Student Engagement In Science Research Articles

Inventors emerging in-school and out-of-school: six iterations of educational design to promote equitable student engagement

Invention education is an emerging field that shows promise for fostering equitable student engagement, especially related to disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), in both classroom and informal learning. A central concept for practitioners, researchers, and evaluators, student engagement connects with academic, socioemotional, career, and civic success. Nonetheless, more work is needed to ensure more equitable approaches to educational design for student engagement, especially with youth of one or more minoritized identity markers (e.g., Black, Brown, or Indigenous youth; female or non-binary youth; youth from lower socioeconomic statuses; etc.). This Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy article describes six iterations of educational designs for invention education with grades 6–8 classes and camps. Three of the iterations revised the same curriculum for grade 7 classes (N ~ 160 students/year), and the other three iterations involved similar yet distinct curricula for grades 6–8 camps (N ~ 25 students/year). Taking a cultural psychology approach to design-based research, we conducted a phenomenological mixed-methods study for convergence. That is, we iteratively refined educational designs within given microcultures, and we sought to better understand participants’ lived experiences. We share evidence of high affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement, within and between both individual and social levels, alongside development of self-efficacy with respect to ability beliefs and anxiety management. With a few exceptions, our findings suggest equitable participation of youth. These findings we connect with educational design considerations, including individual vs. social supports, explicit attention to youths’ hobbies and peer-inventors, and formative assessment that broadens response scales and gradations of challenge. Our work supports a more nuanced and socially-situated six-dimensional framework for student engagement, expanding upon commonly-used three-and four-dimensional models. We conclude with local and transferrable implications, towards the main goal of fostering equitable student engagement in science and engineering through invention education.

Effect of Extended Reality Learning Experience on Student Engagement in Science and Engineering Courses

Effect of Extended Reality Learning Experience on Student Engagement in Science and Engineering Courses

Curing "GFP-itis" in Bacteria with Base Editors: Development of a Genome Editing Science Program Implemented with High School Biology Students.

The flexibility and precision of CRISPR-Cas9 and related technologies have made these genome editing tools increasingly popular in agriculture, medicine, and basic science research for the past decade. Genome editing will continue to be relevant and utilized across diverse scientific fields in the future. Given this, students should be introduced to genome editing technologies and encouraged to consider their ethical implications early on in precollege biology curricula. Furthermore, instruction on this topic presents an opportunity to create partnerships between researchers and educators at the K-12 levels that can strengthen student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. To this end, we present a 3-day student-centered learning program to introduce high school students to genome editing technologies through a hands-on base editing experiment in Escherichia coli, accompanied by a relevant background lecture and facilitated ethics discussion. This unique partnership aims to educate students and provides a framework for research institutions to implement genome editing outreach programs at local high schools. We have included all requisite materials, including lecture slides, worksheets, experimental protocols, and suggestions on active learning strategies for others to reproduce our program with their local communities.

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.

Local Application of Scientific Research Practices Builds Student Engagement in Science and Environmental Health

The University of Montana’s Research Education on Air and Cardiovascular Health (REACH) Program works with teachers to engage middle and high school students in rudimentary real-world scientific research with the goals of improving their understanding of and interest in science, and to increase their interest in science careers. To evaluate the program, mixed-method approaches based on surveys that include both fixed-response and free-response questions for students has been used. Thematic analysis of student written responses to free-response questions provided evaluators with unanticipated student-centered information that was not targeted by the fixed-response questions. The analysis of student responses to free-response questions over a three to four-year period are the focus of this manuscript along with the implications such a STEM outreach program has to environmental and science education.

Recommendations for success in biomechanics outreach

Student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through informal outreach events is critical to the current educational pipeline. National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is a STEM outreach event that is an international celebration of the science of biomechanics with the goal of introducing high school students to the field. While NBD has experienced global success and substantial growth in recent years, it is an equally rewarding and challenging endeavor to host an NBD event. In this paper, we provide recommendations and mechanisms for biomechanics professionals to support their success in hosting biomechanics outreach events. Although these guidelines are framed around hosting an NBD event, the underlying principles can apply to hosting any STEM outreach event.

