Inclusive STEM Research Articles

Increasing Awareness of Inclusive STEM Education through a College-Level Student Research Group

The under representation of persons with disabilities in STEM reflects not only a moral failing in society’s commitment to equity but also a practical dilemma as science benefits from the contributions of people with diverse perspectives. While teacher education programs attempt to address equity at the K-12 level, societal biases and misconceptions about who is “able” in science present persistent barriers for people with disabilities throughout the STEM pipeline, in higher education, employment, and beyond. How can we ensure that students with disabilities will encounter professors, employers, coworkers, and peers who are supportive of their efforts in STEM? To address this question, this article describes the experience of a college administrator and four students who collaboratively conducted a literature review on inclusive STEM education during the summer of 2020. While the goal of this project was to provide meaningful summer learning opportunities and employment for students during COVID-19 while simultaneously providing research support for the administrator, project outcomes suggest that the college students, none of whom were education majors, gained understanding and appreciation of the issues surrounding inclusive STEM education while also developing expertise in the literature review process. We suggest that this project represents a successful teaching technique that can be used in higher education, including teacher education programs, to contribute to the development of future leaders, educators, and citizens who are aware of, engaged with, and supportive of quality inclusive STEM education and opportunities for all.

Shaping a more inclusive and responsive STEM education system

Shaping a more inclusive and responsive STEM education system

Shaping a more inclusive and responsive STEM education system

Shaping a more inclusive and responsive STEM education system

Unprecedented Leadership

Unprecedented Leadership

Impacts of attending an inclusive STEM high school: meta-analytic estimates from five studies

BackgroundInclusive STEM high schools seek to broaden STEM participation by accepting students on the basis of interest rather than test scores and providing a program sufficient to prepare students for a STEM major in college. Almost nonexistent before the present century, these high schools have proliferated over the last two decades as a strategy for addressing gaps in STEM education and career participation. This study uses a meta-analytic approach to investigate the relationship between attending an inclusive STEM high school and a set of high school outcomes known to predict college entry and declaration of a STEM college major.ResultsCombining effect estimates from five separate datasets of students from inclusive STEM high schools and matched comparison schools, the analysis reported here used data from administrative records and survey data for 9719 students in 94 high schools to obtain estimates of the average impact of attending an inclusive STEM high school on STEM-related high school outcomes. Positive effects for inclusive STEM high schools were found for completion of key STEM courses and for likelihood that students would engage in self-selected STEM activities. Students who attended an inclusive STEM high school also identified more strongly with mathematics and science and were more likely as high school seniors to be very interested in one or more STEM careers. Importantly, these positive impacts were found for low-income, under-represented minority, and female students as well as for students overall. Attending an inclusive STEM high school appeared to have a small positive impact on science test scores for students overall and for economically disadvantaged students, but there were no discernible impacts on mathematics test scores.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the inclusive STEM high school model can be implemented broadly with positive impacts for students, including low-income, female, and under-represented minority students. Positive impacts on the odds of taking advanced mathematics and science courses in high school and on interest in entering a STEM profession are of particular importance, given the strong association between these variables and entry into a STEM major in college.

A Comparison Study between Universal Design for Learning-Multiple Intelligence (UDL-MI) Oriented STEM Program and Traditional STEM Program for Inclusive Education

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model and Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory hold considerable promise for advancing inclusive education. However, the effectiveness of UDL and MI in supporting inclusive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has never been tested empirically. This study examined the impact of the UDL-MI-oriented STEM program on eighth-grade rural students’ attitudes towards STEM through mixed research design. A total of 122 students were selected through purposive sampling and randomly distributed into experimental (N = 62) and control groups (N = 60). The experimental group experienced STEM learning through the UDL-MI-oriented program and the control group received traditional classroom teaching. Both groups studied learning units on environmental sustainability and conservation for 10 weeks. Changes in students’ attitudes towards STEM were assessed over the time period (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) using an adapted Mahoney Student Attitude toward STEM instrument and individual interviews (post-test, follow-up). The results indicated that in comparison to the traditional classroom, the UDL-MI-oriented program significantly improved and maintained the students’ attitudes towards STEM. Next, the qualitative findings were presented to support the statistical analyses. This study provides empirical evidence for adopting the UDL-MI-oriented STEM program as an effective way of providing inclusive STEM education to rural students by enhancing their attitudes towards STEM.

