Seven Last Keywords: Vygotsky’s Polytechnism in Russia, China, and Australia / Las últimas siete palabras clave: La politecnia de Vygotski en Rusia, China y Australia

Recently, the promotion of Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has become the highlight due to the shortage in the STEM workforce. Surprisingly, the enrolment rates in STEM degrees are still low in many countries. Social media has been identified as one of the main platforms that can help to increase prospective students’ interest in STEM and also Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) subjects. However, very little research has been done for the higher education institutions in Malaysia in leveraging social media and social media analytics effectively to increase the students’ interests and awareness of STEM and TVET disciplines. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a framework to increase prospective students’ interest in STEM and TVET using social media and big data analytics. The objectives of this study are to explore various social media applications in education and study these applications towards increasing students’ interests and propose a suitable framework for Malaysian higher education institutions. The framework is proposed by following the theory synthesis methodology. Four main components of the framework have been proposed, namely social media, role model or mentoring, massive open online courses and big data analytics. Each component is significant and requires a considerable amount of time to develop. The suggested framework is anticipated to benefit higher education institutions with a significant gain of the number of students, revenues and positive reputations.
 
 Keywords: Social media, Social media analytics, STEM, E-learning, Education

ABSTRACTThe “leaky pipeline” metaphor describes the greater likelihood of women and girls leaving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields at every point, relative to men and boys. Gender disparities occur both in recruitment—that is, who chooses to enter a STEM pathway—as well as retention—that is, who chooses to persist in a STEM major or occupation. In addition, women who persist in STEM careers are less likely than men to reach top levels of leadership in those careers. The “leaky pipeline” metaphor describes the greater likelihood of women and girls to leave STEM fields at every point, relative to men and boys. Gender disparities occur both in recruitment—that is, who chooses to enter a STEM pathway—as well as retention—that is, who chooses to persist in a STEM major or occupation. In addition, women who persist in STEM careers are less likely than men to reach top levels of leadership in those careers. The aim of this paper is to analyse the representation of women in green occupational groups, studying both their attraction to “green vocational education and training programmes” and their completion as well as their transition to the labour market. It is important to note that green vocational programmes are closely related to STEM vocational education and training (VET) programmes. In this sense, it is relevant to analyse whether the gender “leaking pipeline” phenomenon exists in green training programmes and occupational groups in the same way it does in STEM occupations. The quantitative breakdown by occupational group highlights a clear gender gap in female participation in GREEN VET programmes. Moreover, when women from green occupational groups enter the labour market, their employment conditions are systematically worse than those of men. It is worth noting the scarcity of studies on this issue, particularly quantitative ones, which indicates the limited scientific attention paid to analysing the gender gap in green vocational programmes and occupational groups.

This study investigates the persistent underrepresentation of girls in Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics (STEM) -related Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes at the pre-tertiary level in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Recognizing the critical role of STEM careers in driving socio-economic development, the study identifies the factors contributing to this gender disparity and proposes strategies to enhance female participation in STEM –related TVET programmes. The study is informed by the Social Role Theory. The convergent mixed-method research approach and the cross-sectional research design were employed. Uutilising the census sampling, 109 girls enrolled in STEM- related TVET programmes in pre-tertiary TVET delivery institutions in the Metropolis were selected for the study. Primary data as well as secondary data as collected from the Institutions and utilised. The primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire and interviews. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that despite ongoing efforts to promote gender equality, significant barriers continue to hinder girls' enrolment in STEM-related TVET programmes. These barriers include systemic challenges, entrenched societal stereotypes, insufficient institutional support, and absence of targeted interventions. The study concludes that a multi-faceted approach, involving a comprehensive action and strong support is needed at the school level to address the issue. It is therefore recommended that school leaders should employ strategies to counteract the persistent stereotypes, encourage support, and inspire more girls to pursue STEM-related TVET. These should include instituting mentorship programmes to connect female students with successful women in STEM-related TVET fields as role models to provide guidance, share personal experiences, and encourage female students to explore and participate in the field. Again, community awareness campaigns aimed at changing the perceptions of parents, guardians as well as the broader community about STEM field and professions for girls should be launched to promote the relevance and benefits of STEM –related TVET education for girls and society as a whole.

