STEM Learning Environments Research Articles

Examining the Role of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence in Adapting STEM Education for Next-Generation Inclusion

This study explores the transformative potential of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for the next generation, particularly focusing on inclusive and adaptive learning environments. As technology advances, there is an increasing need to adapt educational methods to accommodate diverse learning preferences and abilities, fostering an inclusive learning experience for all students. This research aims to identify the extent to which VR, AR, and AI can bridge gaps in traditional STEM education, allowing students with varying abilities, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses to access, understand, and engage with complex STEM concepts. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study investigates the experiences of students and educators through surveys and interviews, examining how these technologies impact students' learning outcomes, engagement levels, and retention rates. A table analysis presents the effects of VR, AR, and AI on different dimensions of learning, including comprehension, motivation, and skills development. Data reveal that VR and AR, with their immersive capabilities, enable experiential learning, while AI-driven adaptive systems customize content delivery to individual learner needs. The findings indicate that integrating these technologies in STEM education leads to higher engagement, improved comprehension, and enhanced critical thinking skills among students, demonstrating their pivotal role in creating an inclusive, adaptive, and forward-thinking STEM learning environment.

Discord in a university STEM learning environment: collective learning

We implemented Discord as a pedagogical tool in the academic year of 2021/2022 in two mathematics curricular units of the first year of an Informatics Engineering university program. We analyze and discuss the experience, reflecting on usability and influence on learning processes and engagement. We compare the impact of using the platform: 1) when combined with different methodological and pedagogical approaches; and 2) to previous years with other (or none) classic virtual forums.

A Community-Based, Culturally Engaging STEM Learning Environment and Its Impact on Students' Psychosocial Attributes at a Rural Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Using the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model, this qualitative study examined development of psychosocial attributes (i.e., sense of belonging, science identity, and self-efficacy) among 1st-year life science undergraduate students who participated in integrated and culturally engaging research activities at New Mexico Highlands University, a rural Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Research activities were part of a project called SomosSTEM [We are STEM], which included four major components: 1) course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) that are laboratory modules integrated into introductory life science classes; 2) summer Bridge Science Challenge Academy for 1st-year students; 3) full summer internship program; and 4) Community Voices lecture series. We found the integrated nature of SomosSTEM represents an engaging learning environment that positively impacted students' perceptions of their development of psychosocial attributes. This paper's significance is it outlines specific, integrated activities that are also community-based and culturally engaging. We discuss community-based and culturally engaging learning environments as a viable solution to the problem of individualistic and exclusionary learning environments.

The Influence of Educational Robotics in STEM Integrated Learning and the Development of Computational Thinking Abilities

Currently, educational robotics are becoming an important trend in education, introducing transformative elements into the classroom to improve the learning environment. Educational robotics in STEM-integrated learning can develop computational thinking skills. Educational robotics has begun to be widely adopted and is expected to enhance computational thinking skills in early childhood education, secondary school, and higher education. In this study, we examine the role of educational robotics in integrated STEM learning environments and its impact on the development of computational thinking. The method used was a systematic literature review. Initial search returned 541 articles from various journals indexed in Scopus. Subsequently, 351 articles published between 2020 2024 were sorted out, and only 37 articles were included in the final analysis. Studies show that educational robotics effectively promotes STEM education and facilitates the development of computational thinking skills. The importance of project-based learning and the integration of STEM disciplines in educational robotics inform educators and policymakers about the potential benefits of educational robotics in promoting STEM education and developing computational thinking skills.

Building capacity for inclusive informal STEM learning opportunities for autistic learners

