Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics Students Research Articles

The link between career outcomes expectancy and career decision-making self-efficacy of STEM students in a South African university

The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), one of the highly researched career theories, suggested that outcomes expectance and self-efficacy are crucial factors in the career selection process. The result of career outcomes expectancy (COE) and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) may be pivotal in an individual’s shunning or being more inspired in their career behaviour. Both factors together are important in career decision-making. The aim of this study was to investigate the association among COE and CDSE of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students at a South African university. The article is based on a quantitative study conducted among a sample of 322 STEM students, of which 203 responses were received. The career outcomes expectancy scale (COES) and career decision self-efficacy scale (CDSES) were used in the collection of data. Data were analysed with the IBM SPSS version 26 software and descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, linear regression and multivariate analytical tools were engaged. Findings show that age and race significantly associated with CDSE. Additionally, COE was found to have a statistically significant relationship with CDSE and that CDSE positively predicted COE. The environment of upbringing was also found to be influential in participants’ CDSE and COE. In line with extant literature, the discussion of the findings is made to proffer recommendations that have implications for practice, policy and further studies.

Accuracy development in L2 writing: Exploring the potential of computer-assisted unfocused indirect corrective feedback in an online EFL course

AbstractIn a previous study (Sarré, Grosbois & Brudermann, 2019), we explored the effects of various corrective feedback (CF) strategies on interlanguage development for the online component of a blended English as a foreign language (EFL) course we had designed and implemented. Our results showed that unfocused indirect CF (feedback on all error types through the provision of metalinguistic comments on the nature of the errors made) combined with extra computer-mediated micro-tasks was the most efficient CF type to foster writing accuracy development in our context. Following up on this study, this paper further explores the effects of this specific CF type on learners’ written accuracy development in an online EFL course designed for freshmen STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students. In the online course under study, this specific CF type was experimented with different cohorts of STEM learners (N= 1,150) over a five-year period (from 2014 to 2019) and was computer-assisted: CF provision online by a human tutor was combined with predetermined CF comments. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of this specific CF strategy on error types. In this respect, the data yield encouraging results in terms of writing accuracy development when learners benefit from this computer-assisted specific CF. This study thus helps to gain a better understanding of the role that CF plays in shaping students’ revision processes and could inform language (teacher) education regarding the use of digital tools for the development of foreign language accuracy and the issues related to online CF provision.

Analysis of University STEM Students’ Mathematical, Linguistic, Rhetorical–Organizational Assignment Errors

Although Error Analysis (EA) has been broadly used in Foreign Language and Mother Tongue learning contexts, it has not been applied in the field of engineering and by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students in a systematic way. In this interdisciplinary pilot study, we applied the EA methodology to a wide corpus of exercises and essays written by third-year students of mechanical engineering, with the main purpose of achieving a precise diagnosis of the students’ strengths and weaknesses in writing skills. For the analysis to be as exhaustive as possible, the errors were typologized into three main categories (linguistic, mathematical, and rhetorical–organizational), each of which is, in turn, subdivided into 15 items. The results show that the predominant errors are rhetorical–organizational (39%) and linguistic (38%). The application of EA permits the precise identification of the areas of improvement and the subsequent implementation of an educational design that allows STEM students to improve their communicative strategies, especially those related to the writing skills and, more precisely, those having to do with the optimal use of syntax, punctuation, rhetorical structure of the text, and mathematical coherence.

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

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

Accept and Apply Diversity? An Exploratory Study of the Attitudes towards Diversity of Students of STEM Subjects

German universities are obligated to guarantee a fair learning-environment for students with diverse features. They also must prepare students for a highly diverse working environment. This means to develop awareness for diversity and to train intercultural competence. The present study takes an exploratory look at the extent to which diversity awareness is established among Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students and which barriers for the academic success students with a migration background perceive. To counteract discrepancies between the current state and the need for diversity awareness at universities, it identifies areas with room for improvement regarding the dealing with cultural diversity. Structured interviews with 31 STEM students were carried out and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The interviews revealed differences in the awareness of diversity between students with and without a migration background. Results showed that there are barriers for STEM students with migration backgrounds which potentially reduce their academic success. Those barriers result from a lack of acceptance of cultural diversity and insufficient social integration and were especially apparent in insufficient language skills, orientation difficulties and a lower degree of social integration. On the other hand, there is a need for both students with and without a migration background to promote competence and raise awareness for diversity. Furthermore, the role of social support as a resource became apparent.