Background: A major professionals replacement demand due to an aging trend among STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) occupational fields has been recognised in several European Union countries. However, research has shown that adolescents are not aspiring to such careers. One possible cause has been students´ low awareness of STEM career opportunities and their work characteristics. One solution to this has been suggested as embedding career education into science teaching at school thus raising students´ awareness of possible STEM careers and shaping their stereotypical images of STEM occupations and hence attitude towards studying science. Purpose: The study aims to determine the effects of embedding STEM career education into science teaching on a) students´ career aspirations, and b) on their occupational images in STEM fields, in terms of students´ perceptions of competency requirements for STEM careers and for their career aspirations. Methodology: The current study followed a longitudinal pre-post-test control-group design. The experimental group (EG) students (N=77), from three schools, were studying different science topics during their 7th— 9th grade through five career introducing learning modules, each following a 3-stage model (Holbrook & Rannikmae, 2010) i.e. a contextualisation stage for inducing motivation; a de-contextualisation stage for learning conceptual science with inquiry or hands on activities; a re-contextualisation stage for socio-scientific decision making, reflecting on the learning and applying it to the initial context. The EG students were introduced to different careers within the learning contexts of solar panel mobile charger; lemonade production in a factory; city planning or murder investigation; oil spill clean-up and endangered species protection with CITES. The control group (CG) (N=21) learned science with approaches chosen by their teachers. Data prior and after the intervention was collected by using a paper and pencil questionnaire, which contained 3 parts: 1. students´ career aspirations; 2. and 3. students´ opinions of the importance of various competences on a 4-point scale (not important at all- 1, to very important- 4 ) for (a) their career aspirations and (b) for STEM careers. The list of competences (n=26) used in the questionnaire (2nd and 3rd part), were drawn from Jang (2016) and from the work descriptions of science and engineering professionals in the International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008 (International Labour Office, 2012). Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Chi-Square test, Fischers´ Exact test, with Monte Carlo adjustments, to determine changes in career aspirations and Mann-Whitney U-test, with Bonferroni corrections, for determining the changes in students´ perceptions of relevant competencies. Results and conclusions: No statistically significant changes were detected in students´ career aspirations. Interestingly, the EG students indicated significant rise in the importance of several future career competences and for STEM careers. The CG students´ ratings of importance for several competences dropped significantly. The results indicated that students´ career aspirations could not be changed through the intervention, but gave an indication of positive changes in students´ occupational images of STEM careers, which supported embedding career education into science teaching in middle school.

The advancement of Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are widely used and help in education such as in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This qualitative study is to identify the impact of AI on students in higher learning settings of TVET and STEM programs in Malaysia. From among science and engineering students, this study aimed to identify in what ways the tools and technologies impact on these learners’ experiences, impact their learning, their academic performance, and preparedness for their careers in the future. This study uses a thematic analysis research design. The sample will consist of 10 participants selected based on varying experiences and views. The research method chosen is an in-depth interview, meaning that it will go into details about the benefits and challenges of AI use in education as they are perceived by students. The initial findings will provide an insight into crucial themes enhancement in learning efficiency, development of critical thinking skills, and challenges resulting from the adoption of new technologies. In addition, this research also identifies possible application areas of AI for improving educational outcomes in TVET and STEM and possible barriers for effective implementation. Findings will provide an overview of the knowledge base at the present time about the adoption of AI in the higher learning sector, with associated meaning for educators, and institutions that are considering embedding AI into curricula. The outcome will further realize how AI could be applied to narrow the gap between traditional ways of educating people regarding the demands of an increasingly digitalized workforce, hence significantly improving the employability of TVET and STEM graduates in Malaysia.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has been widely discussed by academics, especially vocational education. However, the knowledge of vocational students/prospective teachers about Science, Technology, Engineering STEM is still limited. The purpose of this research is to describe the perceptions of prospective vocational teachers regarding STEM. This research is a descriptive research using survey method. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using percentage techniques. The results of the study show that there are positive perceptions among prospective vocational teachers about STEM education and they agree to implement the education curriculum in Indonesia. Students stated that the relationship between STEM components was integrated with each other. Most students believe that STEM is suitable for application at every level of education, STEM can link the classroom learning process with the phenomena of everyday life, STEM is suitable for Mechanical Engineering Vocational learning, STEM relates to problem solving abilities, and STEM can be a preference for choosing work in future. Write the abstract in English here. If articles in English, abstract in Indonesia language do not need to be included. Writing abbreviations and mathematical formulas in the abstract needs to be avoided.