BackgroundResearch is needed to better understand the specific challenges for autistic learners in informal STEM learning settings. This study aimed to increase inclusion in STEM museums, with a larger goal of increasing the impact (i.e., learning and application of knowledge during and after visits) of informal STEM learning settings for autistic youth. We conducted an online parent attitudes survey with 93 parents of autistic adolescents and 53 parents of adolescents in the general population to better understand the experiences of autistic adolescents when visiting STEM-related museums. Parent responses informed professional development training for museum staff at four partner museums, which taught strategies to better support autistic learners. Then, autistic adolescents (n = 20) and their parents were randomly assigned to visit one partner and one control museum. They were asked to report their experiences through an online survey and semi-structured interviews.ResultsParticipants who completed the parent attitudes survey indicated significantly lower inclusion, engagement, and general impact of STEM museum visits among autistic adolescents compared to the general population comparison group. Parents of adolescents who visited partner and control museums reported higher STEM impact during visits to partner museums; however, parent-reported inclusion, engagement, and general impact did not differ significantly between partner and control museums. Qualitative analysis identified four themes (Spectrum of Museum Impact; Adolescent-Environment Fit; Barriers to Engagement, and Barrier Breakers), providing context for quantitative findings.ConclusionsFindings underscore the need for increased inclusion for autistic individuals in informal STEM learning environments like museums. This project demonstrated feasibility of professional development training of forward-facing staff and identified several themes that should inform future efforts to improve inclusion in informal STEM learning settings.

The Making of Future Scientists: Faculty Mentor Cultural Awareness and Inclusive Science Labs.

A compelling body of research suggests that students from racially marginalized and minoritized (RMM) backgrounds are systematically deterred from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields when teachers and scientists create ideologically colorblind STEM learning environments where cultural differences are deemed irrelevant and disregard how race/ethnicity shapes students' experiences. We examine whether and how STEM faculty can serve as important sources of information that signal racial/ethnic diversity inclusion (or exclusion) that influence RMM students' motivation to persist in STEM. Specifically, we focus on RMM students' perceptions of their faculty research mentors' cultural awareness-the extent to which students believe that their faculty research mentor acknowledges and appreciates racial/ethnic differences in STEM research. Results from a longitudinal survey of RMM students (N = 150) participating in 74 faculty-led STEM research labs demonstrated that RMM students who perceived their faculty research mentor to be more culturally aware experienced more positive social climates in the lab and were more identified as scientists. Increased science identity, in turn, predicted their motivation to pursue STEM careers 3 months later. These findings demonstrate the importance of acknowledging, welcoming, and celebrating racial/ethnic diversity within STEM learning environments to broaden inclusive and equitable participation in STEM.

STEM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHOD

Inclusive practices are fundamental to STEM learning environments, ensuring that all students have equitable access to opportunities and resources. Teachers employ differentiated instruction, provide support for diverse learning needs, and create a culture of respect and acceptance. By embracing diversity and inclusivity, STEM learning environments foster a sense of belonging and empower all students to succeed. Teacher facilitation and mentorship are essential components of STEM learning environments. Teachers guide students through the learning process, inspire curiosity and enthusiasm for STEM subjects, and provide support and encouragement as students explore and discover. As facilitators and mentors, teachers model lifelong learning, collaboration, and ethical practices, preparing students to become engaged citizens and leaders in STEM fields and beyond.

Program Evaluation in Formal and Informal STEM Learning Environments: An Introduction

Program Evaluation in Formal and Informal STEM Learning Environments: An Introduction

THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LIFE SCIENCE IN STEM PRACTICAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Building 21st-century life science skills requires educating participants according to STEM abilities. Therefore, this research aimed to examine the effectiveness and feasibility of the STEM ability assessment framework in the practical learning environment. The study uses STEM coffee preparation experiential activity with a Royal Belgian siphon pot to construct a learning environment in the classroom. The study also develops two assessment instruments, a knowledge concept questionnaire, and an entrepreneurial scientific thinking scale, to examine their effectiveness and feasibility in the STEM learning environment. The results of the content validity index reveal the value of good-grade literature for two questionnaires. Kendall's coefficient of concordance (ω) of the four reviewers' responses shows that the inter-rater reliability of the two questionnaires reaches a better level. The Chi-square test found that this STEM learning environment is feasible and effective and will help the participants assess their STEM abilities. The entrepreneurial scientific thinking for preparing beverages of life science is rich in viability and efficacy for instrument creation and assessment. Future research lengthened the extraction process while also improving consistency. Last but not least, more teaching practices and research designs are available. However, the goal is for learners' STEM aptitude to increase practice depth. Keywords: effectiveness and feasibility, entrepreneurial scientific thinking, life science, Royal Belgian siphon pot, STEM education

Students’ Self-Efficacy and Confidence in Technological Abilities Resulting from Participation in “The Curriculum and Community Environmental Restoration Science (STEM + Computer Science)”

