Success In STEM Fields Research Articles

Teaching Statistics for the Social Sciences Using Active Learning: A Case Study

US college students are typically required to take at least one mathematics or statistics course, either as part their major area of study, or as a general education requirement. College mathematics requirements are an obstacle for many college students. Active learning, a pedagogical approach that places emphasis on students’ collaborative work, has been shown to increase student learning and course success in STEM fields of study and in mathematics courses. Active learning has also been shown to be adaptable to courses involving computer software and programming, such as introductory statistics. This case study is based on the author’s experience implementing an active learning model in an introductory statistics course for students majoring in sociology and related social sciences. Results indicate that the active learning approach was adaptable to the structure and particular learning goals of the course. Students perceived greater learning relative to other courses despite doing less work outside of class, and attributed this to the active learning structure of the course. These findings align with more systematic studies on the impacts of active learning in science and mathematics courses.

Identifying student profiles in a digital mental rotation task: insights from the 2017 NAEP math assessment

Mental rotation (MR), a key aspect of spatial reasoning, is highly predictive of success in STEM fields. This study analyzed strategies employed by 27,600 eighth-grade students during a digital MR task from the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics. Utilizing K-means cluster analysis to categorize behavioral and performance patterns, we identified four distinct profiles: Cognitive Offloaders (15% of the sample), Internal Visualizers (55%), External Visualizers (5%), and Non-Triers (25%). Cognitive Offloaders, skilled at minimizing cognitive load by eliminating incorrect options, demonstrated the highest MR accuracy rates at 45%. Internal Visualizers, relying less on digital tools and more on mental strategies, achieved robust performance with an average score of 38%. External Visualizers, despite their extensive use of assistive tools and greater time investment, scored an average of 36%. Non-Triers showed minimal engagement and correspondingly the lowest performance, averaging 29%. These findings not only underscore the diverse strategies students adopt in solving MR tasks but also emphasize the need for educational strategies that are tailored to accommodate different cognitive styles. By integrating MR training into the curriculum and enhancing teacher preparedness to support diverse learning needs, this study advocates for educational reforms to promote equitable outcomes in mathematics and broader STEM fields.

STEM Support for Students with Disabilities

One of the biggest challenges facing students with disabilities (SWDs) is not aptitude. History has shown that this constituency can thrive in a number of fields, especially if provided the necessary support to navigate such. Rather, the success of SWDs often depends on the level of backing they receive as they pursue success in an array of careers. Specifically, their success in STEM fields is not as farfetched as one might imagine. Although they may have to overcome low expectations of others during their matriculation through their educational journey, they often find their STEM identity and belonging via their families and extended student learning communities. Many times, the employment of the arts in STEM instruction serves as a mental-scaffolding agent for the SWD population, creating the bridge necessary to help them engage successfully within STEM spheres. Implications for teachers and school leaders are various. From incorporating instructional practices drawing from a theory of universal design for learning to harnessing support from colleagues within social media circles, strategies that support SWDs as they pursue STEM careers carry monumental weight and help to level the playing field in their quest to excel therein.

Evaluating the effectiveness of spatial training for introductory geology students

Abstract Spatial skills, which represent the ability to visualize and imagine manipulating objects in one’s mind, are necessary for success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and are particularly relied upon by geoscientists. Although scholars recognize the importance of these skills, explicit training is inconsistently offered throughout courses. Furthermore, the relationship between spatial training and students’ perspectives on STEM fields is underexplored. To address this, we developed a case study that included over 700 students enrolled in introductory geology classes over three semesters. These students were randomly divided into control and experimental groups; the experimental group completed 10 spatial training assignments, and the control group completed the course as usual. We relied on situated expectancy-value theory to interpret changes in students’ perceptions of both the course and science overall, and asked the following research questions: (1) Do students who complete the spatial training assignments (i.e., the experimental group) have a statistically significant improvement in their final course grade, self-efficacy, and/or value when compared to the control group? (2) If so, what are the effect sizes of these changes? (3) Is there a minimum number of trainings that need to be completed to achieve this effect? (4) Is there a maximum number of spatial training assignments where we stop seeing improvement (ceiling effect)? We surveyed all students enrolled using 38-question pre- and post-assessments of their self-efficacy, defined as a belief in their ability to succeed, and value. We found that between the control and experimental groups, there were significant differences in students’ pre- to post-changes in perception of science self-efficacy, class self-efficacy, and class value. We found non-significant between-group differences in final grade and science value. We interpret this to mean that using weekly spatial training assignments could increase students’ perceived self-efficacy in their introductory geology course as well as in science more broadly, potentially having ripple effects that support students’ long-term engagement with the sciences. Findings suggest that practitioners should include explicit spatial training in their courses to improve students’ perceptions of the course and science overall. Building on this work may include describing to students the purpose of spatial training (which was deliberately avoided in this study) and outlining the research that supports the relationship between spatial skills and success in STEM fields. Future directions may also include longitudinal tracking of spatial and related skill development throughout students’ college careers.