Study of the Entrepreneurial Attitudes of STEM Students

The Entrepreneurial Promotion Programs in Higher Education carry out training activities with the aim of promoting the entrepreneurial spirit among university students. These programs promote skills such as innovation and creativity which improve self-employment among young people, but do not usually modify the entrepreneurial attitude. This work presents the entrepreneurial profile of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students at the University of Jaen (Spain). The study focuses on the results of the self-diagnostic survey of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the DG for Industry and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise. The results have been analysed according to gender, age and Bachelor’s Degree specialty. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and the Pearson’ s correlation test was used for factor analysis and correlations. The results indicate that students have high entrepreneurial attitudes, although there are no significant differences in age and gender. On the other hand, statistically differences have been found based on the engineering expertise area. Students of the specialty in Industrial Electronics Engineering have higher attitudes regarding creativity and innovation that are key for entrepreneurship.

STEM faculty members and their perceptions of mentoring: “I do not want to be a role model”

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to explore the perceptions of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) faculty members toward mentoring undergraduates.Design/methodology/approachWithin the context of a student scholarship and faculty development project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), STEM faculty members were interviewed at a small teaching-focused university in South Texas, United States. This research study utilized a qualitative case study approach based on semi-structured interviews with nine Mathematics and Computer Science faculty members. Transcripts were coded thematically, beginning with open coding and continuing with repeated rounds of comparison leading to the identification of four themes.FindingsFour themes were identified in the data: describing settings where mentoring occurs, identifying the tasks of mentoring, developing skills for mentoring others and inhabiting the identity of a mentor. These findings suggest that increasing faculty engagement and effectiveness in mentoring STEM students may be a matter of broadening the definition of mentoring and helping faculty members develop the identity of a mentor.Practical implicationsIn an effort to promote retention of students, specifically within STEM fields, many initiatives highlight the importance of faculty mentoring for undergraduate students. This research suggests that faculty members' perceptions of the role and structure of a mentoring relationship will shape this relationship and have an impact on student persistence and success.Originality/valueWhile most studies of faculty–student mentoring focus on the experiences of students, this study explored faculty members' perceptions of that relationship.

Comparison of pre-intervention IDI results from STEM and non-STEM undergraduate students

The emphasis on intercultural competence is more prevalent in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors as the world shifts towards a more globalized economy. When entering higher education, students have differing levels of cultural interaction due to varying peer interaction, family experiences, international travel, and social media experiences. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) has been used to develop an understanding of how students view others and the level of skills they have to interact and adapt to other cultures. Using published data focused on pre-intervention assessment, researchers compared it to data obtained from STEM students preparing for an international experience and studies that already exist to learn more about both student populations and to gain an appreciation of their cultural competencies. As institutions look to prepare their students for jobs in a global workplace, an understanding of where STEM students place according to the IDI in comparison to their non-STEM peers may aid educators wishing to focus on developing these skills in their students. The results of the comparison between Purdue STEM students and other non-STEM students showed STEM students fell into more ethnocentric levels of intercultural competence. This may be explained by the traditionally male-dominated nature of STEM majors, as males have been shown to fall in more ethnocentric orientations.

Students' Attitudes toward the Application of Mobile Augmented Reality in Higher Education

Virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have emerged from the framework of academic and industrial laboratories and have acquired global attention. Currently, the focus shifted from the technologies themselves to finding adequate teaching and learning applications. In this paper, the students' attitudes toward the application of mobile AR (MAR) in higher education (HE) were researched (with a focus on augmented textbooks). The results showed that the students have a mostly positive attitude, and it is concluded that there was no statistically significant difference between the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and non-STEM students' opinions regarding this topic. Based on the results, the further research and integration of this technology into HE settings can be suggested.

Rewiring the STEM pipeline - a C-B-E framework to female retention

PurposeFemales are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), both in the workforce and in universities. Low self-efficacy and limited access to role models are key factors preventing retention of female STEM students enrolled in university degrees. This paper aims to report on one social marketing pilot programme that was co-designed to increase self-efficacy in females currently enrolled in STEM programmes.Design/methodology/approachThe Co-create, Build and Engage (C-B-E) framework was applied. Process and outcome evaluations were conducted using a repeated measure design to assess pilot programme effectiveness.FindingsA significant increase in self-efficacy and high satisfaction rates were observed for STEM students that attended the bias literacy workshop. Social advertisements raised awareness for available STEM specific university services.Originality/valueThis paper outlines the application of the C-B-E framework. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study delivers the first scientific paper reporting an outcome evaluation for a social marketing programme seeking to retain women enrolled in university STEM degrees.