The rationale for this research is the ever-increasing reliance on technology in all aspects of life, but especially in the realm of education. Technology tools, use, and approaches that support inclusive student learning are supported by the empirical evidence found in this report. The research emphasized self-efficacy levels achieved in the student learning of technology-supported integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Curriculum and Community Environmental Restoration Science STEM + Computer Science (CCERS) makes use of web-based authentic STEM content, providing interactive technology on a dynamic environmental science platform and providing real-world environmental conundrums. Results of this study indicate that CCERS respondents have higher confidence in their technological abilities than those of the non-CCERS respondents. In addition, under-represented groups (URG) CCERS respondents, on average, have higher confidence in their technological abilities than URG non-CCERS respondents. This suggests that CCERS has a positive impact on participants' confidence in their technological abilities, a key indicator in pursuing STEM careers. This study provides practical implications for current and future research in technology-supported learning in integrated STEM learning environments and student outcomes.

AI-Driven Learning Analytics in STEM Education

In recent years, the integration approach of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is called for many disciplines, it also STEM education has paved the way for transformative advancements. This paper provides an example of AI-driven learning analytics within the context of STEM education. It provides a thorough analysis of the AI-driven STEM curriculum and its associated paradigm. Additionally, it highlights the obstacles and possible threats that educators and institutions face when implementing technological innovations in the classroom. The serves as a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to harness the power of AI-driven learning analytics to enhance STEM education. The transformative potential of AI is now shaping the future of STEM learning environments while advocating for a responsible and ethical approach to data-driven education. Ethical concerns and moral considerations should be discussed in school AI and STEM education.

Engineering Praxis Ethos: Designing Experiences to Support Curricular and Instructional Improvement in STEM Education

This paper discusses engineering praxis ethos (EPE), a proposed framework for constructing a STEM learning environment embedding interrelated components of learner experience and design activity, which can support curriculum and instructional design and evaluation in STEM education. The authors propose that STEM is a meta-discipline that relies on the design life cycle, the intellectual root of engineering disciplinary knowledge. The nature of design and design activity calls attention to domain-specific needs of STEM teachers and focuses discussions and critiques about the epistemological adequacy of integrated STEM content knowledge. Given the urgent need for learners to develop 21st century skills in STEM, the authors argue for the feasibility of incorporating both mathematical and simulation models using new technologies when designing experiences for learners. An example of teaching and learning systems thinking in undergraduate engineering education highlights how EPE can be a viable theory of action for STEM educators.

A Call to Action: Exploring Intersectional Analyses of Black Fathers and Daughters in STEM Learning

ABSTRACT Black fathers and daughters are the least explored relationship within parent-child and STEM research. This article serves as an examination of the literature around their relationships and STEM learning and as a call to action. Intersectionality, as an analytic lens, examines Black fathers’ familial and STEM relationships over time and Black women’s and girls’ (BWG’s) interest and competence in STEM, as well as how systemic factors of gendered racism, classism, and oppression impacted BWG’s aspirations in STEM, computing, and mathematics fields. Data yielded 29 publications addressing Black fathers and daughters in STEM, their relationships, and BWG’s interest and competence in STEM, computing, and mathematics learning. Findings reveal that Black fathers’ roles in their daughter’s STEM lives helps develop positive representations of themselves and their cultural backgrounds. This acknowledgement produces a new level of understanding of Black fathers and girls’ engagement in informal and formal STEM learning environments.

Accelerating Racial Activism in STEM Higher Education by Institutionalizing Equity Ethics