Helping students (re)think of themselves as scientists

Are you a scientist? Are you known as “the science person” within your group of friends? Have you ever reflected on a professional milestone—your first publication, first large conference, or first lab class—and thought to yourself “wow, I’m a real chemist now”? Justin Carmel, an assistant professor of chemistry at Florida International University, explains that an identity is “this feeling that you either belong or don’t belong to a certain group of people.” Science identity intersects with and is influenced by a person’s other identities, such as race, gender, or religion. Researchers have found that the sense of belonging in science matters more than grades and background when it comes to keeping students in science majors and careers. Creating a more equitable, inclusive, and leakproof STEM pipeline requires helping more students feel like scientists. The challenge is, how do science educators do that, when feeling like a scientist is such

Inclusive STEM High School Factors Influencing Ethnic Minority Students’ STEM Preparation

The purpose of this study was to better understand school factors influencing ethnic minority students’ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) preparation in Inclusive STEM High Schools (ISHSs). The researchers conducted a phenomenological study that used semi-structured interviews with participants (N=13) who graduated from ISHSs in Texas. Participants’ STEM high school experiences were classified into nine categories: a) innovative STEM and non-STEM instruction, b) rigorous STEM curriculum, c) integration of technology and engineering in classrooms, d) quality of teachers, e) real-world STEM partnership, f) informal STEM opportunities, g) academic and social support for struggling students, h) emphasis on STEM courses, majors, and careers, and i) preparation for a college workload. These characteristics can be helpful for schools to establish a STEM-focused school environment and have the potential to cultivate positive experiences for ethnic minority students to increase their interest and capabilities in STEM fields.

A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding PBL Experiences in Inclusive STEM High Schools

Background: Inclusive STEM high schools employ a variety of instructional strategies, including PBL (problem and/or project-based learning) experiences, with the goals of building students’ 21st century skills, facilitating long-term academic success, and encouraging pursuit of STEM careers. PBL approaches are central to the goals of inclusive STEM schools; however, at this writing, no description of the implementation of PBL at these schools exists. Material and Methods: The current study draws on classroom observations and teacher interviews to describe PBL implementation across schools and classrooms. We describe specific instructional practices and classroom behaviors that teachers and students engage in during PBL. Results: Results highlight the multifaceted and multidimensional nature of PBL implementation, and that consistencies in practice do exist across inclusive STEM schools. Additionally, quantitative results show increased use of particular strategies in PBL experiences, as compared with non-PBL classes. Conclusions: This paper provides an in-depth look at instructional practices used in PBL approaches at inclusive STEM schools across the country, and findings have implications for how researchers and practitioners understand and use PBL going forward.

Integrating Inclusive Pedagogy into an undergraduate introductory Physiology course

We are constantly bombarded with images about what type of person “does science”, and these images usually convey a very narrow view of science and scientists. In most science courses and science textbooks, the people highlighted for making most of the significant contributions are white males. Whether or not this lack of diverse representations of scientists registers consciously, the impact of this messaging about the types of people who work in science‐related careers is clear and consistent. Therefore, it is important that faculty recognize the impact of this messaging and act to combat it, especially in light of the increasingly diverse array of postsecondary students interested in STEM majors. One way to enhance student belonging in STEM is to provide assignments that allow students to recognize the contributions of non‐stereotypical scientists. To accomplish this, we added a biographical presentation assignment to an undergraduate Introduction to Physiology course with the objective of providing multiple of examples throughout the course of the semester that counter scientist stereotypes. For the assignment, students selected a scientist to research from a curated list that includes only women and minority physiologists. The assignment required that they write a paper and give an oral presentation to the class about the selected physiologist. The content of the presentation and the paper included a description of the scientist’s career trajectory and scientific contributions as well as information about their personal life and a discussion about which things the student found most relatable to their own life. To assess the impact of the assignment on student notions of scientist stereotypes and overall scientist relatability, we conducted a pre‐ and post‐course survey, which indicated a significant shift in student biases regarding scientists being predominantly white and male. In addition, a focus group assessment revealed themes indicating that the assignment also improved student’s ability to identify with people in science‐related careers. Therefore, this pedagogical intervention appears to be beneficial as a step toward creating a more inclusive STEM educational environment.Support or Funding InformationNSF CAREER 1350448

