Science, Technology And Mathematics Research Articles

Increasing accessibility to biomechanics for Black students with early exposure through NBD

From the perspective of a Black woman in the biomechanics field, it is my observation that many Black biomechanists are exposed to the field of biomechanics late into their academic careers. STEM (science, technology, and mathematics) is such a broad/encompassing field, yet students are only typically given a narrow introduction to biology and chemistry prior to college. These basic science courses are not enough to continue recruiting and building a pathway for future scientists to pursue STEM careers in the interdisciplinary field of biomechanics. Outreach programs, like National Biomechanics Day (NBD), can expose students to biomechanics earlier than the usual undergraduate exposure for those majoring in health/exercise science, kinesiology, or biomedical/mechanical engineering. NBD has increased accessibility to biomechanics, which has led to increases in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the biomechanics community, particularly for young Black students. Outreach programs like NBD are crucial to reaching, engaging, and recruiting future young Black biomechanists, and others from underrepresented communities, within the US and beyond.

Implementation of Photovoltaic Academic Service Learning at School and Its Impact on Student Schools and Student Facilitators

This paper presents the implementation of academic service learning (ASL) and its impact on secondary school students as the community and the university undergraduate students who act as facilitators. The facilitators are the final year students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering undertaking a photovoltaic technology course at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The ASL aims to transfer the knowledge of photovoltaic technology to the school student from the university's students and increase their interest in pursuing tertiary study in the science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) stream. At the same time, it will benefit the facilitators by enriching their communication skills, personality, and academics. The objective achievement of the activity is measured qualitatively through a set of questionnaires after the activity. It was found that ASL has positively impacted the school student's knowledge of photovoltaic technology. To measure the impact on the facilitator, questionnaires were given to them after a year of graduation. The majority of them agreed that ASL improved their communication skills and personality. However, most facilitators agreed that ASL has minimum impact on enhancing their knowledge of photovoltaics.

Investigating Digital Distraction among Pre-service Science, Technology, and Mathematics Teachers in Nigeria

Internationally, proliferation of digital technologies in classrooms has produced digital distractions among digital natives in this 21st century. Thus, it is highly imperative to develop a suitable instrument for assessing and measuring digital distraction among higher education students to enable continuing research and practice. While previous studies had treated and measured digital distraction as a sub-component of a multi-dimensional construct and as a test, the present study through instrumentation survey research, developed and authenticated a standalone digital distraction scale among pre-service science, technology and mathematics (STM) teachers in Nigeria. The instrument is constructed by adopting a multidimensional standpoint of digital distraction around a higher-order modelling method. The pre-service STM teachers were recruited from a culturally varied university student population in Nigeria. The results showed a high level of digital distraction among the pre-service STM teachers in Nigeria and the digital distraction is composed of several connected yet distinctive factors (emotional distraction, digital addiction, and distraction by procrastination), with proof backing up a higher-order structural archetypal. More so, empirical evidence confirmed the measurement invariance of the scale with regards to gender and the consistency of the psychometric properties of the digital distraction scale. Finally, a test-retest reliability of the digital distraction scale showed that the scores are not variable over time and that the scale is not sensitive to alterations in the learning milieu. Finally, it is hoped that this tool will be handy for educators interested in isolating pre-service STM teachers at risk of high digital distraction which may cause lack of respect and privation of courtesy for instructors and personal distraction in the classroom.

Module Development for STEM Education Achievement: A Case Study at the Secondary School Level

