Mathematics Careers Research Articles

High-Revenue Athletics Institutional Policies and Practices Aligned with Key Resources for STEM Career Development

This study sought to explore the ways in which athletics departments within high-revenue National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I universities established institutional policies and practices aligned with providing key science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career development resources. These resources were derived from an earlier study focused on Black male student-athletes in high-revenue Division I athletics. The athletics department websites of a sample of high-revenue Atlantic Coast Conference institutions were reviewed seeking evidence of such policy and practice alignment with STEM career development. The resources identified from this review included explicit programming and student-athlete experiences for career, personal, and cultural identity development; designated institutional support personnel, including academic advisers, career counselors, and learning specialists, with the potential to provide personalized social support and academic support; and tutoring and study hall as additional academic support practices. The need for equity and student-centeredness is discussed in light of the implementation of each of these resources, as well as considerations of the impact of athletics departments demonstrating leadership and accountability in administering these resources, as compared to university-wide departments of academic and student affairs.

The development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) efficacy and identity among Mexican-origin youth across Latino/a destinations.

Persistence in high school curricula leading to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is structured by complex institutional systems, but developmental processes underlie how young people navigate these systems. This study examined differences in the development of STEM identity and efficacy during high school among Mexican-origin youth-a large and fast-growing demographic group that shows developmental assets and risks. Contextualizing development within larger community structures, this examination focused on the diverse array of destinations throughout the United States where Mexican-origin youth are living as contexts for their STEM identity and efficacy development. Drawing on a dataset integrating the High School Longitudinal study of 2009; Civil Rights Data Collection, decennial U.S. censuses, and the American Community Survey, multilevel models revealed variability in Mexican-origin math/science identity and efficacy development across destinations. Mexican-origin youth in established destinations had higher net growth in math identity but lower net growth in science efficacy than Whites in established destinations. Mexican-origin youth in new destinations followed similar trajectories as their Mexican-origin peers in established destinations but had lower net growth in science identity. Additionally, these patterns varied by immigrant generation. Mexican-origin youth who were the U.S.-born children of immigrants in established destinations had higher net growth in math identity than Whites in established destinations, but this generational group in new destinations had lower net growth in math identity, science identity, and science efficacy than these peers. These findings highlight the importance of communities and their embedded ecological contexts in shaping STEM identity and efficacy among Mexican-origin youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Forty years in mathematics: Personal perspective (Part I)

Conference like this in Dallas is a perfect occasion to give some reminiscences of my 40 years of work as a mathematician, and to muse a little about my mathematical past. It is a rare occasion to be a little sentimental. In this essay, I summarize and expand my birthday talk given at University of Texas at Dallas conference. There, I mostly covered the early years of my mathematical career ending with a detailed description about the smallest volume hyperbolic 3-manifold and the HOMFLYPT polynomial. Thus I seldom venture to the time after 1984 (for example to mention skein modules constructed in April 1987) and only occasionally after 1995 when I settled to work at George Washington University and have had several successful PhD students.

EXPLORING MOTIVATION TO LEARN MATHEMATICS THROUGH VROOM’S THEORY

<p>Mathematics is one of the fundamental subjects that contributes to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers since it plays a vital role in this Fourth Industrial Revolution. Due to that, this subject has been added in syllabus starting from primary school until university level and most of the students are taking mathematics but not limited to the students who are in the STEM area only. However, not all students particularly favour this subject since it requires problem solving skills as well as motivation to learn the subject matter. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate students’ motivation in learning Mathematics through Vrooms’ Theory. Quantitative method was used by distributing a set of questionnaires to 234 students in a public university in Malaysia. The instrument from the questionnaire consisted of three sections, a) affective components, b) expectancy components and c) value components with a total of 24 items. The findings revealed that students face anxiety while learning Mathematics and it could be motivating factors for the student to work even harder to perform in Mathematics. It was shown that their motivation towards learning Mathematics was influenced by how much value they placed on the outcome of the learning. This study can help educators to have a better understanding of students' learning motivation and provide continuous support to students. </p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0853/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Gendered STEM: A Systematic Review and Applied Analysis of Female Participation in STEM in the United Arab Emirates

