about 40 percent of the variance is within-person change, with the remainder explained by aggregate between-person differences. The associations of all identity-relevant characteristics with science identity are not significantly different for girls and boys, yet declines in average values of identity-relevant characteristics are larger for girls than boys.
Collapse
|
17
|
Bowman NA, Logel C, LaCosse J, Jarratt L, Canning EA, Emerson KTU, Murphy MC. Gender representation and academic achievement among STEM-interested students in college STEM courses. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING 2022; 59:1876-1900. [PMID: 36591375 PMCID: PMC9790698 DOI: 10.1002/tea.21778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Substantial gender equity gaps in postsecondary degree completion persist within many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and these disparities have not narrowed during the 21st century. Various explanations of this phenomenon have been offered; one possibility that has received limited attention is that the sparse representation of women itself has adverse effects on the academic achievement-and ultimately the persistence and graduation-of women who take STEM courses. This study explored the relationship between two forms of gender representation (i.e., the proportion of female students within a course and the presence of a female instructor) and grades within a sample of 11,958 STEM-interested undergraduates enrolled in 8686 different STEM courses at 20 colleges and universities. Female student representation within a course predicted greater academic achievement in STEM for all students, and these findings were generally stronger among female students than male students. Female students also consistently benefitted more than male students from having a female STEM instructor. These findings were largely similar across a range of student and course characteristics and were robust to different analytic approaches; a notable exception was that female student representation had particularly favorable outcomes for female students (relative to male students) within mathematics/statistics and computer science courses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Bowman
- Department of Educational Policy and Leadership StudiesUniversity of IowaIowa CityUSA
| | - Christine Logel
- Social Development StudiesRenison University College affil. University of WaterlooWaterlooCanada
| | - Jennifer LaCosse
- Department of Behavioral SciencesUniversity of Michigan FlintFlintUSA
| | - Lindsay Jarratt
- Department of Educational Policy and Leadership StudiesUniversity of IowaIowa CityUSA
| | | | | | - Mary C. Murphy
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesIndiana UniversityBloomingtonUSA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Nguyen U, Russo‐Tait T, Riegle‐Crumb C, Doerr K. Changing the gendered status quo in engineering? The encouraging and discouraging experiences of young women with engineering aspirations. SCIENCE EDUCATION 2022; 106:1442-1468. [PMID: 37637495 PMCID: PMC10460520 DOI: 10.1002/sce.21748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Young women remain underrepresented among engineering bachelor's degree holders. While there is a relatively large body of extant research on the many factors that curtail young women's interest in pursuing engineering, less is known about high school girls who are on an engineering pathway. Therefore, this study focuses on a select group of precollege young women who express a strong interest in engineering. Specifically, informed by theories of gender as a social system and previous empirical research, this mixed-methods study explores the constellation of significant actors within the daily lives of these young women, to understand from whom and how they are supported in pursuing this gender-atypical field, and simultaneously, from whom and how they are discouraged. To do so, the researchers analyzed survey and interview data from a sample of diverse high school girls who participate in the Society of Women Engineers' (SWE) SWENext programme. Quantitative results indicate that young women report high levels of encouragement from most sources, including parents, teachers, and other young women. However, across various peer contexts, they receive much more support from other young women than from young men. Qualitative results further reveal that parents and teachers stand out in young women's recollections of encouragement, often through advocating their participation in engineering activities or providing mentoring support. In contrast, young men in engineering spaces were recalled as particularly discouraging of their engineering participation, by socially or physically excluding them or refusing to provide recognition. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Nguyen
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Tatiane Russo‐Tait
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Catherine Riegle‐Crumb
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Katherine Doerr
- Center for Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education and Society, Malmo University, Malmo, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Eddy SL. Recent Research in Science Teaching and Learning. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2022; 21:fe4. [PMID: 35998164 PMCID: PMC9582833 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.22-06-0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Current Insights feature is designed to introduce life science educators and researchers to current articles of interest in other social science and education journals. In this installment, I highlight three recent studies from the fields of psychology and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education that can inform life science education. The first assesses the impact of a novel study strategy: having students deliberately make mistakes and correct them. The second encourages educators to think more carefully about the impact of different types of interest on student learning. The third reminds us of the impact of personal beliefs in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Collapse
|
20
|
Ma L, Luo H, Liao X, Li J. Impact of Gender on STEAM Education in Elementary School: From Individuals to Group Compositions. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12090308. [PMID: 36135112 PMCID: PMC9495347 DOI: 10.3390/bs12090308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender differences are essential factors influencing collaborative learning at both individual and group levels. However, few studies have systematically investigated their impact on student performance in the innovative context of STEAM education, particularly in the elementary school setting. To address this research need, this study examined the learning behaviors of 91 sixth graders in a STEAM program, who were classified into three gender groupings, namely, boy-only, girl-only, and mixed-gender groups, and further compared their performance in terms of cognition, interaction, and emotion by both gender and gender group type. The results show that, compared to individual gender differences, the gender group type had a greater impact on students’ behavioral performance during STEAM education. While all gender groupings had specific advantages, mixed-gender groups proved to be the most preferable, with benefits such as enhanced higher-order thinking, interaction, and emotional expression. Moreover, the study revealed that both boys and girls acted differently when working with the opposite gender in mixed-gender groups. These research findings have several implications for facilitating STEAM learning in co-ed elementary schools.