STEM Education through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025 (PPPM 2013–2025) is an important agenda in the transformation of education to prepare the younger generation for the challenges of the 21st century. Over the years, STEM was carried out, but there are still some issues which contribute towards the failure in achieving a policy percentage set of 60% science and 40% literary studies in secondary schools. The target to increase the number of Science students was not achieved. Therefore, this study was conducted to produce a STEM@IDEAS module as an alternative to increase students’ interest and understanding in solving the synopsis of learning in science, technology and mathematics (STEM). The module STEM@IDEAS focuses in competition design and generating prototype products through a variety of synopsis statements. STEM practices provide students with various trainings such as application of knowledge, skills and assessment to solve synopsis. This study has five (5) STEM practice steps and a total of three (3) modules which will be applied using the STEM elements. Furthermore, the STEM@IDEAS module was tested on several groups of four secondary school students around Pasir Gudang, Johor. A questionnaire was used to evaluate if STEM@IDEAS modules are in line with STEM and its impact on students. This survey uses a Likert scale of 0 to 4 to evaluate starting from 0 (strongly disagree) up to 4 (strongly agree) for each question submitted in each section. The STEM@IDEAS module and the above study are expected to be a source of interest and an alternative way for schools to support the nation’s education policy in strengthening the education development plans towards the nation’s progress.

Attitudes toward Computer, Computer Anxiety and Gender as determinants of Pre-service Science, Technology and Mathematics Teachers’ Computer Self-efficacy

The study investigated attitudes towards computer and computer anxiety as determinants of computer self-efficacy among 2100 pre-service science, technology and mathematics (STM) teachers from the University of Lagos of Nigeria using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of the descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of percentages, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics of independent samples t-test, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Finding revealed significant correlations between computer attitudes, computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy. Gender differences in attitude toward computer, computer self-efficacy and computer anxiety among pre-service STM teachers were significant. Affective component, perceived control component, and perceived usefulness component, behavioural intention component, gender, and computer anxiety made statistically significant contributions to the variance in pre-service STM teachers’ computer self-efficacy. The study recommended among others that academic institutions should pay more attention to this computer anxiety and adopt proper ways of reducing the computer anxiety, so that positive e-learning experiences can be created for pre-service STM teachers.

Instilling Low Carbon Awareness through Technology-Enhanced Cooperative Problem Based Learning

Cooperative Problem-Based Learning (CPBL) is a highly Student-Centred Learning (SCL) method for students to develop self-directed learning skills. Previous studies show that CPBL succeeded in instilling environ-mental awareness, deep learning in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) and 21st century skills among students. In this study, digital tech-nologies were utilised to form learning communities during the planning and implementation of CPBL: Low Carbon Society program in two sec-ondary schools in the Iskandar Region in Malaysia. CPBL requires the stu-dents and the facilitators to be proactive and sensible in seeking knowledge and information needed to solve the problem. Google search engine were predominantly used by the CPBL students to search for information, while WhatsApp and Telegram were primarily used to communicate and form learning support communities during the CPBL learning process. CPBL provides early exposure for the students to use software programs in plan-ning and delivering their findings. Students’ reflective journals and obser-vation reports were collected and analysed to identify low carbon aware-ness developed through CPBL. It is found that students’ active involve-ment in understanding the issues and the external motivation and pressure given enabled them to embrace the concept and awareness. The findings of this study indicate that technology assists and provides much needed support in the learning environment to develop low carbon awareness among the students.

Gendered Motivations to Pursue Male-Dominated STEM Careers Among Spanish Young People: A Qualitative Study

The present study examined gender differences in the motivations leading young people to pursue highly male-dominated Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers. Seventeen young people, either enrolled in university studies or working in the private STEM sector, were interviewed. Drawing on the factors influencing teaching–choice theory, the results suggest certain similarities and differences between male and female participants. Male participants’ intrinsic values associated the decision to follow STEM studies with specific objects that had attracted them since childhood, while women’s interests revolved around the techniques and processes associated with their specific STEM field. Whereas women emphasized the extent to which their career decisions were based on teachers’ encouragement, men emphasized the role of family tradition and mass media. Social utility values associated with the STEM field were important for women, whereas men stressed attainment of personal values. There were no gender differences in the task return–related values associated with choosing an STEM career.