Visualizing Cross-Sections of 3D Objects: Developing Efficient Measures Using Item Response Theory.

Spatial ability is important for success in STEM fields but is typically measured using a small number of tests that were not developed in the STEM context, have not been normed with recent samples, or have not been subjected to modern psychometric analyses. Here, an approach to developing valid, reliable, and efficient computer-based tests of spatial skills is proposed and illustrated via the development of an efficient test of the ability to visualize cross-sections of three-dimensional (3D) objects. After pilot testing, three measures of this ability were administered online to 498 participants (256 females, aged 18-20). Two of the measures, the Santa Barbara Solids and Planes of Reference tests had good psychometric properties and measured a domain-general ability to visualize cross-sections, with sub-factors related to item difficulty. Item-level statistics informed the development of the refined versions of these tests and a combined measure composed of the most informative test items. Sex and ethnicity had no significant effects on the combined measure after controlling for mathematics education, verbal ability, and age. The measures ofcross-sectioning ability developed in the context of geology education were found to be too difficult, likely because they measured domain knowledge in addition to cross-sectioning ability. Recommendations are made for the use of cross-section tests in selection and training and for the more general development of spatial ability measures.

Modeling Immunological Networks in an Educational Setting using Cell Collective

Abstract One challenge in the teaching of immunology is the complexity of the subject. Immunology presents a long list of unique cells, signaling molecules, receptor-ligand interactions, regulatory mechanisms, developmental pathways, and outcomes that can feel burdensome to instructors and unapproachable to students. The beauty of this subject, however, is that these unique features interact in networks that parallel those in other biological fields. Visualizing the interactions between tissues, cells, and molecules of the immune system and their outcomes can promote immunological literacy and a broad understanding of biological systems. Cell Collective (cellcollective.org) is an open-access, approachable software system that allows students and researchers alike to build models and perform simulations of biological processes. Students can use this interactive platform to probe cell-cell interactions, signaling pathways, metabolic networks, etc. while building systems thinking and computational skills, which are critical for success in STEM fields. After building models, real-time simulations can be run to visualize and understand the dynamics of the biological system under conditions of environmental pressure, disease, mutation, etc. Instructors can assess student knowledge by building assessments into modules in a formative or summative manner. Because it is free, user-friendly, and offers a host of pre-built training, educational and experimental modules, Cell Collective is ideally suited for use in all types of educational settings. Supported by a grant from the NSF (RCN-UBE) 2120806

Female mentors positively contribute to undergraduate STEM research experiences.

The positive influence of undergraduate research and mentoring on student success in STEM fields has been well-established. However, the role that the gender of a research mentor may play in the undergraduate research experience warrants further investigation. This is an especially critical issue to address, since the lack of female role models in STEM fields is acknowledged as an impediment to the success and progress of women pursuing STEM-careers. To evaluate how the gender of undergraduate research mentors influences the research experience of students, we collected and analyzed surveys from undergraduates and alumni who had completed undergraduate research at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. We found that even though students did not select mentors based on gender, there were differences in how students perceived their mentors, depending on the gender of their mentors. Interestingly, students with female mentors were more likely than students with male mentors to report that their research experience had prepared them for a career in science. Further, our gender-pairing analyses revealed that students who expressed that the gender of their mentor had contributed to their relationship with their mentor were more likely to have a female mentor. Our data indicate that female mentors favorably influence the undergraduate research experience of both male and female students. Finally, our study reinforces the conclusions of previous studies demonstrating that undergraduate research and mentoring are beneficial for students. Overall, our findings support that, for students to fully benefit from their undergraduate research experience, undergraduate research opportunities for students should include an equitable representation of female mentors.