Collapse
|
21
|
Ren C. Cohort, signaling, and early-career dynamics: The hidden significance of class in black-white earnings inequality. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2022; 106:102710. [PMID: 35680357 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2022.102710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A central tenet in the now classic Wilson hypothesis surrounding racial earnings inequality emphasizes the elevated labor-market challenges for black workers of limited productive assets, yet the empirical evidence on this issue remains inconclusive. In this article, drawing on the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), I uncover three mechanisms that tend to underestimate the difficulty facing lower segments of the black labor force: (1) the built-in bias of cross-sectional data that conflate career stages, (2) the cohort bias that concentrates on labor-market dynamics of a conservative era, and (3) the interplay between discrimination and productivity signaling that delivers heterogenous outcomes among black job seekers. When these mechanisms are accounted for, a pattern that is consistent with the Wilson hypothesis emerges - well-equipped African Americans see narrowed gaps in early-career earnings with Whites. These findings reconcile conflicting evidence in existence and provide guidance for future work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Ren
- Department of Sociology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Jeffrey W, Schaefer DR, Xu D, McPartlan P, Solanki S. STEM learning communities promote friendships but risk academic segmentation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12442. [PMID: 35858939 PMCID: PMC9300596 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15575-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Universities are increasingly using learning communities (LCs) to promote the academic and social integration of entering students, especially within STEM majors. Examining the causal effect of LCs on student networks is necessary to understand the nature and scope of their impact. This study combines a regression discontinuity design with social network analysis to estimate the effect of a simple LC design on the size, strength, structure, and composition of friendship networks among students within the same biological sciences freshman cohort. Results of the quasi-experimental analysis indicate that LC participants acquired one additional friend in the major and increased their share of friends in the LC by 54 percentage-points. Exponential random-graph models that test mediation and alternative friendship mechanisms provide support for the theoretical argument that the LC promoted friendship development by structuring opportunities for interaction through block-registration into courses. Thus, this study shows that even simple LCs can shape the development of friendships through relatively low-cost administrative means. The increased access to resources and support facilitated by the LC is likely beneficial for participating students. However, there is a potential downside when eligibility for participation is determined using academic metrics that separate the student population into distinct classroom environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wesley Jeffrey
- Department of Sociology, University of California-Irvine, 4215 Social Science Plaza B, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA.
| | - David R Schaefer
- Department of Sociology, University of California-Irvine, 4215 Social Science Plaza B, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA
| | - Di Xu
- Department of Education, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA
| | - Peter McPartlan
- Department of Education, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA
| | - Sabrina Solanki
- Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Goldhaber D, Theobald R, Fumia D. The role of teachers and schools in explaining STEM outcome gaps. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2022; 105:102709. [PMID: 35659046 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2022.102709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We develop a novel methodology to explore the extent to which teacher and school assignments between fourth and eighth grade contribute to inequalities between advantaged and disadvantaged students-as defined by underrepresented minority (URM) status and eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL)-in their eighth-grade math and science test scores and high school math and science course-taking. We find that differences between advantaged and disadvantaged students in teacher and school assignments predict about 25% of the eighth-grade math test gaps, 10% of the eighth-grade science test gaps, and 35% of the gaps in advanced math course-taking. For science course-taking, school and teacher assignments predict about 20% of the URM gap and 10% of the FRL gap. While this methodology does not permit causal conclusions, the results are robust to analyses of a subsample in which students do not appear to be assigned to teachers based on prior test achievement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Goldhaber
- American Institutes for Research, 3876 Bridge Way N., Suite 201, Seattle, WA, 98103, USA.
| | - Roddy Theobald
- American Institutes for Research, 3876 Bridge Way N., Suite 201, Seattle, WA, 98103, USA.
| | - Danielle Fumia
- MEF Associates, 1000 2nd Ave., Suite 2950, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Blank C, Charles M, Feniger Y, Pinson H. Context Matters: Differential Gendering of Physics in Arabic-speaking, Hebrew-speaking, and Single-Sex State Schools in Israel. SEX ROLES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-022-01292-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
25
|
Establishing Social Learning in an Engineering MOOC: Benefits for Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Recent Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows that only 20% of engineering students at UK Universities are female, despite the hard work being undertaken by many educational institutions to address this gender imbalance via outreach events and special interventions focussing on girls/women in STEM. It has been argued that student-centred teaching methods, together with changes in the engineering curriculum itself, which emphasise the social, creative, and human-centred aspects of the discipline, are required to effect real change in engaging with those from traditionally underrepresented groups. Through analysing quantitative data on age, gender, learner type, and commenting rates in peer-to-peer discussions, we examine the development and delivery of an engineering MOOC, before, during, and after COVID-19-related lockdowns in the UK, to identify what aspects of online learning might be harnessed to improve diversity in engineering education. The results show that the MOOC attracted a better gender balance than reported for UK-based in-person engineering programmes. In addition, we show that careful structuring of discussion prompts encouraged higher levels of social learning. We recommend the continued use of interactive and discursive elements within a blended learning environment to positively impact diversity and inclusion in engineering education specifically, and STEM education in general.