Context and Implications Document for: Recruitment to STEM studies: The roles of curriculum reforms, flexibility of choice, and attitudes

PurposeThe paper innovates on the existing literature by assessing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) tertiary education enrolment and career choice in a small country setting and by extending on Master and Meltzoff (2016) theoretical framework to provide a holistic explanation of the gender disparity through a mix of personal, environmental and behavioural factors. The study first probes into the existence of potential gender disparity in STEM tertiary enrolment in Mauritius. Second, in contrast with existing studies where selective factors are used to measure the gender gap in STEM education, this paper investigates into a combination of personal, environmental and behavioural factors that may influence participation in STEM education and career.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a survey of 209 undergraduates enroled in the main public university and investigates into the existence of a gender gap in STEM tertiary education enrolment and the reasons behind this disparity. Consistent with the theoretical model, the empirical analysis also investigates into the work environment (which cannot be measured from the survey), via semi-structured interviews of 15 women in STEM professions.FindingsThe logit regression results first reveal the existence of a gender disparity in the choice of STEM-related degrees. The probability of a female student to enrol in a STEM degree is lower than that of a male student, after controlling for all the personal, environmental and behavioural factors. The most important set of reasons influencing the student's STEM degree choice are self-efficacy and the student's academic performance in STEM subjects at secondary school level. The findings also demonstrate that young women are relatively more likely to choose STEM degrees than their male counterparts when they are supported by their family, school and teachers. There is further evidence of lower participation of women in STEM professions as well as significant challenges which women in STEM careers face compared to their male colleagues.Originality/valueThis study adopts a holistic framework to assess the factors that hinder women's participation in STEM tertiary education and career in Mauritius.

The purpose of this article is to investigate how to design and organize Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses for students of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Our work has been triggered by the fact that the Greek government following European standards for training has enacted a two-hour STEM course for the first class of the technical high schools. Through an enriched learning environment, we analyze the teaching mechanisms as well as the actions that should be implemented with the intention of supporting vocational educational students to acquire the best preparation for the STEM courses. We present several learning strategies that utilize educational technologies in order for the students and the teachers of TVET to achieve the optimum adaptation.

The skilful and qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforces are expected to be in high demand in the 21st digital economy. In Malaysia public education system, the principal key to STEM education is Additional Mathematics. However, the statistics depicted that the number of upper secondary students enrolled in Additional Mathematics have been severely delineated. Furthermore, the prerequisite to enrol in STEM and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses in tertiary education is achieving a minimum grade C for Additional Mathematics. Therefore, the principal objective of this article is to identify the significant factors that affected the upper secondary students enrolled in Additional Mathematics using Pearson’s chi-square test without Yates continuity correction and unadjusted odds ratio (OR). A validated questionnaire comprised nine potential factors that affected enrolment in additional mathematics was distributed to 389 Form Four students’ cohort 2020 from four selected urban government schools to pursue this objective. Based on the finding of this article, several initiatives might be taken by the policymakers, such as the teachers may enhancing and throughout the broad of STEM and TVET careers in the 21st digital economy era, while the students’ parents can participate in schools in building the communicating and coordinating mechanism. Consequently, the number of upper secondary enrolled in STEM education might be increased to pipeline the future STEM and TVET human capitals in sustaining and stabilising the national economy in the digital era.

There are many influences on students’ career aspirations towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). These include a variety of cognitive and attitudinal factors, which require careful consideration. It has been acknowledged that industry possesses expertise and resources which can help STEM education address the main factors involved in this process. Using data from a pan-European project ECB-inGenious, aimed to enhance students’ aspirations towards STEM careers by engaging schools in collaboration with industry, we were able to assess a variety of contemporary initiatives developed by European industries for STEM learning and career education and analyse their impact on teachers and students. The results demonstrate that school-industry partnerships can provide for this complexity and have a positive role to play in addressing the needs for STEM enrichment and career learning in school. However, our study has confirmed that some gaps and barriers present strong challenges to the establishment, effective implementation and sustainability of such kind of partnership. We have also shown that for a partnership to be effective, it has to be sustainable and have a long-term commitment on both sides. Such partnerships are not easy to develop and require additional structural and organisational support and guidance on how to make this experience as worthwhile as it should be. The research evidence makes clear that the longer teachers stayed in the project, the more their confidence and skill in addressing students’ STEM career aspirations grew, bringing marked improvement in students’ knowledge and motivation for STEM education and careers.