The present study aims to identify potential barriers that women in the United Arab Emirates might face if they pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). For this purpose, a systematic review and subsequent applied analysis of the UAE context was developed. The systematic review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The review was performed on EBSCO, ProQuest, Wiley Online Library, Gale, Taylor and Francis Online, SAGE Complete, and JSTOR. The initial database search yielded 168 articles. Following a review of the corresponding abstracts, eight full-text articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected. The results obtained are discussed in the context of the UAE and help inform policy proposals and future research lines to strengthen the involvement of women in STEM careers. The study found that while women in the UAE have greater access to education in engineering and STEM fields, women’s employment prospects in these sectors remain fraught.

The management of student success in extended curriculum programmes: A case study of the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi Campus, South Africa

For three decades, numerous South African scholars have researched the efficacy of access programmes in providing alternative pathways to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through foundation provisioning. In light of this, Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) were designed for talented Black students who could not gain access to tertiary studies due to poor schooling conditions caused by apartheid. As scarce skills programmes that receive dedicated funding from government, ECPs are indispensable for redress, transformation, and socio-economic development. Consequently, they could be characterized as high stakes programmes that require a rigorous, evidence-led student success management approach to ensure effectiveness. This article argues for a customized approach to the management of student success for ECPs based on the Institutional Student Academic Development and Excellence Model. Using specific examples, the customized system, dubbed the Mamelodi Referral System, is discussed as well as the circumstances that led to its development. The article concludes with future areas for development and refinement.

Postdoctoral research training and the attainment of faculty careers in social science and STEM fields in the United States

PurposeWhile postdoctoral research (postdoc) training is a common step toward academic careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, the role of postdoc training in social sciences is less clear. An increasing number of social science PhDs are pursuing postdocs. This paper aims to identify factors associated with participation in postdoc training and examines the relationship between postdoc training and subsequent career outcomes, including attainment of tenure-track faculty positions and early career salaries.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates and Survey of Doctorate Recipients, this study applies propensity score matching, regression and decomposition analyses to identify the role of postdoc training on the employment outcomes of PhDs in the social science and STEM fields.FindingsResults from the regression analyses indicate that participation in postdoc training is associated with greater PhD research experience, higher departmental research ranking and departmental job placement norms. When the postdocs and non-postdocs groups are balanced on observable characteristics, postdoc training is associated with a higher likelihood of attaining tenure-track faculty positions 7 to 9 years after PhD completion. The salaries of social science tenure-track faculty with postdoc experience eventually surpass the salaries of non-postdoc PhDs, primarily via placement at institutions that offer relatively higher salaries. This pattern, however, does not apply to STEM PhDs.Originality/valueThis study leverages comprehensive, nationally representative data to investigate the role of postdoc training in the career outcomes of social sciences PhDs, in comparison to STEM PhDs. Research findings suggest that for social sciences PhDs interested in academic careers, postdoc training can contribute to the attainment of tenure-track faculty positions and toward earning relatively higher salaries over time. Research findings provide prospective and current PhDs with information helpful in career planning and decision-making. Academic institutions, administrators, faculty and stakeholders can apply these research findings toward developing programs and interventions to provide doctoral students with career guidance and greater career transparency.

Forensic science and gendered organizations: an exploratory study of crime scene examiners

ABSTRACT Crime scene examination is uniquely positioned at the nexus of policing and forensic science. Although women are under-represented in policing organizations and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, they are reportedly well-represented in certain forensic disciplines. As a forensic discipline located within policing organizations, crime scene examination offers an interesting case study for an exploration of gender in the organizational context. In this exploratory study, in-depth interviews were undertaken with five male and four female crime scene examiners (CSEs) from two Australian policing organizations. Participants provided insights on various aspects of their work. Gender differences were evident in nuanced ways in some of these aspects. Female CSEs reported the importance of rank in circumventing differential treatment by colleagues outside the crime scene team. The uptake of part-time and flexible work arrangements differed in ways that reflect broader social trends, with negative impacts on careers borne by women with caring responsibilities. The findings highlight the gendered nature of organizations. Although some important steps have been made, gender equity is yet to be achieved. The article contributes to understanding the complexity of CSEs’ role and the impacts of gendered organizations. It identifies areas in need of further research.