<p>Flexible and Job-Embedded Professional Development for In-Service Technology, Design, and Engineering Educators</p>

Technology, design, and engineering (TDE) education teachers have less access to quality professional development than other Science, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) educators. To address this need, the Transforming Teaching through Implementing Inquiry (T2I2) project created an online professional development system for TDE secondary educators. The online professional learning experiences, defined by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), reinforce and introduce instructional practices that promote student learning. For this study, two groups of teachers, selected from five states (Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia), completed the T2I2 curricular units and submitted artifacts/evidence of practice. Analysis of the artifacts, using the non-parametric Wilcoxon-signed-ranks Test, provides evidence that the teachers within the pilot studies demonstrated proficient abilities to manage, monitor, and adjust learning environments; contribute to a learning community; and increase their self-assessment following the completion of the curriculum. These results led the authors to suggest further use of the learning platform with in-service teachers in related STEM disciplines that face comparable pedagogical challenges.

The educational and careeriInterest scale (Science-Tecnology-Matematics): Validity and reliability study

<p>The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric features of Educational and Career Interest Scale (ECIS) developed by Oh et al. (2013) in order to assess the high school student's own interests in the fields of Science, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) on Turkish sample. The scale consists of three sub dimensions called Science career interest (SCI), Technology career interest (TCI) and Mathematics career interest (MCI) as well as 9 items. The sample of the study comprises of 588 students who study at three different high schools. The studies of internal consistency, item and factor analysis and criterion cohesion validity were performed to examine the psychometric features of the scale. The values obtained from the internal consistency analyses of the scale was .89 for SCI sub dimension; .81 for TCI sub dimension; .88 for MCI sub dimension and .87 in total, and it was shown that the scale has sufficient reliability levels. The results of item discrimination and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original three-factor structure of the scale is suitable for Turkish sample. So, it is thought that the scale is a valid and reliable tool to be used for determining the educational and career interest levels for Turkish sample group.</p>

Dynamics of Teaching Science Education in a Changing Environment

During the past few decades, resources have been allocated in many parts of the world for developing curricula in school science, which were directed to the need for more scientists that can promote national development. In the light of this, many developing country has emphasized the education of its citizens in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM). This mode was reflected in the Nigerian National Policy on Education when it recommended an enrolment ratio of 60:40 in favour of STM and related courses in higher institution of learning (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004). This guideline became necessary in order to boost our manpower development and researches in these professions. The role of STM in the development of a nation cannot be over emphasized as it is very important in solving a country’s problem. STM is the base for the overall development of a nation, the instrument for the orderly and ethical behaviour of it citizens.

Outlook on teaching school science for sustainable development

During the past few decades, resources have been allocated in many parts of the world for developing curricula in school science, which were directed to the need for more scientists that can promote national development. In the light of this, many developing country has emphasized the education of its citizens in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM). This mode was reflected in the Nigerian National Policy on Education when it recommended an enrolment ratio of 60:40 in favour of STM and related courses in higher institution of learning (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004). This guideline became necessary in order to boost our manpower development and researches in these professions. The role of STM in the development of a nation cannot be over emphasized as it is very important in solving a country’s problem. STM is the base for the overall development of a nation, the instrument for the orderly and ethical behaviour of it citizens

Effective Use of Teaching Methodologies in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Classrooms in Nigeria: A Panacea to Vision 20:2020

Effective Use of Teaching Methodologies in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Classrooms in Nigeria: A Panacea to Vision 20:2020

Strategies for Bridgering Gender Gap in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Education for National Development

This paper discusses the importance of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) education to national development. The role of women in STM education to national development was discussed. The State of female enrolment in STM in comparism to that of their male counter part was looked into in some Nigerian institutions. It revealed a low enrolment of females to that of males. It went ahead to discuss the barriers to female enrolments in STM education as well as the possible ways of over coming these barriers. Recommendations were made on how to promote females participation in STM and related courses amongs, which is the provision of adequate security in all institutions of learning, especially for the female students, to keep them safe from being kidnapped, abducted or sexually abused by evil men. As this will solve the problem of parents not sending their daughters to school for fear of them being harmed or losing them completely. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n7p61

Improving Science, Technology and Mathematics Students’ Achievement: Imperatives for Teacher Preparation in the Caribbean Colleges and Universities