Leveraging Social Capital to Broaden Participation in STEM

Broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is critical to the nation’s economic growth and national security. In K–12 and higher education, researchers and educators increasingly employ the concept of social capital to develop programs for improving STEM learning, motivation, and participation of young students. STEM social capital in education comprises STEM-oriented resources—whether instrumental, informational, or emotional—that students access through their social networks. Major theoretical perspectives, research evidence, and promising practices are associated with the concepts of social capital in STEM education. Students’ social capital in STEM education (derived from families, peers, teachers, and professional networks) demonstrably promotes their STEM educational outcomes and career paths. Inclusive STEM schools, mentoring, and after-school programs are some promising approaches that can enhance STEM social capital and outcomes of underrepresented students, particularly women, Blacks/Hispanics/Native Americans, youth with low socioeconomic status, and persons with disabilities.

Scientific Societies Advancing STEM Workforce Diversity: Lessons and Outcomes from the Minorities Affairs Committee of the American Society for Cell Biology.

Promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the STEM academic workforce remains a key challenge and national priority. Scientific societies can play a significant role in this process through the creation and implementation of programs to foster STEM academic workforce diversification, and by providing mentoring and skills development training that empower scientists from under-represented minority (URM) backgrounds to succeed in their communities of practice. In this article, we provide examples of challenges met by scientific societies in these areas and present data from the American Society for Cell Biology, highlighting the benefits received by trainees through long-term engagement with its programs. The success of these initiatives illustrates the impact of discipline-specific programming by scientific societies in supporting the development of URM scientists and an increasingly diverse and inclusive academic STEM community.

インクルーシブ STEM 教育の理論・実践・評価

インクルーシブ STEM 教育の理論・実践・評価

Developing student 21st Century skills in selected exemplary inclusive STEM high schools

BackgroundThere is a need to arm students with noncognitive, or 21st Century, skills to prepare them for a more STEM-based job market. As STEM schools are created in a response to this call to action, research is needed to better understand how exemplary STEM schools successfully accomplish this goal. This conversion mixed method study analyzed student work samples and teacher lesson plans from seven exemplary inclusive STEM high schools to better understand at what level teachers at these schools are engaging and developing student 21st Century skills.ResultsWe found of the 67 lesson plans collected at the inclusive STEM high schools, 50 included instruction on 21st Century skills. Most of these lesson plans designed instruction for 21st Century skills at an introductory level. Few lesson plans encouraged multiple 21st Century skills and addressed higher levels of those skills. Although there was not a significant difference between levels of 21st Century skills by grade level, there was an overall trend of higher levels of 21st Century skills demonstrated in lesson plans designed for grades 11 and 12. We also found that lesson plans that lasted three or more days had higher levels of 21st Century skills.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that inclusive STEM high schools provide environments that support the development of 21st Century skills. Yet, more can be done in the area of teacher professional development to improve instruction of high levels of 21st Century skills.

Inclusive STEM group dynamics using an analysis of social identities and intersectionality

Inclusive STEM group dynamics using an analysis of social identities and intersectionality

Curriculum and Instruction at Exemplar Inclusive STEM High Schools

In recent years, prominent organizations have released large-scale policy reports on the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States, with particular emphasis on curricula and instructional practices. The purpose of this paper was to examine the curriculum and instruction occurring at high performing STEM-focused high schools that have no academic conditions for student admission. This study conducted a cross-case analysis across eight case studies of contextually different but well-regarded inclusive STEM high school. Common themes that emerged included different hierarchical levels of design and implementation (classroom-level, cross-cutting school level, school-wide) as well as responsive design of curriculum and instruction. Unique contextual differences are discussed as well as implications for replication of inclusive STEM school design.