Solo, Paired, Group: A Phenomenological Dimension on the Learning Situations of STEM Students in Pre-Calculus

Mathematics learning is one of the main goals of teaching Mathematics. Many researches have look on ways and different perspectives to improve mathematics’ achievement. Among these is considering how students learn inside the class which was categorized into grouped, paired, and solo learning. These variables will be extensively discussed and research will be exhausted to provide better understanding of the research problem. This study aimed to explore the phenomenological dimensions on the learning situations of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students in Pre-Calculus. Qualitative design specifically a phenomenological study was utilized in the study. Purposive sampling methodology was used and the criteria of selecting participants are one mathematically inclined, average and low performing students per section. Moreover, audio recordings of the structured interview and focus group discussions were utilized as basis in thematic analysis of the study. Self, paired and group study revealed as the learning situations and strategies of grade 11 STEM students in Pre-Calculus. The practices of STEM students in learning Pre-Calculus are use of online resources, review lectures, study with friend, paired with intelligent student or low performing student, and listen, share and facilitate group study. The themes emerged on the experiences of STEM students in studying Pre-Calculus are lack of comprehension, clarified solutions and inability to raise queries for low performing students; learn alternative solutions, interchange ideas and raise questions for average students; and share ideas and facilitate teaching and learning for mathematically inclined students. The study is limited on the after-class learning extension activities of the participants of the study on three learning strategies in which it ensured diverse learning strategy that could possibly lead to different learning successes of students.

International entrepreneurship education: Barriers versus support mechanisms to STEM students

Previous research on entrepreneurship education (EE), specifically directed to students from the science and technology fields, has been very sparse. This research aims to analyse how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) develop EE programmes, as well as discussing how the barriers to EE are perceived by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students. The paper is based on an international training project, SCIENT, aiming to foster young scientists’ entrepreneurial spirit having its focus on the lean start-up approach. The data were collected by questionnaires directed to STEM students in some European countries. The results show that HEIs carry out several types of activities and in different ways to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit among STEM graduates and students. As barriers to business creation, the difficulty in obtaining financial support associated with high patent costs was highlighted. Government and private investors should develop financial support instruments to help these potential entrepreneurs.

Gender stereotypes and incremental beliefs in STEM and non-STEM students in three countries: relationships with performance in cognitive tasks.

Women's underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has been linked, among others, to gender stereotypes and ability-related beliefs as well as gender differences in specific cognitive abilities. However, the bulk of studies focused on gender stereotypes related to mathematics. The present study, therefore, aimed to map gender stereotypes and incremental beliefs (i.e., the conviction about modifiability) with respect to a wide range of stereotypical male-favouring and female-favouring abilities. Gender stereotypes and incremental beliefs were assessed with self-report questionnaires in 132 STEM students (65 women) and 124 non-STEM students (73 women) in three European countries ranked in the top, middle, and bottom of the Global Gender Gap Report. Moreover, a mental rotation and a verbal fluency test were completed. Men endorsed male-favouring stereotypes more than women, and women endorsed female-favouring stereotypes more than men, an effect that was most pronounced in the country with the larger gender gap. Male STEM students endorsed male-favouring stereotypes more strongly than male non-STEM and female STEM students. Male non-STEM students endorsed female-favouring stereotypes less than female and male STEM students. Female STEM students reported higher incremental beliefs than female non-STEM students, especially in the country with the lowest gender gap. Men outperformed women, and STEM students outperformed non-STEM in mental rotation, while women outperformed men in verbal fluency. Male STEM students' stronger endorsement of male-favouring stereotypes might reflect genuine group differences, at least in mental rotation. While potentially such gender stereotypes can help creating a "chilly climate" where women in academic STEM degrees are expected to perform poorly, those women believed more in the possibility to change and improve in male-favouring abilities which could help them to overcome the potential negative effect of stereotyping.