Background/Context: The United States invests in STEM education, but this investment is racialized and political. The country wants to maintain global economic domination, but there are also calls to diversify the STEM workforce (Baber, 2015; Basile & Lopez, 2015; Vakil & Ayers, 2019). This context leaves Black and Brown people to navigate racially hostile, toxic, and oppressive STEM learning and working environments (Bullock, 2017; Erete et al., 2020; Wright & Riley, 2021). Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This conceptual paper offers strategies for institutionalizing equity ethics in STEM higher education. The paper attends to the core components of equity ethics and its possibilities while identifying structural constraints. Equity ethics is an equity-minded perspective that focuses on leveraging the multiple forms of knowledge associated with understanding and engaging the natural world to foster an oppression-free society that specifically enhances the lives of Black and Brown people. We also examine specific cases of STEM education and research scholars and practitioners who are committed to engaging and uplifting racially minoritized communities through the intersection of STEM and justice. Research Design: This conceptual paper takes a qualitative approach. It uses the existing literature to review the current state of diversity in STEM, the major components of an equity ethic, the structural and institutional barriers people of color face in STEM higher education, and how equity ethics may be institutionalized. In particular, we highlight examples of equity ethics in action to provide models for action and policy change. Conclusions/Recommendations: Institutionalized equity ethics at the mid-institutional level (e.g., departments and units) would require all faculty to mentor Black and Brown STEM students through critical transitions. We also recommend revising department- and unit-level policies and practices around access to resources that are critical for STEM achievement and knowledge production. Although expanding and sustaining financial investments in equity-focused endeavors is required, these investments must also come with the power and agency to transform institutional structures around STEM access, learning, and innovation. Transformation of top-level policies and practices could include changes to institutional admissions processes and ensuring that racist gatekeeping mechanisms are removed, while also requiring senior-level administrators to have training in racial justice ideologies and praxes. Building equity ethics into STEM higher education is essential to creating a more just and equitable STEM ecosystem.

Gendered Racial Stereotype Endorsement:

Recent indicators continue to highlight the underrepresentation of Black girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), from advanced course enrollment and degree attainment to employment. In this paper, we consider the role of stereotypes as an underlying motivational mechanism that shapes Black girls’ STEM identity and persistence. This theoretical review seeks to provide a conceptual foundation for research on gendered racial stereotype endorsement among Black girls and the differential ways girls may incorporate this knowledge as they navigate STEM learning environments. We define gendered racial stereotypes as widely held beliefs and depictions of Black girls (as a collective group) and their lived experience as perceived by broader society. Despite their awareness of stereotypes, Black girls frequently develop strategies to aid in their persistence. Although they may occasionally endorse these stereotypes, Black girls also use their understanding of stereotypes as a motivator to actively resist and disrupt deficit narratives. By utilizing process-oriented and culturally-informed approaches, we extend the current understanding of Black girls’ stereotype development. Additionally, we provide practical recommendations for research, policy, and educational praxis to aid in the continued positive development of Black girls’ identity in STEM learning environments.

“Girls Hold All the Power in the World”: Cultivating Sisterhood and a Counterspace to Support STEM Learning with Black Girls

For far too long, schools have been violent places where Black girls are often adultified, overdisciplined, and overlooked. In school science and mathematics specifically, Black girls have been isolated, tokenized, and made to feel invisible. This qualitative study leveraged the Multidimensionality of Black Girls’ STEM Learning conceptual framework to explore the roles of two Black women middle school science and mathematics teachers on the STEM learning experiences of 12 Black girls who live in the U.S. Midwest and how the girls engage with culturally relevant lessons in an afterschool program—SISTERHOOD I AM STEM. Data sources included a demographic questionnaire, program artifacts, and semi-structured transformative dialogic interviews with student and teacher participants. Findings revealed the significance and benefits of single-gender STEM learning environments for Black girls who struggle to connect with school and the role of Black women teachers in creating safe spaces for STEM engagement. In addition, the afterschool STEM program served as a mechanism to promote self-visualization and confidence for Black girls in science with the HyFlex model fostering a communal experience for the girls and their families. This STEM learning space organized and facilitated by Black women educators resisted Black girls’ pathologization and cultivated their sense of belonging. It holds promise for developing the social bonds that are critically important to their persistence in the field and a new narrative where “Girls hold all the power in the world”.

Determining the Effect of Social and Academic Support on STEM Confidence and Learning Environment Among Female Engineering Students in Pakistan

Gender inclusion and female participation in STEM courses have always been challenging in a patriarchal country like Pakistan. Women are often underrepresented in engineering fields, as engineering fields are usually considered manly. Female students confront many challenges, be it workplace or educational institutes. Some of the self-perceived and determined challenges are discussed in this study. As determined through this research study, factors affecting female participation are low STEM confidence, Gender disparity, Social and Academic Support, and Learning Environment. Empirical Evidence is collected using a questionnaire with 25 items based on the Likert scale. The dependent variables are STEM Confidence and Learning Environment, whereas the independent variables are Social and Academic Support. Participants included 170 female UG and PG engineering students from 4 universities in Pakistan. Data were collected through the Questionnaire, which included an online survey. Correlation method and statistical test MANOVA were applied, using SPSS 21 to determine the effect of social and academic support on STEM confidence of female students and to find a relationship between the variables. Results indicate a positive correlation between the variables STEM confidence and social and academic Support and Learning environment, whereas a slight correlation has been observed between social Support and LE. MANOVA results indicated a significant effect of Social and Academic Support on the STEM confidence of female students. Empirical Evidence shows that Social and academic support can affect the STEM of female engineering students, and the LE of females can also be affected by social and academic Support.