Collapse
|
26
|
Ghazzawi D, Pattison DL, Horn CL. Investigating the Interplay Between Participation in a STEM-Focused Student Success Program and Workforce Participation on STEM Undergraduate Degree Completion. FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2022; 7:818032. [PMID: 35573123 PMCID: PMC9096718 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2022.818032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study longitudinally tracks students participating in a STEM-focused intervention program to investigate workforce participation patterns and their association with degree completion in a STEM field. Using longitudinal data from the University of Houston's Education Research Center, this study examines the extent to which students participating in a STEM intervention program require additional work to fund tuition and other life expenses. Findings demonstrated a negative effect of workforce participation on college completion and showed that minority students were more likely to participate in the workforce while also receiving financial support from the STEM program compared to peers from other racial backgrounds. Results inform institutional and financial aid policies, as well as admission criteria as it relates to broadening access of under-represented students in STEM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dina Ghazzawi
- Department of Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Donna Lynn Pattison
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Catherine Lynn Horn
- Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Understanding Science Teachers’ Implementations of Integrated STEM: Teacher Perceptions and Practice. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14063594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study examines how science teachers experience integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) approaches into their teaching. In addition, it further examines the encountered challenges in this regard to shed light on STEM current practices within the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study consists of two stages; the first involved collecting qualitative data using semi-structured interviews to explore three science teachers’ perceptions and lived experiences having infused STEM into their regular teaching in cycle 2 for more than two years. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed in the second phase via the developed closed-ended questionnaire to examine teachers’ perceptions across a larger sample regarding “challenges encountered by teachers when implementing STEM teaching”. Research findings showed that science teachers generally have a positive attitude towards using STEM-based activities. In addition, data revealed that participants implement integrated STEM into their teaching frequently and regularly. Results also indicated teachers encounter challenges while implementing STEM: documentation, the vast curriculum content, and lack of time. Moreover, external challenges (i.e., the lack of supportive guidelines) rather than teachers’ competency (i.e., having sufficient knowledge and skills for implementing STEM teaching) appeared to have the highest impending impact. Finally, we discuss findings and presented implications for teachers, educators, and policymakers.
Collapse
|
28
|
Stevenson N, Sommers AS, Grandgenett N, Tapprich W, McQuillan J, Phillips M, Jensen R, Cutucache C. Replicating or franchising a STEM afterschool program model: core elements of programmatic integrity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STEM EDUCATION 2022; 9:10. [PMID: 35106273 PMCID: PMC8795932 DOI: 10.1186/s40594-021-00320-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Designed in 2012 with a first implementation in 2013, NE STEM 4U is a professional development program for post-secondary students/undergraduates, and serves as a source of outreach, content knowledge generation, and STEM literacy for youth in grades kindergarten through 8th grade (ages 5-14). The model empowers post-secondary students as facilitators of inquiry-based learning within the context of an out-of-school time program. This study investigated the potential for replicating or 'franchising' this model by evaluating on the following: (1) Is the model replicable? And, if so, (2) what core elements are necessary for program fidelity? And (3) is there a dependency on a particular setting/participant type (e.g., a more rural or urban setting)? RESULTS Strategic expansion of the program to different institutional types (i.e., Research 1, Research II, and a predominantly undergraduate institution), different geographical locations (i.e., rural and urban), and with various school district partners (i.e., large and small) determined that program fidelity and replicability required 4 core elements or criteria: (i) intentional programming, (ii) staff quality, (iii) effective partnerships, and (iv) program evaluation and continuous improvement. Importantly, we examined emergent themes by each site, as well as in combination (n = 16 focus group participants, n = 12 reflection surveys). These data indicated that Flexibility (21.22%), Student Engagement (i.e., Youth) (19.53%), Classroom Management (i.e., also pertaining to youth) (19.31%), and Communication (15.71%) were the themes most referenced by the post-secondary student mentors in the NE STEM 4U program, regardless of site. Finally, the YPQA results demonstrate general replication of program quality in a "franchise" location. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the core elements of the NE STEM 4U program for consideration of expansion (through strategic replication or 'franchising') as a possible international model. The findings and voices highlight the program's trajectory toward success into environments that expand professional development for post-secondary students, and for delivering STEM opportunities for youth. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40594-021-00320-0.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaus Stevenson
- STEM Teaching, Research, and Inquiry-Based Learning (TRAIL), University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE AH114 USA
| | - Amie S. Sommers
- STEM Teaching, Research, and Inquiry-Based Learning (TRAIL), University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
| | - Neal Grandgenett
- STEM Teaching, Research, and Inquiry-Based Learning (TRAIL), University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
- Department of Teacher Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
| | - William Tapprich
- STEM Teaching, Research, and Inquiry-Based Learning (TRAIL), University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE AH114 USA
| | - Julia McQuillan
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
- Worlds of Connections SEPA Project, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
| | - Michelle Phillips
- Worlds of Connections SEPA Project, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
- Phillips and Associates, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Rachael Jensen
- Youth Safety Office, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
| | - Christine Cutucache
- STEM Teaching, Research, and Inquiry-Based Learning (TRAIL), University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE USA
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE AH114 USA
- Worlds of Connections SEPA Project, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Beyond Content: The Role of STEM Disciplines, Real-World Problems, 21st Century Skills, and STEM Careers within Science Teachers’ Conceptions of Integrated STEM Education. EDUCATION SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci11110737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding teachers’ conceptions surrounding integrated STEM education is vital to the successful implementation of integrated STEM curricula in K-12 classrooms. Of particular interest is understanding how teachers conceptualize the role of the STEM disciplines within their integrated STEM teaching. Further, despite knowing that content-agnostic characteristics of integrated STEM education are important, little is known about how teachers conceptualize the real-world problems, 21st century skills, and the promotion of STEM careers in their integrated STEM instruction. This study used an exploratory case study design to investigate conceptions of 19 K-12 science teachers after participating in an integrated STEM-focused professional development and implementing integrated STEM lessons into their classrooms. Our findings show that all teacher participants viewed STEM education from an integrative perspective that fosters the development of 21st century skills, using real-world problems to motivate students. Our findings also reveal that teachers have varying ideas related to the STEM disciplines within integrated STEM instruction, which could assist teacher educators in preparing high-quality professional development experiences. Findings related to real-world problems, 21st century skills, and STEM careers provide a window into how to best support teachers to include these characteristics into their teaching more explicitly.
