STEM Education Research Articles

The Adventures of MouseGirl: An Undergraduate’s Perspective on her Data Visualization Project and the Need for STEAM in American Education

Abstract The author’s unique arts-science research experience involving data visualizations of complex mouse brain data leads her to recognize that education in America needs to adopt the increasingly popular STEAM education movement. This is a view that many others, both students and professors, increasingly share in the light of their own successes with learning and accessibility using STEAM methods. These successes also show the importance of incorporating the arts into STEM education. In this article, the author will discuss her data visualization in the context of advocating for the importance of STEAM education and collaborations in general.

STEM professional development of early childhood teachers

AbstractEarly childhood teachers are critical in promoting young children's STEM learning. However, research indicates that early childhood teachers are unfamiliar with STEM and do not have confidence in their abilities and skills to implement STEM education. Despite this issue, previous research has focused less on early childhood teachers' STEM professional development. This mixed‐method study investigated the effects of the STEM Professional Development Program (SPDP) on 12 early childhood teachers' attitudes toward STEM education, STEM practices, self‐efficacy, and instructional beliefs, which were used as pretest and posttest measures. The quantitative dimension of the study investigated the effects of the SPDP on early childhood teachers' attitudes and STEM practices, self‐efficacy, and instructional beliefs towards STEM education by using the pretest and posttest only, without a control group design. The qualitative dimension, participating teachers' experiences, perceptions about the SPDP, and thoughts about the SPDP's influence on their beliefs, self‐efficacy, and attitudes about STEM were explored using phenomenology design. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results showed that the SPDP positively affected teachers' self‐efficacy for STEM practices, attitudes toward STEM education, and instructional beliefs. Moreover, participating in the SPDP influenced teachers' perspectives on STEM education, supported their learning about STEM content, and increased their awareness of the importance of STEM in early childhood.

STEM Career as a Pathway: Stability and Dynamics of Students’ STEM Occupational Intention After High School

ABSTRACT This study leverages data from a nationally representative longitudinal survey of high school students to explore the stability and shifts in their STEM occupational intentions from high school (2012) to three years post-graduation (2016). Adopting the metaphor of STEM career as a pathway, we classified individuals into four categories — STEM intenders, STEM leavers, STEM newcomers, and non-STEM intenders — based on their occupational intentions reported in 2012 and 2016. Through multinomial logistic regression, we analyzed the factors influencing the stability or dynamics in students’ STEM occupational intentions. Our findings illuminate the bidirectional dynamics in students’ STEM career intentions post-high school, highlighting the influential role of math and science identity in sustaining these intentions. Additionally, interest in STEM majors at the onset of postsecondary education and experiences in STEM-related work were significant predictors of the continuity and emergence of STEM occupational intentions. The study advocates for a shift from the traditional leaky pipeline metaphor to a more nuanced pathways perspective, encouraging researchers, educators, and policymakers in STEM fields to adapt their practices, programs, and policies to support a more inclusive and supportive framework for diverse STEM career pathways.

BUILDING STEM TOPICS IN BLENDED LEARNING ABOUT ENERGY TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION

With the goal of education aimed at sustainable development as reflected in the 2018 General Education Program, schools in general and the subject of physics in particular need to educate students to raise awareness about energy issues and how to use energy efficiently, safely, and reasonably. Therefore, this report presents the research results on building the STEM topic “Energy” in blended learning, contributing to sustainable development education. The research results propose a process of blended learning stages and the development of teaching materials to support teachers in teaching STEM topics about energy, helping students develop competencies and the ability to cope with future challenges. Keywords: STEM education; energy; blended learning; sustainable development education.

Integrating online and offline teaching to promote creativity for STEM learners

This research extends previous findings by proposing an online and offline integrated teaching framework to enhance creativity for STEM learners. The framework integrates key elements from both modalities, featuring a combination of virtual and physical resources to support a comprehensive learning experience. The study introduces a "smart flowerpot" project as a practical application, detailing the instructional design, learning resources, and assessment strategies. It highlights the challenges in resource selection and the increased workload for teachers transitioning from traditional classroom settings. While the framework offers a promising approach, it acknowledges the need for empirical testing and consideration of external factors that may influence its effectiveness. The research advocates further exploration to validate the framework and its potential to transform STEM education.

A board game ludography analysis for Game-Based Learning in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science

Space exploration and astronomical objects are extensively used in modern board games. These games can be an entertaining way to present educational contents on Astrophysics-related topics, by acknowledging the importance and beauty of Space. However, careful consideration of mechanics, messages, and themes is required to achieve this goal. We present a classification system for the presence of Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Science in the 2000 most popular modern board games, where games are categorised according to their complexity and actual scientific contents. This initial mapping defines a potential Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science ludography, i.e. a set of board games for STEM educators to create learning activities about such topics, using easily attainable commercial products.