STEM LEARNING AND LOOSE PARTS IN EARLY ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS: A SCOPING REVIEW

When elementary students learn STEM topics (especially science) early in their educational journey, they have the opportunity to develop a passion to promote their future academic, personal, and professional success. With many resources claiming to be STEM, it can be overwhelming and difficult finding specific classroom activities to establish an interest in the subjects. The use of loose parts can address challenges teaching STEM and meeting curriculum standards in elementary schools. To better understand STEM best practices, a scoping review was implemented. The key words “STEM,” “elementary,” and “science” yielded 1,955 publications, which were then narrowed down to 20 articles for in-depth review. The selected publications were analyzed for STEM activities using loose parts principles. This study establishes successful science activities, discusses challenges, and shares how loose parts could be used to improve learning and student engagement in science and STEM.

STEM LEARNING AND LOOSE PARTS IN EARLY ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS: A SCOPING REVIEW

When elementary students learn STEM topics (especially science) early in their educational journey, they have the opportunity to develop a passion to promote their future academic, personal, and professional success. With many resources claiming to be STEM, it can be overwhelming and difficult finding specific classroom activities to establish an interest in the subjects. The use of loose parts can address challenges teaching STEM and meeting curriculum standards in elementary schools. To better understand STEM best practices, a scoping review was implemented. The key words “STEM,” “elementary,” and “science” yielded 1,955 publications, which were then narrowed down to 20 articles for in-depth review. The selected publications were analyzed for STEM activities using loose parts principles. This study establishes successful science activities, discusses challenges, and shares how loose parts could be used to improve learning and student engagement in science and STEM.

Predictors of Student Engagement in Science Learning: The Role of Science Laboratory Learning Environment and Science Learning Motivation

Student engagement is one of the indicators of a successful teaching and learning process. Many studies claim that student engagement is associated with the performance and achievement of students. In this study, the researchers aimed to determine the effects of science laboratory environments and science learning motivation towards student engagement in learning science among non-science students. 468 upper secondary non-science students in Sarawak were involved in this survey with the administration of three sets of questionnaires on science laboratory environment, science learning motivation and student engagement in science learning. Multiple regression was used to analyse the research questions. Both science laboratory learning environment (r = 0.523) and science learning motivation (r = 0.670) are found positively correlated to student engagement. The results also revealed that the science laboratory learning environment and science learning motivation are significant predictors of student engagement in learning science with R2 = 0.463. Specifically, student cohesiveness, open-endedness, integration and material environment in the science laboratory learning environment and all the dimensions of motivation predict student engagement in science learning. The findings suggest that educators, especially science teachers, should utilise the laboratory effectively and keep students motivated to ensure their active engagement in science learning.

Abstracts Teaching Kitchen Research Conference Los Angeles, California October 18–19, 2022

Abstracts Teaching Kitchen Research Conference Los Angeles, California <i>October 18–19, 2022</i>

Colleges of education science student engagement in Emergency Remote Teaching amidst COVID-19 in Nigeria

There is paucity of studies on the affective, behavioural, and cognitive dimensions of student engagement under Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) during COVID-19 pandemic, especially among pre-service science teachers in Colleges of Education in Nigeria. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to examine the affective, behavioural, cognitive, and general level of engagement of pre-service science teachers in Colleges of Education in Kwara State, Nigeria in online ERT class. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to select six education colleges and 241 students which participated in the study respectively. The reliability coefficient of the online questionnaire used for data collection in the study was 0.81. The data gathered in this study were analysed using mean and independent t-test. The findings indicated that the level of student general engagement was high and there was significant gender difference in the levels of student behavioural engagement (X2(2) = 7.561, p = 0.023&lt; .05) in favour of male students. It was concluded that Colleges of Education students’ level of affective, behavioural, cognitive, and general engagement in ERT was high. The researcher recommended that students should extend their high level of general engagement in online ERT class to face-to-face classes after COVID-19 pandemic.

Innovation in a Time of Crisis: Adapting Active Learning Approaches for Remote Biology Courses.

The sudden switch from predominantly in-person to remote learning across all levels of education due to the COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges, including transitioning in-person active learning efforts to an online format. Although active learning has increased student engagement in science, it can be challenging to effectively integrate into remote courses. Adapting in-person classroom approaches to maintain timely and effective communication, provide equitable access to course materials, and encourage class participation in remote environments proved especially difficult for many instructors engaging in remote learning during the pandemic, often for the first time. As instructors of in-person undergraduate introductory biology courses, we present three different solutions developed during the pandemic to address the challenges of adapting an experiential hands-on activity, an interactive lab, and a research project for remote learning. We found that instructors can leverage the flexibility of the online environment and use existing remote tools to expand active learning possibilities and create meaningful classroom connections, even at a distance.