Collapse
|
30
|
Sandha P, Holben DH. Perceptions of the Summer Food Environment in a Rural Appalachian Mississippi Community by Youth: Photovoice and Focus Group. JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2021.1994082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Prabhdeep Sandha
- Department of Nutrition, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, United States
| | - David H. Holben
- Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, University of Mississippi, Oxford, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Doerr K, Riegle-Crumb C, Russo-Tait T, Takasaki K, Sassler S, Levitte Y. Making Merit Work at the Entrance to the Engineering Workforce: Examining Women's Experiences and Variations by Race/Ethnicity. SEX ROLES 2021; 85:422-439. [PMID: 38549788 PMCID: PMC10978005 DOI: 10.1007/s11199-021-01233-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study utilizes interviews from 22 young female engineers from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds as they first entered the White and male-dominated engineering labor force with the goal of examining: (1) how these women endorsed a gender-blind frame that characterizes their workplaces as fundamentally meritocratic, and alternatively, (2) how they named gender as relevant or salient to experiences and interactions at work. Drawing on the insights of intersectional scholars to answer the previous questions, the study calls attention to how the invocation of these frames differed for women of color compared to their majority White female peers. Results revealed that most respondents strongly endorsed the idea that engineering workplaces are meritocratic and that their gender is not relevant. However, there is also evidence of racial divergence in the themes expressed. For example, some White women expressed a narrative contradictory to meritocracy, discussing their workplaces as like family, while in contrast, women of color often expressed uncomfortable experiences of standing out. Overall, the results suggest that female engineers' tendency to disavow, either explicitly or implicitly, that discrimination and bias occurs in their workplaces, likely contributes to continued gender and racial inequality; subsequently, programs and interventions to facilitate awareness of inequality are critically needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Doerr
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, University of Texas At Austin, 1912 Speedway, Stop D5000, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Catherine Riegle-Crumb
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, University of Texas At Austin, 1912 Speedway, Stop D5000, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of Texas At Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Tatiane Russo-Tait
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, University of Texas At Austin, 1912 Speedway, Stop D5000, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Kara Takasaki
- Department of Sociology, University of Texas At Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Sharon Sassler
- Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Yael Levitte
- Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Sahoo S, Klasen S. Gender Segregation in Education: Evidence From Higher Secondary Stream Choice in India. Demography 2021; 58:987-1010. [PMID: 33856426 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-9101042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This paper investigates gender-based segregation across different fields of study at the senior secondary level of schooling in a large developing country. We use a nationally representative longitudinal data set from India to analyze the extent and determinants of gender gap in higher secondary stream choice. Using fixed-effects regressions that control for unobserved heterogeneity at the regional and household levels, we find that girls are about 20 percentage points less likely than boys to study in science (STEM) and commerce streams as compared with humanities. This gender disparity is unlikely to be driven by gender-specific differences in cognitive ability, given that the gap remains large and significant even after we control for individuals' past test scores. We establish the robustness of these estimates through various sensitivity analyses: including sibling fixed effects, considering intrahousehold relationships among individuals, and addressing sample selection issues. Disaggregating the effect on separate streams, we find that girls are most underrepresented in the study of science. Our findings indicate that gender inequality in economic outcomes, such as occupational segregation and gender pay gaps, is determined by gendered trajectories set much earlier in the life course, especially at the school level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soham Sahoo
- Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bangalore, India
| | - Stephan Klasen
- Department of Economics, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Almasri F, Hewapathirana GI, Ghaddar F, Lee N, Ibrahim B. Measuring attitudes towards biology major and non-major: Effect of students' gender, group composition, and learning environment. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251453. [PMID: 33989311 PMCID: PMC8121319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the effect of collaborative learning (CL) versus traditional lecture-based learning (TL) pedagogies and gender group composition in effecting positive or negative attitudes of biology major and nonmajor men and women students. The experimental research method was administered in experimental and control groups to test the hypotheses. Students’ attitudes refer to their positive or negative feelings and inclinations to learn biology. A nine-factor attitude scale was administered in (1) single-gender nonmajor biology, (2) mixed-gender nonmajor biology, (3) single-gender major biology, and (4) mixed-gender biology major groups. Men (221) and women (219) were randomly assigned into single and mixed-gender classes without groups and single-gender groups (4M) or (4W) and mix-gender (2M+2W) groups. In CL nonmajor and major single-gender groups, women demonstrated significantly higher positive attitudes than men. In contrast, men’s attitudes were significantly improved in mixed-gender CL groups for major and nonmajor sections, and the effect size was larger in mix-gender classes. Women feel less anxious in single-gender groups but more anxious in mixed-gender groups. In mixed-gender groups, men’s self-efficacy, general interest, and motivation enhanced significantly; overall, men experienced greater satisfaction and triggered their desire to collaborate better, affecting all nine attitudinal factors. There was an interaction effect demonstrating the teaching pedagogy’s impact on improving students’ attitudes toward biology; students’ gender and gender-specific group composition have been the most influential factor for nonmajor students. These findings suggest that there is a need for developing gender-specific and context-specific learning pedagogies, and instructors carefully select gender grouping in teaching undergraduate science subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Firas Almasri
- Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.,Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
| | | | - Fatme Ghaddar
- Department of Computer Science, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Hawally, Kuwait
| | - Nick Lee
- Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Bashar Ibrahim
- Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.,European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Jena, Germany.,Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Nguyen U, Riegle-Crumb C. Who is a scientist? The relationship between counter-stereotypical beliefs about scientists and the STEM major intentions of Black and Latinx male and female students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STEM EDUCATION 2021; 8:28. [PMID: 38343634 PMCID: PMC10857866 DOI: 10.1186/s40594-021-00288-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Background Despite the diverse student population in the USA, the labor force in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) does not reflect this reality. While restrictive messages about who belongs in STEM likely discourage students, particularly female and minoritized students, from entering these fields, extant research on this topic is typically focused on the negative impact of stereotypes regarding math ability, or the existence of stereotypes about the physical appearance of scientists. Instead, this study builds on the limited body of research that captures a more comprehensive picture of students' views of scientists, including not only the type of work that they do but also the things that interest them. Specifically, utilizing a sample of approximately 1000 Black and Latinx adolescents, the study employs an intersectional lens to examine whether the prevalence of counter-stereotypical views of scientists, and the association such views have on subsequent intentions to pursue STEM college majors, varies among students from different gender and racial/ethnic groups (e.g., Black female students, Latinx male students). Results While about half of Black and Latinx students reported holding counter-stereotypical beliefs about scientists, this is significantly more common among female students of color, and among Black female students in particular. Results from logistic regression models indicate that, net of control variables, holding counter-stereotypical beliefs about scientists predicts both young men's and women's intentions to major in computer science and engineering, but not intentions to major in either physical science or mathematics. Additionally, among Black and Latinx male students, counter-stereotypical perceptions of scientists are related to a higher likelihood of intending to major in biological sciences. Conclusions The results support the use of an intersectional approach to consider how counter-stereotypical beliefs about scientists differ across gender and racial/ethnic groups. Importantly, the results also suggest that among Black and Latinx youth, for both female and male students, holding counter-stereotypical beliefs promotes intentions to enter particular STEM fields in which they are severely underrepresented. Implications of these findings and directions for future research, specifically focusing on minoritized students, which are often left out in this body of literature, are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Nguyen
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, The University of Texas, 1912 Speedway, Stop D500, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Catherine Riegle-Crumb
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, STEM Education, The University of Texas, 1912 Speedway, Stop D500, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Durocher K, Boparai N, Jankowicz D, Strudwick G. Identifying technology industry-led initiatives to address digital health equity. Digit Health 2021; 7:20552076211056156. [PMID: 35340562 PMCID: PMC8943910 DOI: 10.1177/20552076211056156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted various barriers to health and the
necessity of having access to digital health services. The technology
industry can support addressing health barriers, promoting health equity and
partnering with organizations to ensure access to digital health services
for underserviced communities. The main objective of this study was to 1)
identify what initiatives have been developed within the technology industry
to address digital health equity; and to 2) determine whether these
initiatives have been effective. Methods A rapid review and a grey literature scan were conducted. The academic
searches were performed using four databases, including Ovid MEDLINE,
Scopus, CINAHL and PsychInfo. Two reviewers screened the articles for
inclusion criteria. The grey literature scan was performed through Google
and Million Short. Searches of technology industry initiatives were
completed through scanning technology companies listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange and iShares Expanded Tech Sector –
Exchange Traded Fund. Results Within the technology industry, 39 companies had relevant initiatives. These
were identified as having one or more of the following: 1) having
health-related collaborations with other companies, 2) promoting access to
technology infrastructure and 3) delivering programs that supported notable
inequities within the social determinants of health. Limited data are
available on the effectiveness of these initiatives in reducing health
inequities. Conclusions As technology in the delivery of health services continues to evolve, health
equity initiatives must be supported through innovative strategies.