The concerns of this article are the unacceptable status of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Education in the Caribbean and how to improve the students’ achievement in the subjects involved through the instrumentality of better preparation of teachers by the Colleges and University faculties training teachers in the region. The index for measuring development among nations of the world is the level of scientific and technological advancement because the factors that influence development are based on human ability to explore, invest and utilize the natural endowments available in the nation. In other words, no nation can attain any reasonable level of development without meeting the vital demands of development particularly in the areas of science, technology and mathematics. Therefore, the article begins with the presentation of the importance and the status of STM education using the mirror of science students’ achievement at global level. Moreover, it is established that the Caribbean education also has some challenges to deal with in the areas of science, technology and mathematics education. The tertiary institutions, particularly the colleges training teachers and the universities are then challenged with suggestions of what they can or should do in teacher preparation that may have direct impact on improving the science students’ achievement in the Caribbean. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n1p97

Improving Science, Technology and Mathematics Students’ Achievement: Imperatives for Teacher Preparation in the Caribbean Colleges and Universities

<p style="text-align:justify">The concerns of this article are the unacceptable status of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Education in the Caribbean and how to improve the students’ achievement in the subjects involved through the instrumentality of better preparation of teachers by the Colleges and University faculties training teachers in the region. The index for measuring development among nations of the world is the level of scientific and technological advancement because the factors that influence development are based on human ability to explore, invest and utilize the natural endowments available in the nation. In other words, no nation can attain any reasonable level of development without meeting the vital demands of development particularly in the areas of science, technology and mathematics. Therefore, the article begins with the presentation of the importance and the status of STM education using the mirror of science students’ achievement at global level. Moreover, it is established that the Caribbean education also has some challenges to deal with in the areas of science, technology and mathematics education. The tertiary institutions, particularly the colleges training teachers and the universities are then challenged with suggestions of what they can or should do in teacher preparation that may have direct impact on improving the science students’ achievement in the Caribbean.</p>

Factors Related to Under Achievement in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) in Secondary Schools in Rivers State, Nigeria

We report a research into factors related to underachievement in science, technology and mathematics (STM) education in schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study investigated 240 Nigerian secondary school students, 100 parents’, 140 STM teachers and 20 government officials from Port Harcourt Metropolis. Five (5) research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. Separate questionnaires were used to collate data from the respondents. Frequencies, percentages, bar chart, mean, standard deviation, variance and analysis of variance were used to answer the research questions and to analysis the result from the hypothesis. The result revealed that most teachers teaching STM related subject are not qualified. They are either higher national diploma (HND) holders or engineers. The result also revealed that students’ have a negative attitude towards STM related subject, parents are too-busy to look into students school work at home and above all there is inadequate funding and a significant difference in the influence of the stakeholders on students’ performance in STM related subjects. Recommendations were made based on these findings.

What do we know about explanations for drop out/opt out among young people from STM higher education programmes?

In this paper we provide an overview of the literature on understandings of drop out/opt out from science, technology and mathematics (STM) higher education programmes. After outlining the literature on students leaving higher education programmes in general, we then explore the research on drop out/opt out from STM programmes in particular, with an emphasis on research since 2000. We show that most of the research focuses on overcoming deficits in students' prior knowledge, but that a more specific focus on identities as an analytical framework for understanding young people leaving STM higher education programmes is also emerging. We show that it is important to shift from considering drop out as an individual problem for the student to regard it as a feature of the relationship between students and their study programmes. In the same way, measures to increase retention rates must shift from focusing on individual student adaptation to studies addressing institutional change. However, this change is difficult since it is entwined with fundamental conceptions of science and teaching.

Female Participation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Education in Nigeria and National Development

Over the past two decades, women limited participation in science, technology and mathematics (STM) courses in tertiary institutions has been a cause for concern in Nigeria. Women today, constitute over half of the world's population. This paper therefore, discusses the present situation of female participation in STM, some of the factors that tend to hinder females' participation in STM, vis-a-vis the effects of this limited participation on national development. The paper recommended some of the ways to overcome the barriers to female participation in STM.