Developing Spatial Skills through Mental Rotation Activities

Success in STEM fields depends largely on robust spatial skills, in particular on the ability to perform a mental rotation. Given that this ability can be nurtured, this article includes examples of diverse relevant tasks appropriate for grades 6–8 students.

Enhancing Undergraduate Student Success in STEM Fields through Growth-Mindset and Grit

Concern about graduation rates in higher education has led universities to offer courses that help students develop success skills. Scientist Life Skills, a new course for freshman at Florida A&M University, focuses on helping students matriculate into majors via development of growth mindset, grit, and critical thinking. Here, we assessed the outcomes of this course and explored the associations between building life skills and student success. A series of mindset, grit, and critical-thinking assessment measures were used to collect data before and after the course. Our results showed that the new course achieved its intended goals of providing STEM students with a set of tools that help them seamlessly transition into the university and successfully matriculate through their majors. Specifically, the course design significantly moved students toward a growth-mindset, increased their critical thinking, and their second-semester grade point averages (GPAs). This model life skills course can be adopted in non-STEM areas as well.

Using a Repetitive Instructional Intervention to Improve Students’ Higher-Order Thinking Skills

The ability to synthesize and communicate complicated problems with confidence is paramount for success in STEM fields, but programs tend to overemphasize memorization. We conducted a preliminary study to determine if asking students to repeatedly link materials 1) improved students' ability to build connections, and 2) increased students' confidence. Student accuracy and complexity response scores increased over the 5-week experiment, but student confidence did not. Our findings indicate the importance of providing students across STEM disciplines with as many opportunities as possible to practice using higher-order thinking skills to the benefit of STEM fields, educational programs, and students.

Mentorship and protégé success in STEM fields.

Einstein believed that mentors are especially influential in a protégé's intellectual development, yet the link between mentorship and protégé success remains a mystery. We marshaled genealogical data on nearly 40,000 scientists who published 1,167,518 papers in biomedicine, chemistry, math, or physics between 1960 and 2017 to investigate the relationship between mentorship and protégé achievement. In our data, we find groupings of mentors with similar records and reputations who attracted protégés of similar talents and expected levels of professional success. However, each grouping has an exception: One mentor has an additional hidden capability that can be mentored to their protégés. They display skill in creating and communicating prizewinning research. Because the mentor's ability for creating and communicating celebrated research existed before the prize's conferment, protégés of future prizewinning mentors can be uniquely exposed to mentorship for conducting celebrated research. Our models explain 34-44% of the variance in protégé success and reveals three main findings. First, mentorship strongly predicts protégé success across diverse disciplines. Mentorship is associated with a 2×-to-4× rise in a protégé's likelihood of prizewinning, National Academy of Science (NAS) induction, or superstardom relative to matched protégés. Second, mentorship is significantly associated with an increase in the probability of protégés pioneering their own research topics and being midcareer late bloomers. Third, contrary to conventional thought, protégés do not succeed most by following their mentors' research topics but by studying original topics and coauthoring no more than a small fraction of papers with their mentors.

Parents’ Occupations and Students’ Success in STEM Fields: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

There is a well-established body of literature regarding how formal aspects of school impact high school students’ interest, achievement, and persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, less is known regarding the influence of informal factors (e.g., parents, social groups) on these STEM outcomes. This study helps address this gap by synthesizing interdisciplinary, international research on the role of parents’ professionalism and parents’ STEM occupation on a variety of STEM-related outcomes. Resulting evidence indicated a positive relationship between parents’ professionalism—a measure of job status such that professional occupations are defined as requiring high-level literacy and numeracy skills that are typically gained as a result of postsecondary education—and high school students’ success and persistence in STEM fields. With respect to parents employed in STEM occupations and high school students’ success and persistence in STEM fields, there was also an observed connection. Female and minority students tended to see more wide-ranging benefits from having a professional or STEM parent than did male and white students respectively. This study helps to draw insights into the role of parents’ occupation in influencing STEM achievement and participation.

The independent contributions of gender stereotypes and gender identification in predicting primary school pupils’ expectancies of success in STEM fields

AbstractOn the basis of the expectancy‐value theory of achievement, this paper aims to examine the relative contributions of gender‐stereotype endorsement and gender identification on expectancies for success in STEM fields. In a sample of 880 Croatian primary school pupils of approximately 12 years of age, stereotyped beliefs about gender‐appropriateness of STEM‐related professions (stereotype endorsement) and self‐perception as a typical representative of one's gender (gender identification) were first assessed. Participants also reported their expectations for success in each of the STEM‐related professions previously used for establishing stereotype endorsement. Stereotype endorsement and gender identification separately interacted with gender to predict expectancies for success in STEM‐related professions. Higher levels of stereotype endorsement and gender identification fostered stereotype‐consistent expectancies for success in STEM fields (higher expectancies for boys than for girls). Implications are discussed in terms of strategies to encourage girls to engage in STEM‐related careers.

Transforming STEM Education in Hispanic Serving Institutions in the United States: A Consensus Report

The recent, rapid proliferation of higher education institutions with 25% or more undergraduate Hispanic student enrollment, particularly in the Southwest, coupled with the persistent gap in Hispanic student success in STEM fields, highlights a national need for building and strengthening capacity to better support all students at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). This report serves as an executive summary of key recommendations that emerged from extensive analyses of critical needs, challenges, and opportunities related to improving STEM education in HSIs. Inputs were generated during a 2017 working conference convened, in part, to inform the development of a HSI program through the National Science Foundation (NSF). The conference was intentionally designed to maximize opportunities for collaboration among students, faculty, and administrators from both 2-year and 4-year HSIs.

Latinas’ heritage language as a source of resiliency: impact on academic achievement in STEM fields

This article highlights how the preservation of heritage languages is essential in the construction of three Georgia Latina participants’ cultural identities and the creation of support networks that allow them to develop resiliency and achieve academically. We conceptualize resiliency as a strategy developed by the Latina participants using contextually mitigating factors during their STEM education. The findings presented in this manuscript are part of a larger, ongoing study of Latina resiliency and their paths to success in STEM fields in two states: Georgia and Texas. Following James Spradley’s guidelines, data were collected via three separate semi-structured interviews with each participant. Intrinsic, multiple case studies were used to find both commonalities and differences, as well as to deepen our understanding of the role of the participants’ heritage language in their development of resiliency in each particular case. The findings presented here were not part of a preconceived research hypothesis, but rather a theme that emerged while analyzing data collected in the state of Georgia. Georgia is not home to a long-established Hispanic/Latino population, but rather is part of the New Latino Diaspora (Wortham, Murillo and Hamann in Education in the new Latino diaspora: policy and the politics of identity. Ablex Publishing, New York, 2002), and therefore local natives do not necessarily perceive Latino immigrants and the Spanish language either as long-standing or permanent features of the state. In fact, in response to the growing diversity of the state during the past generation, Georgia has implemented multiple educational policies hostile toward immigrants and linguistic diversity (Beck and Allexsaht-Snider in Education in the new Latino diaspora: policy and the politics of identity. Ablex Press, Westport, 2002). Our findings suggest that the Latina participants’ heritage languages allow them to engage in cultural traditions, encouraged by their families, that are central to their heritage and identity and, thereby provide a medium for the development of the resiliency they need for academic success. The Spanish language allows them to maintain communication with their families and communities, enabling them to participate in a set of interactions and relationships. These, in turn, form the support networks needed to enact resilience in overcoming obstacles to pursuing their interest in STEM—an interest seen by society as incongruous with their gender and ethnicity.

A Nuanced Look at Women in STEM Fields at Two-Year Colleges: Factors That Shape Female Students' Transfer Intent.

In this study, we explored the relationship between the intent to transfer upward and a set of motivational, contextual, and socio-demographic background factors among 696 female students beginning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs or courses at two-year colleges in a Midwestern state. Drawing upon survey data and administrative records, our multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that students' math and science self-efficacy beliefs, as well as transfer-oriented interaction, were significant and positive predictors for their intent to transfer into STEM fields as opposed to having no intent to transfer. In addition, the association between transfer intent and these key motivational and contextual factors was moderated by students' racial/ethnic backgrounds, marital status, and childcare obligations. For example, despite the positive relationship between transfer-oriented interaction and the intention to transfer into STEM fields, Black women were less likely to have intent to transfer into STEM fields than White students until Black students reported a moderate level of transfer-oriented interaction. Conversely, Hispanic students were more likely to report intent to transfer into STEM fields than their White peers, even when Hispanic students reported a relatively low level of engagement in transfer-oriented interaction. These and other reported findings bear important and nuanced implications as policymakers, educators, and researchers continue to discover ways to better support women's educational pathways and success in STEM fields at and through two-year colleges.

The incremental validity of beliefs and attitudes for predicting mathematics achievement

STEM-related industries are a major driver of U.S. economic growth and possessing mathematics skills is a central component of success in STEM fields. Thus, it is important to identify predictors of mathematics achievement in high school students. Some previous research has shown that students' beliefs and attitudes are important predictors of their mathematics grades and achievement. In the present paper, we examined the ability of mathematics beliefs and attitudes to predict ACT mathematics test scores by analyzing data from a questionnaire designed using the Theory of Planned Behavior framework given to high school juniors and seniors who had recently taken the ACT. Results revealed that mathematics attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, and intentions were all significantly correlated with mathematics course grades and ACT mathematics scores. Attitudes also incrementally predicted ACT mathematics scores over several key variables. The article concludes with a discussion of limitations and future directions.

Participation in STEM Fields and 2d:4d in University Faculty

Success in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is dependent in part upon an individual’s cognitive ability in the areas of abstract mathematical reasoning and spatial reasoning. These abilities are related to prenatal hormone levels and can be estimated by measuring finger-size ratios. Specifically, the ratio between an individual’s second and fourth digits (2d:4d) is inversely related to prenatal androgen exposure. Smaller 2d:4d ratios are associated with higher scores on measures of abstract mathematical and spatial reasoning. Here we used a novel method for measuring 2d:4d. We digitally photographed and then measured ratios of university faculty members. We found that male university faculty in STEM fields exhibited smaller ratios than males in other academic fields (e.g., history, literature). On average, women within STEM fields exhibited a larger ratio than did women in other fields, indicating a wider variety of influences on their success in these fields. Our results suggest that prenatal androgen exposure likely plays a role in determining career path, but that success in STEM fields is

How Much Can Spatial Training Improve STEM Achievement?

Spatial training has been indicated as a possible solution for improving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) achievement and degree attainment. Advocates for this approach have noted that the correlation between spatial ability and several measures of STEM achievement suggests that spatial training should focus on improving students’ spatial ability. Although spatial ability can be improved with targeted training, few studies have examined specifically the relation between spatial training and STEM achievement. In this brief report, we review the evidence to date for the effectiveness of spatial training. We argue that spatial training offers one of the many promising avenues for increasing student success in STEM fields, but research studies that show such training causally improve retention, achievement, and degree attainment remain outstanding.

Gaming Experience and Spatial Learning in a Virtual Morris Water Maze

Experience playing video games has been associated with perceptual and cognitive improvements (e.g., Castel, Pratt, & Drummond, 2005; Boot, Kramer, Simons, Fabiani, & Gratton, 2008; Colzato, van den Wildenberg, & Hommel, 2013; Oei & Patterson, 2013) For instance, video gamers show superior spatial abilities than non-gamers (Greenfield, Graig, & Lohr, 1994; Feng, Spence, and Pratt, 2007; Green & Bavelier, 2003). Given that such abilities have been associated with educational and vocational success in STEM fields (Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2009), it is important to understand the relationship between them and video game experience. In past research, virtual versions of the Morris Water Maze (VMWM) have been used to investigate spatial learning in non-human subjects. Yet, the extent of VMWM’s ability to reliably and validly assess human spatial learning is relatively unknown. We developed a VMWM within the Second Life (2015) virtual world and conducted a pilot study with 12 eighth grade students. In the experiment, the participants learned to find the location of a platform in the VMWM. We analyzed performance on the task to identify data trends indicative of spatial learning. Specifically, we compared performance between males and females with varying levels of gaming expertise. In this article, we report on an analysis of navigation strategies as measured by participants’ path lengths and patterns, and we discuss the implications of these results in assessing spatial cognition.