The Effects of Online Chemistry-Themed Design-Based STEM Education on Preservice Science Teachers’ STEM Awareness

The Effects of Online Chemistry-Themed Design-Based STEM Education on Preservice Science Teachers’ STEM Awareness

MEASURING GLOBALIZATION: ANALYZING INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION (IOHE) THROUGH STEM EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

The concepts of 'internationalization' and 'globalization' are closely intertwined, impacting both tangible and intangible aspects of higher education. Internationalization refers to the internal transformations that occur within an educational setting as a result of frequent cross-border interactions within a local governmental system. Currently, developing countries like Pakistan are adapting and shaping their higher education systems in response to the global knowledge economy but neglecting the introduction of STEM education in the areas of social sciences like mathematics, statistics, entrepreneurship, IT, and other courses that are considered the need of time may leads to lack social scientist’s ability to estimate & forecasting and critically evaluate the situations as these deficiencies lead to reduce the cognitive skill of the workforce. This qualitative study employed Wallenstein’s World System analysis framework to examine student mobility and educational policy aspects in Pakistan critically. The findings suggest that the internationalization of higher education may lead to unequal exchange of educational services between core and peripheral countries in the global system.

A Systematic Literature Review of Integrated STEM Education: Uncovering Consensus and Diversity in Principles and Characteristics

A Systematic Literature Review of Integrated STEM Education: Uncovering Consensus and Diversity in Principles and Characteristics

A Pilot Study from A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience for Online Degree-Seeking Astronomy Students

Research-based active learning approaches are critical for the teaching and learning of undergraduate STEM majors. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are becoming more commonplace in traditional, in-person academic environments, but have only just started to be utilized in online education. Online education has been shown to create accessible pathways to knowledge for individuals from nontraditional student backgrounds, and increasing the diversity of STEM fields has been identified as a priority for future generations of scientists and engineers. We developed and instructed a rigorous, six-week curriculum on the topic of observational astronomy, dedicated to educating second year online astronomy students in practices and techniques for astronomical research. Throughout the course, the students learned about telescopes, the atmosphere, filter systems, adaptive optics systems, astronomical catalogs, and image viewing/processing tools. We developed a survey informed by previous research validated assessments aimed to evaluate course feedback, course impact, student self-efficacy, student science identity and community values, and student sense of belonging. The survey was administered at the conclusion of the course to all eleven students yielding eight total responses. Although preliminary, the results of our analysis indicate that students’ confidence in utilizing the tools and skills taught in the course was significant. Students also felt a great sense of belonging to the astronomy community and increased confidence in conducting astronomical research in the future.

The Effectiveness of Online vs. Traditional STEM Education Methods for Preschool Children Aged 5-6 years in China

This study explores the effectiveness of online vs. traditional STEM education methods for preschool children aged 5-6 years in China. Through qualitative interviews with educators, this study compares how these methods affect children's engagement and learning outcomes. The findings suggest that traditional hands-on approaches are more effective in engaging younger learners due to the importance of sensory and social experiences in early cognitive development. While online platforms offer personalized learning, they often struggle to maintain long-term engagement. The study highlights the need for a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of traditional and digital methods to optimize STEM education. In addition, the study explores the challenges of the digital divide and the importance of equitable access to technology. These insights provide practical recommendations for improving early STEM education practices and guiding future policy decisions.

Enhancing university students' learning performance in a metaverse‐enabled immersive learning environment for STEM education: A community of inquiry approach

AbstractThe research paper explores the use of a metaverse‐enabled immersive learning environment (MeILE) guided by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to enhance university student interactions and collaboration. The platform integrates various components, including avatar usage, multimodality, and gamification, with careful consideration of each CoI element to maximize students' immersive interactions and collaboration in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning contexts. By aligning activities with Bloom's digital taxonomy, the metaverse environment aims to improve STEM learning outcomes. A case study conducted at a university demonstrated the successful implementation of essential CoI elements, leading to increased student engagement and improved learning performance. Results indicate MeILE facilitates interactive, reflective, constructive, and self‐regulated learning, which are essential for developing STEM and 21st century skills. The study emphasizes the teacher's role as a facilitator in fostering self‐directed learning, and cultivating 21st‐century skills through collaborative learning activities in virtual environment. The research underscores the importance of innovative educational tools in adapting to the evolving landscape of education in the digital age.

Mastery learning strategy on general mathematics performance

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mastery learning strategy on general mathematics performance of Grade 11 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students of Boracay National High School in the District of Malay during the School Year 2023- 2024. The pretest- posttest control group design using match paired subjects were utilized in this study. Twenty students were involved in this study where 10 students per group comprised the experimental and control groups. The control group was taught using the traditional way of teaching while the application of mastery learning strategy were used in the experimental group. The statistical tools used were the Frequency, Sum, Percentage, Mean and Standard Deviation for Descriptive Statistics, T- test for dependent samples, T- test for independent samples and Cohen’s D for inferential statistics. Findings revealed that there was an improvement in the mean score of the control group but remains in the proficient level and those students taught with MLS got a higher mean score that made them to attain the high proficient level. There was a significant difference between the level of general mathematics performance of students.