STEM Near Peer Mentoring for Secondary School Students: a Case Study of University Mentors’ Experiences with Online Mentoring

The steady decline in secondary students’ achievement and interest in science and mathematics is an area of concern for governments, industry, and the education sector. Increasing student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is a top priority if countries are to meet demands for STEM based expertise in the current and future workforce. Amongst strategies to address such concerns, peer mentoring programs have gained increased popularity. Although previous research shows that mentoring can be a successful strategy, the processes that underpin positive outcomes for participants remain largely underexplored. This paper responds to calls for research on mentoring processes linked to effectiveness in STEM peer mentoring programs. We explore the development of mentoring relationships in an online near peer mentoring program between university students and regional secondary school students. We analysed qualitative and quantitative data on mentors’ perceptions of relationship quality and mentee engagement, and their use of mentoring strategies, over a 9-week period. Implications for online mentoring are discussed, including a model to facilitate university-to-school mentoring to increase students’ engagement in STEM disciplines.

Elementary Teachers’ Positive and Practical Risk-Taking When Teaching Science Through Engineering Design

This study examines the perspectives of three generations of elementary teachers learning to teach science using engineering design and the risks associated with implementing this innovative type of reform-based science instruction. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and teacher reflections. Data analysis entailed open coding and document analysis. The findings indicated that there were four types of perceived risks: practical, pedagogical, conceptual, and personal. First-generation teachers exhibited conceptual risk-taking behavior, while second- and third-generation teachers reported practical, pedagogical, and personal risks. Benefits of risk-taking included increased student engagement in science, improved self-confidence in teaching science, and greater teacher collaboration across generations. By exploring the experiences of these three generations of teachers, we aim to make transparent the uneven shifts in thinking and practice, and the associated risks elementary school teachers took as they enacted engineering design-based science instruction.

Crosscutting Literature on STEAM Ecosystems, Expectancy Value Theory, and Social Emotional Learning: A Metadata Synthesis

AbstractIn this report, we describe the initial stages of a crosscutting research effort to characterize literature reviewed across 8 different projects—each with objectives aligned toward improving student engagement in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields. These projects sought to identify malleable factors (e.g., motivation, persistence) that could potentially be fostered to improve achievement motivation and build participation among historically underrepresented learners in STEAM pathways. Focusing on both the extent to which different broad and facet‐level constructs are both discussed and assessed in a diverse pool of literature, we developed a standardized reporting structure and catalogued detailed information on 236 unique references. We found that, as a proportion of the number of times constructs in the STEAM, expectancy value (EV) theory, and social emotional learning (SEL) spaces were discussed in the reviewed literature, they were assessed relatively infrequently. We also found high levels of overlap in the literature across the above 3 focal areas, highlighting both the need to document new assessments designed to support STEAM engagement and an opportunity to use them to evaluate expectancy value theory as a holistic model.

Co-robotics hands-on activities: A gateway to engineering design and STEM learning

This paper presents the effect of meaningful learning contexts and hands-on activities, facilitated using two robots that work with people (co-robots), in broadening and sustaining pre-college student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The two co-robots are: (1) a Glider for Underwater Problem-solving and Promotion of Interest in Engineering or GUPPIE and (2) a Neurally controlled manipulator called Neu-pulator. The co-robots are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, with readily available lightweight and durable components. They are also modular to accommodate a variety of learning activities that help young students to learn crosscutting concepts and engineering practice. The early assessment results show that students’ interests in activities related to robotics depend on their perception of the difficulty and their confidence level. The key is to start early when the students are young. The challenge is to break the barriers and define tasks as fun activities with a learn and play approach that can be rewarding. In this work, using a meaningful context – as in co-robots that help humans – in a hands-on project-based program that integrates different aspect of design, science, and technology is found effective in increasing students’ enthusiasm and participation. The co-robots and the hands-on activities can be easily adopted in classrooms by teachers with no engineering background who seek innovative ways to connect interdisciplinary core ideas and standards to the concepts they need to teach.