Preparation and Motivation of High School Students Who Want to Become Science or Mathematics Teachers

ABSTRACT Shortages of science and mathematics teachers are a serious concern in the United States. Despite the implementation of intervention strategies to address this problem at the high school level, little empirical research had been conducted to inform and strengthen these initiatives. This retrospective cohort study used multinomial logistic regression models to predict students’ science and mathematics teaching career intentions at the end of high school. These intentions were most strongly associated with having had an interest in science and mathematics teaching already at the beginning of high school. Other significant predictors included middle school interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, high mathematics preparation, and a desire to work with, and help, others. Whereas students interested in science and mathematics teaching shared many motivational features with students interested in other teaching careers, their mathematics knowledge was significantly higher. This research counters blanket stereotypes about teacher ineptitude, while supporting a more positive view of teachers’ motivation to teach. Future interventions targeting high school students should focus on mentorship opportunities and purposeful teaching experiences that mirror the roles science and mathematics teachers play in school life. Such interventions highlight both the potential positive impacts teaching has on students and provide further subject matter exploration. Examples of such programs can range from formalized teaching assistant positions in science and mathematics classrooms to full university partnerships in which colleges of education and science, as well as local school boards/districts, work together to spark interest in science and mathematics teaching among high school students.

STEM stereotypes predict students\u2019 STEM career interest via self-efficacy and outcome expectations

BackgroundNurturing students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is a major goal of STEM education. Although the relationship between students’ stereotypical beliefs regarding STEM careers and their career interest can be reasonably hypothesized, research investigating the extent to which and how students’ STEM career interest is directly or indirectly influenced by their stereotypical beliefs is lacking. This study investigated how upper primary students’ stereotypical beliefs regarding STEM careers predicted their STEM self-efficacy and STEM career-related outcome expectations and how these constructs predicted their STEM career interest. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse quantitative survey data of 824 fourth- to sixth-grade students and test the hypothesized models.ResultsStudents’ stereotypical beliefs regarding STEM careers negatively predicted their self-efficacy in STEM activities and career-related outcome expectations. Additionally, the students’ self-efficacy in STEM activities and career-related outcome expectations in turn predicted their STEM career interest.ConclusionsThese results explain the potential indirect effect of STEM stereotypes on students’ career interest through self-efficacy and outcome expectations. The findings highlight the significant role of STEM stereotypes, self-efficacy in STEM activities, and career-related outcome expectations in students’ career development. The implications of this study for STEM education are also discussed.

‘I don’t Study Physics Anymore’: a Cross-Institutional Australian Study on Factors Impacting the Persistence of Undergraduate Science Students

University is a critical timepoint for students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career pathway. Gender differences in the persistence of STEM students have been established, with female students more at risk for attrition from this career pathway. While the persistence of undergraduate STEM students has been a focus in the international literature, Australian studies in this space are limited. This cross-institutional study at eight different Australian universities set out to investigate how student experiences of science identity, belonging, and discrimination, which are known to impact student attrition, were affecting the persistence of students at university and in the science career pipeline. Three hundred eighty-six students who had experienced at least 1 year of university completed a questionnaire investigating these factors. Findings showed that high levels of science identity and belonging were associated with increased persistence intentions of female-identifying science students. Additionally, this same effect was found for male-identifying students in the more ‘gender-balanced’ science disciplines. Students also reported experiences of gender discrimination. Female students commonly reported negative experiences relating to group work, whereas male students reported initiatives to recruit more women into STEM as discriminatory against men. These results highlight potential ‘at-risk’ groups for attrition in the STEM fields, and provide an insight into the male student perspective on the gender equity in STEM discussion.