The Impact of Inclusive STEM High Schools on Student Outcomes: a Statewide Longitudinal Evaluation of Texas STEM Academies

In recent years, the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) specialized schools has been rapidly increasing internationally. In the United States, a new movement of establishing inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs) aimed at expanding access to specialized STEM education for underrepresented and diverse student groups has begun to emerge. Due to its recent emergence, rigorous evidence on the impact of ISHSs on student outcomes is scarce and inconclusive. This study adds to this limited but growing body of empirical literature by examining whether ISHSs have an effect on student achievement, course-taking, and high school completion, and if effects vary by sociodemographic subgroups. Focusing on the Texas STEM academies—the largest cluster of ISHSs in the US, and analyzing a decade-long data from the Texas Statewide Longitudinal Data System, pooled regression analysis results showed that while ISHSs had no impact on student test scores in mathematics and science, the effects are positive on completing advanced level math courses in high school. Subgroup analyses indicated that ISHSs generally have no differential effects on student outcomes by sociodemographic subgroups, with the exception that they improve the rates of high school graduation for racial minority and low-income students.

Bridge to Power: How Teachers Used Project-Based Learning to Design an Inclusive Urban STEM High School

Using a critical and social realist framework, this study examines the experiences of teachers who used project-based learning to design an inclusive urban STEM high school. The findings illustrate how teachers used the social and material practices of project-based learning to establish an open and inclusive culture of instruction. The findings also illustrate how teachers made sense of the patterns of social and curricular integration and disintegration they experienced during implementation. An analysis of the findings suggests that a combination state-mandated testing and the absence of critical academics and administrators on the school’s curriculum design team disempowered teachers and limited their ability to design a socially critical STEM curriculum.

Broadening Participation in STEM College Majors: Effects of Attending a STEM-Focused High School

To increase participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) studies and careers, some states have promoted inclusive STEM high schools. This study addressed the question of whether these high schools improve the odds that their graduates will pursue a STEM major in college. State higher education records were obtained for students surveyed as seniors in 23 inclusive STEM high schools and 19 comparison schools without a STEM focus. Propensity score weighting was used to ensure that students in the comparison school sample were very similar to those in the inclusive STEM school sample in terms of demographic characteristics and Grade 8 achievement. Students overall and from under-represented groups who had attended inclusive STEM high schools were significantly more likely to be in a STEM bachelor’s degree program two years after high school graduation. For students who entered two-year colleges, on the other hand, attending an inclusive STEM high school was not associated with entry into STEM majors.

Cross-Case Analysis of Engineering Education Experiences in Inclusive STEM-Focused High Schools in the United States

In an attempt to broaden participation in STEM, a new type of high school is emerging, high schools which include a focus on engineering, have few or no academic admission criteria, and actively involve students of all levels of ability, known as Inclusive STEM High Schools (ISHSs). One aspect of successful ISHSs includes the intentional and explicit integration of engineering learning opportunities into coursework. The purpose of this paper is to report results of a systematic cross-case analysis exploring the extent of engineering learning opportunities in five exemplar ISHSs. The results are framed by the Engineering in K-12 Education report from which seven different topics were derived to appropriately represent the field of engineering in schools: design, identifying constraints, modeling and analysis, engineering habits of mind, systems thinking, modeling, identifying constraints, communication, and optimization,. The cross-case analysis was conducted by aggregating the information gathered through surveys, interviews, focus groups, classroom observations, and document analysis, noting similarities and differences across schools and mechanisms for the course foci. It was found in the participating ISHSs that engineering is not merely an elective; all students must take at least one engineering course to graduate, although the states in which the schools are located did not require engineering for a diploma. The most prominent topics from the recommended list found at the schools were design, engineering habits of mind, and communication, while the least prominent were modeling, analysis, and identifying constraints. Based on the results of this study, the engineering education community is encouraged to continue making engineering concepts and skills accessible to K-12 educators, who may not have prior formal training in the field of engineering or engineering education.