Partnering with the technology industry may be one way of addressing these
health equity challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keri Durocher
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Navi Boparai
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Damian Jankowicz
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gillian Strudwick
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Cech EA, Waidzunas TJ. Systemic inequalities for LGBTQ professionals in STEM. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabe0933. [PMID: 33523910 PMCID: PMC7810386 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have documented race and gender inequality in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for decades. Do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) professionals face parallel experiences of disadvantage in STEM? Using representative survey data from 21 STEM professional societies (N sample = 25,324; N LGBTQ = 1006), this paper presents multidimensional and methodologically robust documentation of 5 dimensions of LGBTQ inequality in STEM. Controlling for variation by demographic, discipline, and job factors, LGBTQ STEM professionals were more likely to experience career limitations, harassment, and professional devaluation than their non-LGBTQ peers. They also reported more frequent health difficulties and were more likely to intend to leave STEM. These trends were similar across STEM disciplines and employment sectors. We found no differences by LGBTQ status in education level, work effort, or job commitment. These findings reveal LGBTQ status as a clear axis of inequality in STEM and motivate further research into the mechanisms producing such outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E A Cech
- Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - T J Waidzunas
- Department of Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Tan CY, Liu P, Wong WLV. Different Patterns of Relationships Between Principal Leadership and 15-Year-Old Students' Science Learning: How School Resources, Teacher Quality, and School Socioeconomic Status Make a Difference. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2257. [PMID: 32973640 PMCID: PMC7481831 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study critically evaluates whether school leadership influences student learning homogenously regardless of school contexts. It examined relationships between four principal leadership variables (envisioning, instructional management, promoting professional development, empowerment) and two types of student outcomes (enjoyment in learning science, science achievement) in different school contexts [in terms of the availability of science resources, quality of science teachers, and school socioeconomic status (SES)]. The sample comprised 248,620 students and 9,370 principals in 35 developed countries who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. Latent profile analysis (LPA) showed that schools operated in three types of school contexts with different levels of science resources, proportion of quality science teachers, and school SES. There were also differences in the pattern of leadership practices across the three types of school contexts. Three-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) showed that among the four leadership variables, only instructional management was positively associated with students’ enjoyment of science in schools with less science resources and quality science teachers. Therefore, instructional management had compensatory effects for students in less-endowed schools. In contrast, principal leadership related to envisioning, teacher professional development, and empowerment was not positively related to students’ science learning in all three school contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Yong Tan
- Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Peng Liu
- Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Gender achievement gaps: the role of social costs to trying hard in high school. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-020-09588-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn American high schools female students put greater effort into school and outperform boys on indicators of academic success. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we found female students’ greater academic effort and achievement was partly explained by different social incentives to trying hard in school experienced by male and female students. Males were 1.75 times as likely to report they would be unpopular for trying hard in school and 1.50 times as likely to report they would be made fun of for trying hard in school. Social costs to trying hard in school were directly associated with less rigorous mathematics course-taking and indirectly associated with lower GPA in STEM courses through lower academic effort.
Collapse
|
39
|
Mattan BD, Cloutier J. A registered report on how implicit pro-rich bias is shaped by the perceiver's gender and socioeconomic status. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191232. [PMID: 32968490 PMCID: PMC7481720 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although high status is often considered a desirable quality, this may not always be the case. Different factors may moderate the value of high status along a dimension such as wealth (e.g. gender, perceiver income/education). For example, studies suggest men may value wealth and control over resources more than women. This may be especially true for high-income men who already have control over substantial resources. Other work suggests that low-income men and women may have different experiences in educational contexts compared to their richer peers who dominate norms at higher levels of education. These experiences may potentially lead to different attitudes about the wealthy among low-income men and women. In this registered report, we proposed two key predictions based on our review of the literature and analyses of pilot data from the Attitudes, Identities and Individual Differences (AIID) study (n = 767): (H1) increasing income will be associated with increased pro-wealthy bias for men more than for women and (H2) income will also moderate the effect of education on implicit pro-wealthy bias, depending on gender. Overall, men showed greater implicit pro-wealthy bias than did women. However, neither of our hypotheses that income would moderate the effects of gender on implicit pro-wealthy bias were supported. These findings suggest implicit pro-wealthy bias among men and are discussed in the context of exploratory analyses of gender differences in self-reported beliefs and attitudes about the rich and the poor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley D. Mattan
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jasmin Cloutier
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Cheng S, Tamborini CR, Kim C, Sakamoto A. Educational Variations in Cohort Trends in the Black-White Earnings Gap Among Men: Evidence From Administrative Earnings Data. Demography 2020; 56:2253-2277. [PMID: 31792875 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-019-00827-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite efforts to improve the labor market situation of African Americans, the racial earnings gap has endured in the United States. Most prior studies on racial inequality have considered its cross-sectional or period patterns. This study adopts a demographic perspective to examine the evolution of earnings trajectories among white and black men across cohorts in the United States. Using more than 40 years of longitudinal earnings records from the U.S. Social Security Administration matched to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, our analyses reveal that the cohort trends in the racial earnings gap follow quite different patterns by education. Race continues to be a salient dimension of economic inequality over the life course and across cohorts, particularly at the top and the bottom of the educational distribution. Although the narrowing of the racial gap among high school graduates is in itself a positive development, it unfortunately derives primarily from the deteriorating economic position for whites without a college degree rather than an improvement in economic standing of their black counterparts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Cheng
- Department of Sociology at New York University, 295 Lafayette Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10012, USA.
| | - Christopher R Tamborini
- Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics, U.S. Social Security Administration, Washington, DC, USA.,Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland-College Park, 2105 Morrill Hall, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - ChangHwan Kim
- Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1415 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Arthur Sakamoto
- Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University, 4351 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
A Multidisciplinary Mechatronics Program: From Project-Based Learning to a Community-Based Approach on an Open Platform. ELECTRONICS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/electronics9060954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To face contemporary problems, international engineers must be trained in advanced learning environments and with professional skills and knowledge. Sponsored by USAID (US Agency for International Development), the Build-IT (Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology) program leverages the vast capabilities of the implementing partner from Arizona State University and plays a key role as an innovative pioneer in converging personalities from various fields. A well-educated engineer can contribute to the sustainable development of society. With the aim of building community-oriented education, an integrated strategy was proposed in which a problem-based learning method is investigated to apply technical knowledge. In accordance with this strategy, in our proposed method, students from Mechatronics Engineering first had to work together with other learners in the electronics, software, control automation, and mechanics fields, followed by the design of an open platform integrated multi-disciplinary approach. By collaborating with their peers in developing this hardware, students become better equipped with specialized knowledge. This process also allows students to feel confident in implementing their innovative thinking while still maintaining the core meaning of the instrument. One of the key benefits of this approach is that helping students overcome their problems concurrently enhances the engineer’s function in the community despite missing some specialized skill sets. Based on experimental works using this open framework, the present approach demonstrates that pupils in our program have sufficient ability to contribute to social achievements. Lastly, the feasible, low-cost, and visually educational instrument made by the participants showcases the value of such a multi-disciplinary approach.