Black, Hispanic employees are underrepresented in US science and engineering, Pew report finds

Black and Hispanic people are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in the US, and that is unlikely to change if current trends continue, according to a new report on diversity in science from the Pew Research Center . In an analysis of federal data, the Pew report shows that Hispanic people are the most underrepresented in STEM fields, making up just 8% of the STEM workforce but 17% of all US workers. Black employees hold 9% of STEM jobs yet represent 11% of all workers. Black workers are especially underrepresented in engineering, physical sciences, and life sciences, where they hold less than 6% of the jobs. Asian and White scientists are overrepresented in STEM jobs in relation to their percentages of the population, the analysis finds. The report also looked at the proportion of women in STEM careers. In physical sciences, the percentage of women rose

3. Careers in Classified Research Mathematics by David Saltman

3. Careers in Classified Research Mathematics by David Saltman

CREARE: A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience To Study the Responses of the Endangered Coral Acropora cervicornis to a Changing Environment.

There is mounting evidence to support that students who participate in scientific research experiences are more likely to continue on to advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To introduce more students to the benefits of research, we have drawn on an ongoing project aimed at understanding how the Caribbean staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis responds to environmental fluctuations to develop a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), entitled CREARE (Coral Response to Environment Authentic Research Experience). The main mode of instruction in CREARE is through topic modules, and course evaluation is achieved through writing assignments. Students in CREARE perform experiments in the laboratory to measure the abundance of photo-protective proteins in coral tissue from samples collected at different depths and at different times of the year and analyze environmental data using the R programming language. CREARE participants have contributed to the progress of the research project by generating novel data and making improvements to experimental protocols. Furthermore, pre- and post-course assessment of content knowledge revealed that students perform significantly better on a written exam after participating in CREARE, while also displaying appreciable shifts in attitudes towards science in student perception surveys. In addition, through qualitative analysis of focus group interviews, we gathered evidence to suggest that mediating variables that predict students’ persistence in science are bolstered through our application of the CURE modality. Overall, CREARE can serve as a model for developing more research-based courses that successfully engage students in scientific research.

Game—Logistics to the Rescue: An Elementary Introduction to Planning in Disaster Response Decision Environments

Logistics to the Rescue is a spreadsheet K–12 game designed as a platform to familiarize students with emergency logistics. In the game, students play the role of an emergency dispatcher, assigning locations to routes. The challenge presented is threefold. Students must serve as many locations as possible within a time-frame. Midroute, an additional set of locations whose requests may be inaccurate is revealed; these requests are termed unverified demand locations. Students must balance uncertainty and time while serving as many accurate locations as possible. Finally, they are interrupted to learn whether the unverified demand locations’ requests are accurate. The game serves as a pedagogical tool for simulating a postdisaster environment and it exposes the real-time implications of social media and the data it produces. It emphasizes the importance of social and ethical awareness in the field of emergency logistics by showcasing the consequences induced by civilians’ reliance on social media in times of crisis. In doing so, it highlights the expansive boundaries of engineering’s disciplines and content. It is our hope that Logistics to the Rescue will encourage students, especially girls, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by providing a distinctive narrative where engineering is viewed as creative/collaborative rather than technical/a-social.

Fostering spatial thinking skills for future citizens to support sustainable development

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) represent the consensus of the global community on the most important issues facing our planet. A major challenge is embedding the UNSDGs in primary and secondary education and providing the tools needed for students to explore and analyse data relevant to the UNSDGs. The Geospatial Semester is a secondary school class in the United States that is focused on mastering geospatial technologies and using them to examine key problems of student interest, including the UNSDGs. Research studies show that the extended use of geographic information systems augments student problem solving and spatial thinking skills, particularly for females. Spatial thinking skills are a key gateway to science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers and an avenue to addressing the UNSDGs.