Stereotypes in the classroom's air: Classroom racial stereotype endorsement, classroom engagement, and STEM achievement among Black and White American adolescents.

Initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in predominantly White contexts, including STEM fields, have primarily relied on approaches to increase the representation of minoritized individuals. However, an increase in the representation of minoritized individuals is only one step of the process, as the present study suggests that explicit beliefs about particular racial groups' abilities also matter. The present article examined whether classroom racial stereotype endorsement about science and math disadvantaged Black American adolescents relative to their White American peers. Across two longitudinal studies with 533 and 1,189 adolescents (N-adolescents=1722; N-classrooms=86; 45% Black American, 55% White American; 51% females; M-age=13-14), classroom pro-White/anti-Black stereotype endorsement in the fall term predicted better science and math achievement scores for White American adolescents and lower science and math achievement scores for Black American adolescents at the end of the academic year. Student- and teacher-reported student engagement in science and math classrooms mediated the longitudinal relations between classroom pro-White/anti-Black stereotype endorsement and students' achievement scores. Results suggest that classrooms may be important conduits for communicating racial stereotypes that create racially hostile STEM learning environments. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Using a longitudinal sample of 1722 adolescents enrolled in 86 classrooms, thepresent study examined the consequences of classroom racial stereotype endorsement during adolescence. White American adolescents demonstrated favorable achievement scores in science and math when their classmates endorsed traditional, or pro-White/anti-Black, stereotypes. Black American adolescents showed worse achievement scores in science and math when their classmates endorsed pro-White/anti-Black stereotypes. Classroom engagement mediated the longitudinal relations between classroom pro-White/anti-Black stereotype endorsement and achievement scores for both Black and White American adolescents.

Educational leaders’ perceptions of STEM education revealed by their drawings and texts

This study explored school principals' and teacher educators' perceptions of STEM education based on how they described STEM as a discipline, their understanding of the nature of teaching and learning of STEM, and the capabilities of a STEM-educated person. Data were generated through the Draw a STEM Learning Environment (D-STEM) instrument comprising drawn and written descriptions where participants drew a picture of a STEM learning environment and completed five prompt statements about what STEM is and how an individual develops personal STEM capability. The Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) specialization codes were used for data analysis (198 individual response items in total) to understand how the participants perceive STEM education. Almost half the participant responses indicated knowledge-code perceptions with a smaller but significant number (approximately a third of responses) indicating knower-code perceptions. The remaining responses showed élite-code perceptions, indicating a small proportion of participants valued the development of both disciplinary knowledge/practices and generic skills/attributes in STEM education. We posit that curriculum structure and reporting requirements influence these perceptions. Further research in relation to the influence of such understandings on enacted curriculum is warranted.

The Teaching Strategies to Improve Students of Immigrants in STEM Learning within the K-6 Setting

With the growing population of immigrant students and the demands of STEM professionals in the U.S. labor market, the quality of STEM education (Science, technology, engineering, and math) for students with immigration backgrounds need to be addressed. This study focuses on how to support children of immigrants who are aged from kindergarten to sixth grade in their STEM learning within American classrooms. By reviewing 27 articles from 2003 to 2022, the research develops strategies to support this group's students in their STEM learning from the following perspectives: family engagement, linguistic culturally responsive teaching, and project-based integrated STEM learning. Firstly, the family engagement approach shows that the home-school connection provides a consistent STEM learning environment for the students. Secondly, the linguistic culturally responsive teaching reflects students’ STEM identities and incorporates their interest in STEM learning. Lastly, the project-based integrated STEM learning strategies accommodate students’ individual needs in their STEM learning and deepen their comprehension of each STEM subject.