Collapse
|
42
|
Some Criteria of the Knowledge Representation Method for an Intelligent Problem Solver in STEM Education. APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOFT COMPUTING 2020. [DOI: 10.1155/2020/9834218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, building intelligent systems for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is necessary to support the studying of learners. Intelligent problem solver (IPS) is a system that can be able to solve or tutor how to solve the problems automatically. Learners only declare hypothesis and goal of problems based on a sufficient specification language. They can request the program to solve it automatically or to give instructions that help them to solve it themselves. Knowledge representation plays a vital role in these kinds of intelligent systems. There are various methods for knowledge representation; however, they do not meet the requirements of an IPS in STEM education. In this paper, we propose the criteria of a knowledge model for an IPS in education. These criteria orient to develop a method for knowledge representation to meet actual requirements in practice, especially pedagogical requirements. For proving the effectiveness of these criteria, a knowledge model is also constructed. This model can satisfy these criteria and be applied to build IPS for courses, such as mathematics and physics.
Collapse
|
43
|
Harden KP, Domingue BW, Belsky DW, Boardman JD, Crosnoe R, Malanchini M, Nivard M, Tucker-Drob EM, Harris KM. Genetic associations with mathematics tracking and persistence in secondary school. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2020; 5:1. [PMID: 32047651 PMCID: PMC7002519 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-020-0060-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Maximizing the flow of students through the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline is important to promoting human capital development and reducing economic inequality. A critical juncture in the STEM pipeline is the highly cumulative sequence of secondary school math courses. Students from disadvantaged schools are less likely to complete advanced math courses. Here, we conduct an analysis of how the math pipeline differs across schools using student polygenic scores, which are DNA-based indicators of propensity to succeed in education. We integrated genetic and official school transcript data from over 3000 European-ancestry students from U.S. high schools. We used polygenic scores as a molecular tracer to understand how the flow of students through the high school math pipeline differs in socioeconomically advantaged versus disadvantaged schools. Students with higher education polygenic scores were tracked to more advanced math already at the beginning of high school and persisted in math for more years. Analyses using genetics as a molecular tracer revealed that the dynamics of the math pipeline differed by school advantage. Compared to disadvantaged schools, advantaged schools buffered students with low polygenic scores from dropping out of math. Across all schools, even students with exceptional polygenic scores (top 2%) were unlikely to take the most advanced math classes, suggesting substantial room for improvement in the development of potential STEM talent. These results link new molecular genetic discoveries to a common target of educational-policy reforms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K. Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | | | - Daniel W. Belsky
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Jason D. Boardman
- Department of Sociology and Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CA USA
| | - Robert Crosnoe
- Department of Sociology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Michel Nivard
- Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Riegle-Crumb C, Morton K, Nguyen U, Dasgupta N. Inquiry-Based Instruction in Science and Mathematics in Middle School Classrooms: Examining Its Association With Students' Attitudes by Gender and Race/Ethnicity. AERA OPEN 2019; 5:10.1177/2332858419867653. [PMID: 39006105 PMCID: PMC11245149 DOI: 10.1177/2332858419867653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Utilizing a nationally representative sample of middle school students, this article focuses on whether students who report experiencing more inquiry-based instruction in science and mathematics classrooms have more positive attitudes toward these subjects. Results of multilevel, multivariate regression analyses revealed that, net of the inclusion of control variables for student, teacher, and school characteristics, a higher frequency of inquiry-based instruction is significantly associated with greater interest, perceptions of utility, and self-efficacy for science and mathematics. Furthermore, although there is some evidence indicating that compared with female students, male students' perceptions of science utility are higher in relation to more inquiry-based instruction, overall, the weight of evidence clearly leans toward the conclusion that the attitudes of students from different gender and racial/ethnic backgrounds are similarly associated with greater exposure to inquiry-based instruction in both their science and mathematics classrooms.
Collapse
|
45
|
Riegle-Crumb C, King B, Irizarry Y. Does STEM Stand Out? Examining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Persistence Across Postsecondary Fields. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER (WASHINGTON, D.C. : 1972) 2019; 48:133-144. [PMID: 39005239 PMCID: PMC11244760 DOI: 10.3102/0013189x19831006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Informed by the theoretical lens of opportunity hoarding, this study considers whether STEM postsecondary fields stand apart via the disproportionate exclusion of Black and Latina/o youth. Utilizing national data from the Beginning Postsecondary Study (BPS), the authors investigate whether Black and Latina/o youth who begin college as STEM majors are more likely to depart than their White peers, either by switching fields or by leaving college without a degree, and whether patterns of departure in STEM fields differ from those in non-STEM fields. Results reveal evidence of persistent racial/ethnic inequality in STEM degree attainment not found in other fields.