Pedagogies for employability: understanding the needs of STEM students through a new approach to employability development

ABSTRACT Labour market trends and the economic impacts of COVID-19 are elevating the importance of knowledge as a factor of production whilst concurrently eroding traditional forms of employment. Mindful of the implications for higher education, this study approached employability development as ‘the ability to find, create and sustain meaningful work across the career lifespan’. The study was grounded in social cognitive theory and adopted a metacognitive approach to employability. Data were generated through an online self-assessment completed by 12,576 students enrolled with Australian universities. Data from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students were compared with those from students in non-STEM fields. STEM students differed in several key employability traits. The paper highlights the need to promote more nuanced occupational literacy about the future of work alongside awareness that STEM skills and capabilities are valued across multiple sectors and roles. Opportunities and challenges for embedding a pedagogy for employability are discussed.

Exploring the relationship between implicit and explicit gender-STEM bias and behavior among STEM students using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure

The current study aimed to explore the relationship between implicit and explicit gender bias in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and selection behavior among seventy STEM students. The selection behavior focused on gendered beliefs about STEM ability by assessing via a selection task how often participants chose a male or a female as the better performer on a number of STEM-related tasks. Participants then completed an Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) and rating scales to assess implicit and explicit bias respectively. Men and women STEM students exhibited a statistically significant, large implicit pro-Men-STEM bias while women also demonstrated a significant pro-Women-STEM bias. Explicitly, both groups demonstrated a Male-STEM/Female-Arts bias. While selection task scores were not significantly biased, they did correlate with implicit scores on the Men-STEM IRAP trial-type. The results highlighted the subtle nuances that can be revealed by assessing both implicit and explicit gender-STEM biases, particularly when utilizing a measure such as the IRAP. Limitations and future research directions are addressed.

STEM and gender at university: focusing on Irish undergraduate female students’ perceptions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify whether or not females believe they associate with the culture of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by investigating the perceptions of female students currently enroled in STEM courses.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents data from a survey on female STEM students’ “Perspectives of women in STEM”, “Parents’ Science qualification”, “Supports in their STEM Course” and their “Science identify” through a social capital lens. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyse the data.FindingsThe main findings were that female STEM undergraduates believe social bias, balancing work and family life and lack of role models are the main cause of less women in STEM professions and leadership positions. There were statistically significant differences between how male and female students identified with certain traits, with less females claiming to be intelligent and know about latest discoveries than males.Research limitations/implicationsTo eradicate stereotypical views of scientists, it is recommended that Irish higher-education institutions introduce initiatives to increase the socialisation of STEM females within female networks and develop female students’ self-awareness of their own capabilities. The expansion of STEM networks could act as a means to facilitate female students adopting positive science identities, increasing their science capital.Originality/valueIn Ireland, there is a paucity of literature relating to females’ experience of STEM in higher education. This paper provides evidence that despite their engagement with STEM, female undergraduate students subscribe to the stereotypical image of the scientist. This study highlights the need to change the culture experienced by female STEM undergraduates in Ireland so as to improve the experiences and trajectories of women in higher education.

Student perceptions of effective lecturers: the need to recognise the role of ethnicity and choice of discipline

ABSTRACTUniversity student perceptions of effective teaching have been explored in previous studies, however, research is lacking regarding how perceptions of teaching efficacy vary by ethnicity and programme of study. In this study, student perceptions of effective teaching are explored between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and non-STEM major students of four ethnic groups: Europeans, Asians, Māori, and Pasifika. The study sample comprised 2073 students from a New Zealand university who completed a survey in 2016. Firstly, the findings indicated that non-STEM major students were more likely to report culturally knowledgeable as an important characteristic compared to STEM major students. Secondly, the distribution referring to content knowledgeable, creative, culturally knowledgeable, and passionate as characteristics of effective teaching was different between the four ethnic groups. In detail, Europeans and Māori were more likely to refer to content knowledgeable than Pasifika students, while Pasifika students were more likely to refer to culturally knowledgeable compared to Europeans. Furthermore, the highest percentage of referring to creative as a characteristic of effective teaching was for Asians, and the highest percentage of referring to passionate was for Māori students. The findings imply that lecturers should be well informed about these differences to be able to improve the quality of their teaching and student learning.