Impacting elementary STEM teacher leadership identities

AbstractLearning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects starting at a young age helps prepare students for a variety of careers both inside and outside of the sciences. Yet, addressing integrated STEM in an elementary school setting can be challenging. Teacher leadership is one way to address this challenge. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive case study is to understand how participation in the NebraskaSTEM Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship project impacted elementary STEM teacher leadership identities. Our findings suggest participation in the project contributed to different layers of teacher leadership identity (as a STEM learner, as a STEM teacher, and as a STEM teacher leader). These findings suggest professional development should be tailored to address empowering specific layers of STEM teacher leaders' professional identity. Other teacher leadership development projects may want to consider how to structure their projects to empower teachers based on the identities and experiences of those teachers.

STEM Outside of School: a Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Informal Science Education on Students' Interests and Attitudes for STEM

AbstractThis meta-analysis explores the impact of informal science education experiences (such as after-school programs, enrichment activities, etc.) on students' attitudes towards, and interest in, STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The research addresses two primary questions: (1) What is the overall effect size of informal science learning experiences on students' attitudes towards and interest in STEM? (2) How do various moderating factors (e.g., types of informal learning experience, student grade level, academic subjects, etc.) impact student attitudes and interests in STEM? The studies included in this analysis were conducted within the United States in K-12 educational settings, over a span of thirty years (1992–2022). The findings indicate a positive association between informal science education programs and student interest in STEM. Moreover, the variability in these effects is contingent upon several moderating factors, including the nature of the informal science program, student grade level, STEM subjects, publication type, and publication year. Summarized effects of informal science education on STEM interest are delineated, and the implications for research, pedagogy, and practice are discussed.

Fostering students' inquiry aptitudes and collaborative reasoning in higher education science courses with social annotation tools and collaborative platforms

AbstractInteractive digital technologies are playing an increasingly important part in education for enhancing collaborative learning processes and improving engagement. Social annotation (SA) tools and collaborative platforms are an innovative way to involve students to give and take feedback, annotate, and brainstorm on complex topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This article focuses on innovative practices that integrate inquiry‐based discussions using SA tools and collaborative platforms to promote undergraduate students' interest and curiosity about sciences. In this article, lectures were combined with inquiry‐based discussions using an open education SA tool and an open‐access collaborative platform to engage students in a meaningful dialog with peers on scientific topics. Students debated with peers on scientific content in an online environment. Findings show that the integration of inquiry‐based discussions using SA tools and collaborative platforms provides a practical way to effectively improve students interest in science. The information reported in this article can support STEM instructors in designing collaborative learning activities in online and hybrid settings that spark students' curiosity and inquiry attitude about natural sciences.

STEM-It-Yourself: Increasing Participation of Girls and Minorities in STEM

Have you ever wondered why, when browsing the internet looking for scientists, technologists, engineers, or mathematicians, most of the results show men? Or have you ever wondered if there was someone out there who might look like you doing work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Our research aimed to better understand why STEM fields are not diverse in gender or race, and to empower the next generation of STEM leaders through a project called STEM-It-Yourself (SIY). Through SIY, we introduced middle school girls to women in STEM who are representative of the girls’ races. By hearing about the STEM journeys of the presenters, who were women, and Black, Indigenous, and people of Color (BIPOC), the girls participating in SIY could cultivate STEM identities, which could motivate them to stay in STEM and help diversify the STEM workforce.

Concept of flexible no-code automation for complex sample preparation procedures

Driven by demographic changes and dwindling Science Technology Engineering Mathematics enrolments, our research introduces no-code automation as a strategic response, aimed at mitigating labor shortages while enhancing productivity and safety in the laboratory environment. Employing a user-friendly, no-code software platform, we automated a complex HPTLC assay, enabling laboratory personnel to configure and modify workflows without requiring specialized programming skills. The manuscript outlines the deployment of a collaborative robot (cobot), a programmable logic controller (PLC), and the utilization of self-developed open-source hardware components to establish automated stations for sample handling, incubation, spraying, detection, and storage within the assay process. The research addresses challenges such as the handling of fragile HPTLC plates and the seamless integration of automated stations, solved through innovative design solutions and adaptive programming methods. This investigation demonstrates the feasibility and efficiency of no-code automation in overcoming skilled labor deficits.

Developing Skills and Attitudes for Preparation Future Workforce: STEM Education Strategies

This paper investigates the methodologies teachers could integrate into the STEM lessons of general secondary education to develop the skills and attitudes required in the workplace as a fundamental component of career readiness development. The conclusions about good practices in teaching STEM are provided by: a) participatory observation for six months in a sample of 27 students aged 16 years old of Evangeliki Model High School of Smyrna in Greece and b) simultaneous integrated design of the mixed methodological approach based on (i) descriptive statistical analysis of students’ skills scores and (ii) qualitative analysis of the data justifying how the learning activities implemented contributed to these scores.

The mediating role of creative problem solving between design thinking and self-efficacy in STEM teaching for STEM teacher candidates

The mediating role of creative problem solving between design thinking and self-efficacy in STEM teaching for STEM teacher candidates