Collapse
|
46
|
Guo J, Marsh HW, Parker PD, Dicke T, Van Zanden B. Countries, parental occupation, and girls' interest in science. Lancet 2019; 393:e6-e8. [PMID: 30739708 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)30210-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiesi Guo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia.
| | - Herbert W Marsh
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip D Parker
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
| | - Theresa Dicke
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
| | - Brooke Van Zanden
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Reducing socioeconomic disparities in the STEM pipeline through student emotion regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1553-1558. [PMID: 30642965 PMCID: PMC6358706 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1808589116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields can create career opportunities. Yet many students, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, find the high-stakes exams in courses necessary for STEM success to be stressful and anxiety provoking. Such experiences of stress can lead to underperformance and compromise students’ ability to advance in STEM. We show that lower-income students given the opportunity to emotionally regulate their worries and reinterpret their arousal go on to perform better on their high school science exams and endorse a more adaptive interpretation of stress. Critically, emotion regulation interventions cut in half the course failure rate for lower-income students. For many students, success is based on more than STEM knowledge—their ability to regulate emotions is important too. Educational attainment is one lever that can increase opportunity for economically disadvantaged families—especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Unfortunately, students from lower-income backgrounds often perform poorly and fail high school STEM courses, which are a necessary step in pursuing fast-growing and lucrative STEM careers, graduating high school, and matriculating to college. We reasoned that, because high school STEM courses often use high-stakes tests to gauge performance, and such tests can be especially stressful for lower-income students, interventions that help students regulate their negative emotions during tests should reduce the achievement gap between higher- and lower-income students. In a large-scale (n = 1,175) field experiment conducted in ninth grade science classrooms, students were asked to complete a control exercise, or they were given the opportunity to complete an exercise to help them regulate their worries and reinterpret their anxious arousal before their tests. We found significant benefits of emotion regulation activities for lower-income students in terms of their science examination scores, science course passing rate, and students’ attitudes toward examination stress, suggesting that students’ emotions are one factor that impacts performance. For example, 39% of lower-income students failed the course in the control group compared with only 18% of students failing the course if they participated in the emotion regulation interventions—a reduction in course failure rate by half. Our work underscores the crucial importance of targeting students’ emotions during impactful points in their academic trajectories for improving STEM preparedness and enhancing overall academic success.
Collapse
|
48
|
Carter DF, Razo Dueñas JE, Mendoza R. Critical Examination of the Role of STEM in Propagating and Maintaining Race and Gender Disparities. HIGHER EDUCATION: HANDBOOK OF THEORY AND RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-03457-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
49
|
Hu A, Wu X. Science or liberal arts? Cultural capital and college major choice in China. THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY 2019; 70:190-213. [PMID: 29265339 DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies on major East Asian societies such as Japan and Korea generally fail to find a strong effect of cultural capital in educational inequality, partly due to the characteristic extreme focus on standardized test and curriculum. This study shifts attention to the horizontal stratification of education by investigating the association between family background, cultural capital, and college major choice in contemporary China. Based on analysis of data from the Beijing College Students Panel Survey (BCSPS), we found that, on average, cultural capital significantly mediates the relationship between family background and college major preference. Those with greater endowment of cultural capital are more likely to come from socio-economically advantaged families, and, at the same time, demonstrate a stronger propensity to major in liberal arts fields rather than science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Further analyses reveal that the association between cultural capital and academic field choice comes into being by way of performance in the Chinese test in the national college entrance examination and of the non-cognitive dispositions, such as self-efficacy and self-esteem. Our findings better our understanding of formation of the horizontal stratification of higher education.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaogang Wu
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and New York University, Shanghai
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Harwood EM, Jones AR, Erickson D, Buchwald D, Johnson-Hemming J, Jones HP, Manson S, McGee R, Smith A, Steer CJ, Vishwanatha JK, Weber-Main AM, Okuyemi KS. Early career biomedical grantsmanship self-efficacy: validation of an abbreviated self-assessment tool. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1445:17-26. [PMID: 30515830 PMCID: PMC6551308 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of success for early career biomedical researchers is the acquisition of research funding. There are marked disparities among principal investigators who submit grants and the likelihood of receiving national funding. The National Research Mentoring Network was funded by the National Institutes of Health to diversify the biomedical research workforce and included grantsmanship training for early career researchers. Self-efficacy in developing research grant applications is significantly improved over time with training and experience. We created a 19-item self-efficacy assessment inventory. Our aims were to confirm the internal consistency of a three-factor solution for grantsmanship confidence and to test the likelihood that self-efficacy influences grant proposal submission timing. We gathered data from 190 diverse biomedical trainees who completed NRMN grantsmanship training between August 2015 and June 2017. Findings revealed high internal consistency for items in each of three factors. There was a statistically significant association between self-efficacy mean scores and grant submission timing predicting that, for every one-point increase in the mean score, the odds of submitting a grant 6 months post-training increased by 69%. An abbreviated inventory of grantsmanship skills self-efficacy is a promising tool for monitoring changes over time in early career researchers and for promoting tailored grantsmanship interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eileen M Harwood
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Amy R Jones
- Dakota County Public Health Department, West St. Paul, Minnesota
| | - Darin Erickson
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Dedra Buchwald
- The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington
| | | | - Harlan P Jones
- Health Science Center, University of North Texas, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Spero Manson
- Public Health and Psychiatry, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Richard McGee
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ann Smith
- Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center, University of South Alabama Medical Center, Mobile, Alabama
| | - Clifford J Steer
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Jamboor K Vishwanatha
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, University of North Texas, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Anne M Weber-Main
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Kolawole S Okuyemi
- Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| |
Collapse
|