A person‐in‐context approach to student engagement in science: Examining learning activities and choice

AbstractScience education reform efforts in the Unites States call for a dramatic shift in the way students are expected to engage with scientific concepts, core ideas, and practices in the classroom. This new vision of science learning demands a more complex conceptual understanding of student engagement and research models that capture both the multidimensionality and contextual specificity of student engagement in science. In a unique application of person‐oriented analysis of experience sampling data, we employ cluster analysis to identify six distinct momentary engagement profiles representing different combinations of the behavioral, cognitive, and affective dimensions of student engagement in high school science classrooms. Students spend a majority of their classroom time in one of several engagement profiles characterized by high engagement on one dimension, but low levels on the others. Students exhibited low engagement across all three dimensions of engagement in about 22% of our observations. Full engagement, or high levels across all three dimensions, is the least frequent profile, occurring in only 11% of the observations. Students’ momentary engagement profiles are related in meaningful ways to both the learning activity in which students are engaged and the types of choices they are afforded. Laboratory activities provided especially polarized engagement experiences, producing full engagement, universally low engagement, and pleasurable engagement in which students are affectively engaged but are not engaged cognitively or behaviorally. Student choice is generally associated with more optimal engagement profiles and the specific type of choice matters in important ways. Choices about how to frame the learning activity have the most positive effects relative to other types of choices, such as choosing whom to work with or how much time to take. Results are discussed in terms of implications for practice and the utility of the methodological approach for evaluating the complexities of student engagement in science classrooms. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 88: 19–43, 2018

Integrating mechatronics in project-based learning of Malaysian high school students and teachers

College students’ attrition in engineering programs is a major problem in developed and developing countries. Outreach activities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are a powerful resource to ignite K-12 students’ interest to pursue scientific and engineering careers. Here, a program on mechatronics for Malaysian high-schoolers developed at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering and implemented at the National University of Malaysia is presented. The program follows a dual model where instructors and students work together on a project-based learning curriculum inspired by real-world problems. A group of Malaysian graduate students and high-school teachers was trained to serve as instructors by the New York University team. After training, the New York University team aided the instructors to administer the curriculum to 100 high-schoolers and organize a one-day exhibit for families at the National University of Malaysia. Pre- and post-assessment surveys offer evidence for the positive impact of the program on teachers’ professional development and student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Dialectical dividends: fostering hybridity of new pedagogical practices and partnerships in science education and outreach

ABSTRACTScience literacy has become socially and economically very important. European countries stress that science graduates are fundamental for economic growth. Nevertheless, there is a declining student participation in science. In response, there has been a call to change the way science is taught in schools, which focuses on inquiry methods rooted in constructivism. Universities and other organisations have responded by developing outreach programmes to improve student engagement in science. Given this context, there is a necessity for research to ascertain if this new relationship between outreach and education is worthwhile. This study examines and compares primary teachers and outreach practitioners understanding and perceptions of constructivist science pedagogy, in an effort to understand the potential of a teacher-outreach partnership. For this, qualitative and quantitative methods were employed, taking a dialectic pragmatic stance. Contradicting the recurrent view, teachers and outreach providers revealed favourable views in relation to constructivism, despite recognising barriers to its implementation. These results support a partnership between teachers and outreach practitioners and the realisation of the hybrid role of each participant. The results also reveal an important dynamic in outreach access to schools. Specifically, the outreach connected teachers acted as gatekeepers by negotiating access into their colleagues classrooms.

Community Partnership Designed to Promote Lyme Disease Prevention and Engagement in Citizen Science.

The goal of this project is to promote Lyme disease prevention and to cultivate an interest in science through a citizen-science project coordinated by researchers at a public university and teachers at rural high schools. The lesson plan is designed to increase student interest in pursuing a science career through participation in an authentic research experience, utilizing a topic that has implications on the health of the surrounding community. Students are introduced in the classroom to zoonotic diseases transmitted by the Ixodes tick, the health risks of Lyme disease, and disease prevention strategies. Students then participate in a research experience collecting field data and ticks from their community, which are used in university research. To measure changes in student knowledge and attitudes toward Lyme disease and science careers, students completed surveys related to the learning objectives associated with the experience. We found participation in the activity increased student confidence and ability to correctly differentiate a deer tick from a wood tick and to recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease. In addition, students reported increased interest in pursuing a science degree in college or graduate school. Authentic research experience related to a disease relevant to the local community is effective at enhancing high school student engagement in science.