The Schools of Education and Engineering and Computing Sciences at New York Institute of Technology collaborated to create a graduate certificate for K-12 STEM education described on NYIT's website http://www.nyit.edu/academics/stem/. The basic tenets of the 18-credit certificate program were Common Core State Standards for science, mathematics and technology [9], technology integration into instruction according to Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework [7], and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) content knowledge. The pedagogy focused on hands-on, inquiry-based, and project-based learning to meet the goal of preparing K-12 students for pursuing STEM-related college majors and careers. This presentation will provide an overview of the NYIT STEM curriculum, the results based on the program evaluation, and future plans to revise and implement the program with new cohorts of graduate students.

This study investigated the relationships between completing the high school portion of a college- and career-preparatory program of study and high school achievement outcomes in a large urban district in the West. Programs of study are secondary-to-postsecondary educational programs mandated by the federal legislation (Perkins IV) governing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States. At graduation, 49.5% of students in the sample who began a program of study had completed their programs. Using multiple regression models, we compared graduates who completed a program of study (hereafter POS completers) to graduates who completed a number of CTE courses in a specific occupational area (CTE concentrators), and to graduates who may have taken a CTE course or two during high school but were neither POS completers nor CTE concentrators (All Others). POS completers were more likely to (a) have a higher overall GPA, (b) have a higher CTE GPA, and (c) earn more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) credits than All Other students. Compared with CTE concentrators, POS completers were more likely to (a) have a higher overall GPA and (b) earn more STEM credits. Qualitative data describe contextual elements of programs of study as offered in West District that could explain these results. Study results suggest that districts should consider implementing career-themed programs such as programs of study that enhance their existing college- and career-readiness initiatives. We also call for further study of the postsecondary and labor market outcomes associated with programs of study in order to generate a clearer picture of their potential to increase academic and technical achievement and promote successful student transitions to higher education and the workplace.

Internationally, the need to advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is recognized as being vital for meeting social and economic challenges and developing a scientifically, mathematically, and technologically literate citizenry. In many countries, however, there are gender differences in the participation and achievement of girls and women in STEM education and STEM careers, usually to the disadvantage of females. This paper aims to identify challenges to female students’ participation in STEM both at post-primary (secondary school) level and beyond in the Irish context. The research questions we aim to address in this paper are: (1) what are student attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics as measured through interest and perceived ability in STEM, students’ valuing of STEM and students’ commitment to STEM? and (2) what gender differences occur regarding students’ attitudes to science, technology, engineering and mathematics? A survey was completed by 308 post-primary students in Ireland as part of a one-year research project titled “STEMChAT: Women as catalysts for change in STEM education.” Data analysis compiled descriptive statistics, including response frequencies and percentages and median and interquartile range values, and compared gender differences in survey responses using the Kruskal–Wallis H Test. Results indicated that female students had significantly more positive attitudes to science compared to males while in comparison, males had significantly more positive responses to mathematics compared to females. Challenges regarding access to and understanding of STEM in the context of post-primary education are discussed.

In the U.S., about 7,000 high school students drop out each school day, representing a loss of talent and ability. Concurrently, there are a decreasing number of enrolled students taking science-related courses at the high school and college levels. Adults, who return to obtain their General Educational Development (GED) certification, are an untapped resource that could be steered toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. In this case study, 15 GED students were shown a STEM video, and then peer mentored by 8 CLA (Clinical Laboratory Assistant) students, in a student-centered laboratory experience. Individual interviews of the GED students prior to and after the treatment were used to assess STEM attitudes. Additionally, the CLA peer mentors were given self-assessments regarding their level of self-efficacy. The most marked difference in the pre- and post-treatment data was with the male GED students. Initially, only 2 of the 7 had definite career goals, 5 with undefined career goals, with 4 showing no interest in STEM. After the treatment, 6 exhibited interest in pursuing STEM education or employment. The female GED students' interest remained unchanged, resulting in the male and female students showing equivalent interest in STEM post-treatment. The CLA peer mentors showed an increase in self-efficacy using Bandura's four sources of self-efficacy in social cognition (1997). The preliminary results of this study suggest that interest in STEM education and STEM careers can be generated with peer mentored learning. (Contains 1 figure and 8 tables.)