Gender Factor in the Nuclear Industry

The aim of the work is to study the role of women managers in the nuclear industry. The article analyzes the documents of the United Nations (UN), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, the Rosatom State Corporation, the Rosatom Technical Academy, the Russian Foundation for the Support and Development of Women’s Initiatives “Association of Women of the Nuclear Industry”, the results of research by domestic and foreign scientists to improve gender balance in the nuclear field. Worldwide, the proportion of female specialists is less than a quarter of all specialists working in the nuclear sector. The article shows that the gender gap has significant implications for the future of nuclear energy in countries with the nuclear industry. These states need new generations of specialists to ensure the further safe and effective use of nuclear technologies for industrial, scientific and medical purposes. Attracting and retaining more women and their career growth in the nuclear industry is an important goal for a country with nuclear industry. The article examines the role of women holding high positions in leading large organizations in various spheres of modern society, analyzes the role of women and their place in scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical careers. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that it presents the results of the first conducted sociological research on the problems of gender equality among women managers, specialists in the nuclear industry of Russia. The study showed that women are overcoming the “glass ceiling” in an industry traditionally dominated by men, but not so fast as new challenges require. Gender inequality in the nuclear industry is particularly pronounced in comparison with other industries. The results of the sociological research show changes in the industry aimed at making the nuclear industry more open and attractive to women.

There from the Beginning: The Women of Los Alamos National Laboratory Supporting National and International Nuclear Security

<p>From the beginning of the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s, the women of what would become Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) worked in technical positions alongside their male counterparts, played a key role as computers, and worked in administrative jobs as secretaries, phone operators, bookkeepers, and on behalf of the U.S. Army in the Women’s Army Corps.</p> <p>Throughout the history of the Laboratory, women experts at LANL helped establish and lead important national and international security programs, with careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Over time, the women of Los Alamos have come together under various Employee Resource Groups, such as the Atomic Women, to help the next generation succeed in their technical fields. The Laboratory’s commitment to diversity and inclusion continues to this day, with current Laboratory Director Thom Mason leading LANL as the first national laboratory to join the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy.</p>

Examining science performance of South African Grade 9 learners in TIMSS 2015 through a gender lens

It is widely acknowledged that understanding of science is key to becoming global citizens and to embrace technological advancements. Although research suggests that girl’s performance in science has improved over the years, there are still concerns about the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers in most African countries, including South Africa. Variability in science performance according to gender is still an unresolved issue. In this study we aimed to examine the relationship between gender and science item achievement of Grade 9 South African learners in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015. We used data collected by TIMSS 2015. The data were further analysed using International Database (IDB) analyser and t-test statistics. The results show that in general gender did not influence learner achievement in most of the test items. However, the findings indicate that girls performed better than boys in most of the questions in all 4 content domains and in the knowing and reasoning cognitive domains. The study highlighted that gender had a limited effect in the manner in which the girls and boys answered the different test items. The observed gender differences in the content domains could be related to socio-cultural environments and learning experiences.

Desajuste ocupacional de los egresados universitarios:

El objetivo de esta investigación es explicar el desajuste ocupacional de los recién egresados universitarios de carreras de Ciencias, Ingeniería, Matemáticas y Tecnología (CIMTEC) mediante el uso de la Encuesta Nacional de Egresados Universitarios y Universidades 2014. Teniendo en cuenta el grado de severidad, se distinguieron dos tipos de desajuste: desajuste leve y desajuste grave. En términos generales, el desajuste ocupacional llegó a representar al 60.7 por ciento de los recién egresados universitarios, siendo mayor en los trabajadores CIMTEC. Sin embargo, la mayor parte de ellos se encontraba en desajuste leve, a diferencia de los egresados no CIMTEC donde sucede el fenómeno contrario. Para evaluar los determinantes del desajuste se utilizó un modelo Logit Ordinal Generalizado Parcial (LOGP). Se determinó que las características de la familia y las condiciones en que fue recibida la Educación Superior inciden significativamente en la probabilidad de encontrarse en desajuste ocupacional.