Study-related behavior patterns of medical students compared to students of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM): a three-year longitudinal study

BackgroundMedical education is perceived as demanding and stressful. Whether this is particularly pronounced in this course of study remains under debate.MethodsWe used the questionnaire “Work-Related Behavior and Experience Patterns (Arbeitsbezogene Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster (AVEM))” to assess the development of study-related behavior and experience patterns in medical (n = 584) and STEM students (n = 757) at one German university, with a special emphasis on gender differences, over 3 years of study. Students were surveyed at the beginning of their studies (t0) and again in each consecutive summer semester (t1-t3). Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were generated and analyzed. Results in the abstract are from the cross-sectional analysis.ResultsFreshman medical students presented with a larger proportion of students with a healthy pattern (58.1%) than STEM students (42.5%). In both groups this proportion decreased to 33.8%/25.1% at t2, with only a minor improvement at t3 (38.1/27.0%). Correspondingly, the proportion of students with a burnout-related risk pattern increased from 8.0% (Med)/13.7% (STEM) to a maximum of 16.9% at t2 in medical students and 27.0% at t3 in STEM students. In both groups female students showed a more unfavorable distribution of patterns and a higher vulnerability, especially in the area of resistance toward stress.ConclusionsThe unfavorable development of behavior and experience patterns in both student groups demonstrates increasing study related stress and emphasizes the need for prevention and health promotion on an individual and a contextual level.

The Impacts of Gender and Subject on Experience of Competence and Autonomy in STEM.

In most societies, women are less likely to choose a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related study program than men. This problem persists despite numerous initiatives aimed at fostering the uptake of STEM subjects by women, who represent an underutilized source of talent in a time of great need for STEM professionals. Many reasons for women’s avoidance of the path into STEM-related areas have been discussed, including weaker mathematical skills, implicit gender stereotypes or structural deficits in school education. One variable which is presumably at the core of decisions regarding a specific study subject is motivation. We aim to look in greater depth at the basis for motivation by referring to self-determination theory (SDT). Here, we specifically focus on the needs for competence and autonomy which represent pivotal sources of motivation, effective performance and psychological well-being and are assumed to be positively correlated with academic achievement and perseverance. In line with previous SDT research, we assume that self-perceptions during STEM studies contribute to experiences of competence and autonomy and may be responsible for gender disparities. To examine whether and how a sex-specific perception of autonomy and competence influences decisions regarding STEM subjects, we conducted a survey study of Master’s students (N = 888; 461 female, 427 male), who were enrolled either in STEM or non-STEM subjects, and asked about students’ motivations, perceived competence (e.g., self-efficacy) and autonomy (e.g., volitional decision for a study major). The results revealed several main effects of study major and only a small number of interaction effects of sex and subject. For example, non-STEM students were more likely to enroll due to their stronger interest in their subject, signifying higher autonomy, while STEM students were more likely to select their subject according to their families’ wishes. The comparison between female and male STEM students revealed that males perceived more self-efficacy and reported more leadership aspirations while female STEM students have lower perceptions of their own competence, especially regarding perceived future competences.

PROJECT SKEW (STUDENTS’ KNOW-HOW IN ACCESSING EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES): EFFECTS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PRECALCULUS

This action research aimed to test the effectiveness of Project SKEW (Students’ Know-how in accessing Educational Websites) in improving the academic performance of Ormoc City Senior High School Grade 11 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students in PreCalculus by allowing them to access or use the researcher’s own made educational website entitled CALCULUSBYNEPAYA powered by Weebly. The study utilized a mixed methods research design to determine whether there is a significant difference of the pre-test and post-test scores between the randomly selected STEM students who had access to the said educational website, and those who had no access. Specifically, this study aimed to know if there is an increase in the Mean Percentage Score (MPS) on Simplifying Trigonometric Expressions before and after giving the said intervention. To ensure that the control group will not be able access the site, it was programmed in such a way that it will automatically restrict students to log-in especially those who do not belong in the experimental group. A pre-test was administered to both groups to ensure that students from the experimental group were comparable to students from the control group. The reliability of 15-item multiple choice type of questionnaire was measured using the test-retest method, and undergone content validation from experts in the said subject matter. The collected data was treated using inferential statistics, specifically T-test of two samples assuming equal variances. The study revealed that there is a significant difference of the pre-test and post-test results which signifies that Project SKEW was effective. The result of the study was utilized in other subject matters and was disseminated to the school administration, faculty, and stakeholders, which will serve as a basis for adopting intervention programs towards improving student academic performance. Article visualizations: