Summer Science Program Research Articles

Teaching health justice and reimagining narratives of place through community‐driven science practices

AbstractThis study explores how a biology teacher from a summer science program engaged high school students of color in a three‐week science unit exploring community health at the intersection of history, race, place, and power. The goal of this study is to better understand what community‐driven science looks like in a science classroom when a health equity unit is guided by a biology teacher who engages the socio‐historical, political, and relational aspects of community structure and agency. Using student and instructor interviews, program observations, and student artifacts, I examine how the instructor's positioning as a Black woman scientist shaped her goals and vision and the instructional and pedagogical resources made available during the unit. In addition, I explore how engaging in community‐driven science practices during the unit such as critical inquiry and data analysis supported students' sense making about community health and the possibilities they imagined for their communities. Findings illuminate how engaging community health at the intersection of history, race, place, and power shaped engagement in community‐driven science practices and supported student sense making in ways that surfaced challenges, tensions, and opportunities for disrupting and reimagining community narratives. Further, finding highlight the importance of an instructor's lived experiences and pedagogical vision in supporting emergent forms of student agency and place remaking, and generating possibilities for community healing and hope.

Scientific Research Identity Development Need Not Wait Until College: Examining the Motivational Impact of a Pre-college Authentic Research Experience

The current study used self-determination theory to examine the efficacy of an established and rigorous STEM enrichment program, the Summer Science Program, in promoting high school students’ motivation for, and identification with, scientific research. Results of latent change analyses indicated that students’ scientific research identity, intrinsic research motivation, and psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness increased significantly across two timepoints. Results of hierarchical regression analyses also indicated that satisfaction of autonomy and competence needs at a prior time point was positively associated with later intrinsic research motivation These analyses also suggested that intrinsic research motivation was both a distal and proximal predictor of scientific research identity. Overall, our findings suggest that engaging in authentic research as a high school student has the ability to promote motivation and retention in STEM and plays an important role in facilitating the socialization and assimilation of students into the broader scientific community.

Beginning teachers’ knowledge-in-practice of multicultural science education

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the results of a qualitative case study of three beginning elementary teachers’ knowledge-in-practice of multicultural science education.Design/methodology/approachData included interviews, focus group discussions, audio-recorded lessons and daily field notes through the course of a month-long summer science program. Data were coded deductively using a framework of receptivity and resistance, and then coded inductively to determine themes within each category of data.FindingsAnalysis revealed three key elements of teachers’ knowledge-in-practice: positive perceptions of teaching for social justice, practices that overlooked students’ perspectives and practices that discounted race and culture in science.Originality/valueInsights from this case study respond to the well-documented need to address the gap between knowledge and practice in multicultural science education by revealing potential roadblocks and guideposts useful for bridging this gap.

A Neoindigenous Perspective on Language Silencing in Science Education

The authors draw on their own experiences as practitioners, one as a Biology and Agriculture teacher in Kenya, and the other as an educator in a summer science program serving African American youth in a city in the Midwestern United States. They document and analyze moments of language contestation and explore the use of the construct of neoindigenous to see in what ways it illuminates new understandings of continued colonization through language silencing in relation to science teaching and learning. A self-study methodology is used, which includes memory work, narrative, and conversation, and allows the researchers to fuse personal narrative and sociocultural exploration. What emerges are glimpses of what is lost and rendered valueless when English and the language of science are positioned as elite and correct. The research also shows the difficulty for educators of diminishing the power of science that is sustained by access to its language, even when they intentionally try to create hybrid spaces that value non-dominant student language.

Importance of Spiritual Wellbeing in Community-Based Health Interventions in Indigenous Peoples in BC

Background: The health gap between Indigenous peoples and other populations in Canada is of concern. Various health promotion and wellness programs have been attempted in Indigenous communities, but many of these programs have been ineffectual partly because they are not culturally sensitive, culturally relevant, or wholistic. Purpose: This narrative review discusses the foundational concepts of wholistic health and community-based programming with reference to two programs based at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Tu’Wusht Garden Project and the Summer Science Program, that integrate spiritual wellbeing into health programming. We further discuss how the frameworks from these programs can be used in other Indigenous communities. Foundational Concepts: The wholistic or Indigenous model of health is guided by the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and includes mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. While current health programs often address physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, they frequently fail to incorporate spiritual wellbeing because of how diffuse spiritual wellbeing can be as a concept for health practitioners in Canada. Discussion: The Tu’Wusht Garden Project utilizes traditional activities (like gardening and ceremony) to integrate spiritual health into programming and engage Indigenous community members in health programming. The UBC Summer Science uses a contemporary Two-Eyed Seeing approach to blend Western and Indigenous health lessons. This includes spiritual health into programming and offsets any weakness of Western or Indigenous health models. Both programs have received strong support from Indigenous peoples. Conclusions: Collectively, these programs demonstrate the importance of including spiritual health lessons within health and wellness programming within Indigenous communities.

Mentorship Called Key to Bringing Diversity to Psychiatric Workforce

Mentorship Called Key to Bringing Diversity to Psychiatric Workforce

Authentic science with citizen science and student‐driven science fair projects

AbstractThis study reports on the process and development of middle school science fair projects inspired by a summer science program of citizen science monitoring (Monarch Larvae Monitoring Project) with their classroom teacher. We gathered and analyzed qualitative data (interviews, focus groups, and project boards). Our analysis revealed three key findings: (1) the process of developing and completing a student‐driven investigation for a science fair engages students in the scientific practices envisioned by the Next Generation Science Standards, (2) citizen science served as a springboard for the development of authentic participation in science, and (3) there are dual roles of a teacher as both mentor and master. Our findings have important implications for science education and student science fairs.

Evaluation Report: Sensational Activities in Summer Science 2017

This article reports the results of an evaluation of a summer science program for blind and visually impaired youth that took place in 2017. The program was conducted by members of a state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind.

Cultura científica desde la universidad. Evaluación de la competencia investigativa en estudiantes de Verano Científico

La formación de jóvenes investigadores desde la educación terciaria, representa una preocupación latente en los centros educativos a nivel global. En ese sentido existen iniciativas, tanto públicas como privadas, que incentivan la cultura científica dentro y fuera del currículum escolar; en México se encuentran los Veranos Científicos (VC). Estos programas de promoción de la ciencia, buscan dotar a los universitarios de competencias para la investigación con el afán de su inserción a la producción, generación y transferencia del conocimiento mediante diversas vías: formación científica, estudios de posgrado, colaboración con equipos consolidados de investigación, entre otras, y contribuir al desarrollo social, económico y tecnológico de su región. En tal, esta investigación indaga los niveles de competencia investigativa mostrados en ocho generaciones de egresados de VC de una institución de educación pública del estado de Sinaloa, México.En el trabajo de campo participaron un total de 227 veraniegos divididos en cuatro áreas del conocimiento: 1) ciencias económico administrativas, 2) ciencias sociales y humanidades, 3) ingeniería y tecnología y 4) ciencias biológicas. El instrumento para la recolección de datos fue un cuestionario estructurado compuesto por 34 ítems; para su análisis, se recurrió a la estadística no paramétrica a fin de contrastar los niveles de la competencia entre los distintos subgrupos de veraniegos. Los resultados tienen un alcance descriptivo, pero permiten visualizar un espectro teórico y empírico de las necesidades y fortalezas de programas de formación de jóvenes investigadores.

A case study of long-term engagement and identity-in-practice: Insights into the STEM pathways of four underrepresented youths

Our longitudinal study unpacks how an informal summer science and mathematics enrichment program influenced the educational pathways of four first-generation college-bound students. Through the lens of identity-in-practice and navigations, we explore their figured worlds of science, positioning and authoring of self in science as they applied to the program, as they participated in the program and later, in light of their college pathways. We explore the range of social and material supports the program made available to the four youth. We also show how they became consequential and for some facilitated navigations into college and STEM degrees while others experienced uncoordinated practices over time that pushed them out of science. Our study of local struggles at three pivotal moments in time attests to the agentive side of youth as they navigate in and out of science and engage in improvisational acts to get educated despite being tangled up in a matrix of oppression. At the same time, our study calls for systemic approaches that bring formal and informal science venues together in a more seamless manner. We call for a strength-based model that recognizes and leverages youths' figured worlds, positionings, and authored selves in science across context and over time in ways that they become consequential, empowering, and supportive of STEM pathways. We also call for more longitudinal studies committed to a theoretical grounding in identity-in-practice and navigations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 768–801, 2016

Effect of Summer Science Camp on Turkish Gifted Students’ Views of Nature of Science

This study examines the effect of a summer science camp involved in explicit-reflective Nature of Science (NOS) instruction on Turkish gifted students’ views of NOS. During the teaching intervention, six experienced faculties and two teachers taught six explicit-reflective NOS activities (90 minutes per day through a seven-day period) to 30 gifted students drawn from three Science and Art Centers (SACs). An open-ended Views of NOS Questionnaire was used to assess the students’ NOS views before and after the summer science camp. The pre-test results showed that nearly half of the participants fell into either the informed level or the transitional level of the NOS. After the teaching intervention, findings revealed that the number of students, who held naïve views of empirical, creative and imaginative aspects reduced, and the students improved to the transitional view, not informed one. In addition, a few students’ views of the tentative aspect in the NOS changed from naïve and transitional views into informed ones. These slight improvements in the views are likely due to the gifted students’ pre-existing knowledge of the NOS and supplying comprehensive instruction and training through limited time. A residential summer science program is recommended to overcome the encountered pitfalls and to educate the Turkish gifted students.

The Use of Photo Elicitation Interviews in Summer Science Programs to Determine Children's Perceptions of Being a Scientist

Reform-based science education emphasizes the need for engagement in authentic science, that is, work that resembles real-life scientific practices. However, few studies address the notion of authenticity from the participants' perspectives. As such, this study addresses the following: What events do young participants view as scientific? To what extent do participant perceptions of authentic herpetology work align with what herpetologists actually do in the field? Eighteen children (aged 7–11) were observed in two informal herpetology programs, one program focused on field studies and the other on classroom participation and observation. Through photograph elicitation interviews, a method in which participants take photographs and describe them to others, participants were asked to photograph activities that made them feel ‘like scientists’ as they participated in each week-long program. Perceptions of authenticity were directly linked to program structure and did not always reflect the practices of working herpetologists. The evidence from this study indicated that the methodologies used and experiences provided in the Herpetology program offered participants experiences that not only built on their interests, but also engaged them in the practical and informative work of herpetologists in the field. In contrast, the Reptiles program limited participant perceptions of herpetology to a broad sense of studying the environment with limited opportunities to engage in herpetological fieldwork.

Effectiveness of a Science Agricultural Summer Experience (SASE) in Recruiting Students to Natural Resources Management

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase in Natural Resource Management (NRM) jobs within the next 10 years due to baby-boomer retirements and a 12% increase in demand for these occupations. Despite this trend, college enrollment in NRM disciplines has declined. Even more critical is the fact that the soon-to-be-majority Hispanic population is underrepresented in NRM disciplines. The goal of the present study was to determine if an in-residence, two-week, summer science program for underrepresented minorities would not only increase interest in science, actual science knowledge, and perceived science knowledge, but also have an overall impact on underrepresented minority students’ decisions to attend college, major in a scientific discipline and pursue a career in science. During a four-year period, 76 high school students participated in a Science Agricultural Summer Experience (SASE) in Northern New Mexico. A pre/post science-knowledge exam and satisfaction survey were administered to participants. We demonstrate that participants improved significantly (p < .05) in all areas measured. In particular, comfort with science field and lab activities, science knowledge and perceived science knowledge were enhanced after exposure to the program. Students not only found science exciting and approachable after participation, but also exhibited increased interest in pursuing a degree and career in science. Of the 76 SASE participants within graduation age (n = 44), all graduated from high school; and 86% enrolled in college. These findings suggest that the implemented SASE initiative was effective in recruiting and increasing the confidence and abilities of underrepresented minority students in science.

A section devoted to profiles of renowned teachers and to the recognition and accomplishments of physiology teachers within the society

A section devoted to profiles of renowned teachers and to the recognition and accomplishments of physiology teachers within the society

Other Nations Catching Up to United States

Corporations and nations are in a race to make the next major scientific breakthroughs that will transform society and enhance our everyday lives. As Intel's lead technologist who oversees research labs across the globe, I spend a lot of time looking over my shoulder, wondering who will move a new concept more quickly to the marketplace or create a breakthrough that will eclipse even our most ambitious research efforts. What I see in the rear view is a cause for concern and action. Unless steps are taken now, the advantage the United States enjoys could be over within the next 10 years. India and China have built first-rate higher education systems and are churning out 10 times the number of engineers that we are in the United States. The Chinese government has created an entirely new degree program in software engineering, providing these new departments with bright young faculty members and new facilities. While enrollments in scientific and engineering disciplines swell in China and India, they are falling across the United States, and the quality of the students in the pipeline is declining as well. The most recent Nation's Report Card for science found that 41% of 8th graders and 46% of 12th graders performed below the basic level ([1][1]). The study revealed that although science achievement has improved for elementary school students over the last decade, it has remained flat for middle school students and declined among high schoolers. These results are similar to those of international studies ([2][2]). We need to move further and faster to strengthen science and mathematics education if we want the United States to continue to lead the world in scientific breakthroughs and technical innovations. As a junior high school student in the early 1960s, I had the opportunity as part of a special summer science program to visit the Hughes Research Laboratory in Malibu, California. There I saw the first ruby laser in development and was able to watch some of the finest scientists in the world growing the synthetic ruby that became the heart of the laser's intense beam of light. The visit inspired me so much that a few years later, I took up the study of applied physics at Cornell. We need to develop programs that bring young students into our top laboratories to see researchers at work first-hand. There is nothing like experiencing scientific discovery to excite someone about a career in science and technology. We also must pay more for quality teachers who understand the research process and can use that knowledge to instill a deep interest in science and mathematics in their students. Finally, the time is long past for a new national mission in science and engineering to capture the imagination of our youth the way the space program did following the launch of Sputnik. There is no doubt that we face challenges to our country that are every bit as great as those during the Cold War. Unfortunately, landing humans on Mars is not what we need and is only of interest to those inside the Beltway. Instead, energy independence and health care are prime examples of critical missions we must embrace at the national level. Where is our national leadership when the country needs a new mission that will ensure not only our security or health, but also our continued leadership in science and technology? 1. 1.[↵][3] The Nation's Report Card: Science 2005, see . 2. 2.[↵][4] Results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 1995, 1999 and 2003, see . [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [4]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2. in text

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Community OutReach Development Summer Science Institute Program: A 3-Yr Laboratory Research Experience for Inner-City Secondary-Level Students

This article describes and assesses the effectiveness of a 3-yr, laboratory-based summer science program to improve the academic performance of inner-city high school students. The program was designed to gradually introduce such students to increasingly more rigorous laboratory experiences in an attempt to interest them in and model what "real" science is like. The students are also exposed to scientific seminars and university tours as well as English and mathematics workshops designed to help them analyze their laboratory data and prepare for their closing ceremony presentations. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of student performance in these programs indicates that participants not only learn the vocabulary, facts, and concepts of science, but also develop a better appreciation of what it is like to be a "real" scientist. In addition, the college-bound 3-yr graduates of this program appear to be better prepared to successfully academically compete with graduates of other high schools; they also report learning useful job-related life skills. Finally, the critical conceptual components of this program are discussed so that science educators interested in using this model can modify it to fit the individual resources and strengths of their particular setting.

Evaluation of the Long-Term Impact of a University High School Summer Science Program on Students' Interest and Perceived Abilities in Science

Many biomedical research universities have established outreach programs for precollege students and teachers and partnerships with local school districts to help meet the challenges of science education reform. Science outreach programs held in university research facilities can make science more exciting and innovative for high school students and can offer them much more insight into the nature of science and laboratory research than is available in most high school science courses. This paper describes a long-term follow-up study of high school students enrolled in the Summer Science Academy program at the University of Rochester to investigate the program's impact on students' perceived abilities in higher level science courses, on participation in extracurricular science programs, as well as the program's impact on student interest in pursuing a career in science. Students' exposure during SSA to advanced laboratory techniques and their participation in authentic science investigations provided them with a very positive hands-on experience. Students who attended the program indicated that it provided a positive influence on their performance in advanced science courses, as well as their decision to participate in other science programs and their desire to pursue a career in science.

Evaluation of Short-Term Impact of a High School Summer Science Program on Students' Perceived Knowledge and Skills

Summer science programs held in university research facilities provide ideal opportunities for pre-college students to master new skills and renew, refresh, and enrich their interest in science. These types of programs have a positive impact on a student's understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry and can open a youngster's eyes to the many possible career opportunities in science. This paper describes a study of high school students enrolled in the Summer Science Academy program at the University of Rochester that investigates the program's impact on students' knowledge of laboratory skills, as well as the impact on student interest in pursuing a career in science. Students' exposure to advanced laboratory techniques and their interaction with professional scientists provided them with a very positive hands-on experience. Students who attended the program felt more confident in their ability to use sophisticated laboratory skills and that the Summer Science Academy program provided a positive influence on their performance in advanced science courses, as well as their desire to pursue a career in science.

Education and career paths of LSU's summer science program students from 1985 to 1997.

Since 1985, the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, through its Office of Community and Minority Health Education, has operated the Summer Science Program for Louisiana high school students from underrepresented minorities. The authors conducted a survey during the 1997-98 academic year of the 773 students who had participated in the summer program from 1985 to 1997. The goal was to learn what education and career paths these students had taken since leaving the program. A total of 665 students (89.4%) responded. Sixty-one were still in high school, 11 had not continued their education after completing high school, but 432 of the remaining 583 students had chosen education paths in medicine, another health profession, or science, and 31 were enrolled in or had graduated from medical school. These findings indicate that the majority of the summer program students had maintained the health and/or science career interests they had expressed during their time in the program. Future studies will use control groups to better ascertain how influential the summer program was in helping students choose and maintain science and health education and career paths.

The Black Ribbon

The Black Ribbon