Mathematical Modeling: A Bridge to STEM Education
Kertil, Mahmut; Gurel, Cem
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study is making a theoretical discussion on the relationship between mathematical modeling and integrated STEM education. First of all, STEM education perspective and the construct of mathematical modeling in mathematics education is introduced. A review of literature is provided on how mathematical modeling literature may…
Milaturrahmah, Naila; Mardiyana, Pramudya, Ikrar
2017-08-01
This 21st century demands competent human resources in science, technology, engineering design and mathematics so that education is expected to integrate the four disciplines. This paper aims to describe the importance of STEM as mathematics learning approach in Indonesia in the 21st century. This paper uses a descriptive analysis research method, and the method reveals that STEM education growing in developed countries today can be a framework for innovation mathematics in Indonesia in the 21st century. STEM education integrate understanding of science, math skills, and the available technology with the ability to perform engineering design process. Implementation of mathematics learning with STEM approach makes graduates trained in using of mathematics knowledge that they have to create innovative products that are able to solve the problems that exist in society.
STEM Education: What Does Mathematics Have to Offer?
Fitzallen, Noleine
2015-01-01
The emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in recent times could be perceived as business as usual or as an opportunity for innovation and change in mathematics classrooms. Either option presents challenges for mathematics educators who are expected to contribute to the foundations of a STEM literate…
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Issues and Legislative Options
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Kuenzi, Jeffrey J; Matthews, Christine M; Mangan, Bonnie F
2006-01-01
There is growing concern that the United States is not preparing a sufficient number of students, teachers, and practitioners in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM...
Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science: 25 Years of Early College STEM Opportunities
Sayler, Michael F.
2015-01-01
The University of North Texas's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science began admitting students to its 2-year early college entrance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program in the fall of 1988. This program provided accelerated entry for top students in Texas in the areas of mathematics and science. Approximately 200…
Karahan, Engin; Canbazoglu Bilici, Sedef; Unal, Aycin
2015-01-01
Problem Statement: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education aims at improving students' knowledge and skills in science and math, and thus their attitudes and career choices in these areas. The ultimate goal in STEM education is to create scientifically literate individuals who can survive in the global economy. The…
Michaluk, Lynnette; Stoiko, Rachel; Stewart, Gay; Stewart, John
2018-04-01
Elementary teachers often hold inaccurate beliefs about the Nature of Science (NoS) and have negative attitudes toward science and mathematics. Using a pre-post design, the current study examined beliefs about the NoS, attitudes toward science and mathematics, and beliefs about the teaching of mathematics and science in a large sample study ( N = 343) of pre-service teachers receiving a curriculum-wide intervention to improve these factors in comparison with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM majors in other physics courses ( N = 6697) who did not receive the intervention, over a 10-year period. Pre-service teachers evidenced initially more negative attitudes about mathematics and science than STEM majors and slightly more positive attitudes than non-STEM majors. Their attitudes toward mathematics and science and beliefs about the NoS were more similar to non-STEM than STEM majors. Pre-service teachers initially evidenced more positive beliefs about the teaching of mathematics and science, and their beliefs even increased slightly over the course of the semester, while these beliefs in other groups remained the same. Beliefs about the NoS and the teaching of mathematics and science were significantly negatively correlated for STEM and non-STEM majors, but were not significantly correlated for pre-service teachers. Beliefs about the NoS and attitudes toward mathematics and science were significantly positively correlated for both pre-service teachers and STEM students pursing the most mathematically demanding STEM majors. Attitudes toward science and mathematics were significantly positively correlated with accurate beliefs about the teaching of mathematics and science for all student groups.
Toker, Yonca; Ackerman, Phillip L.
2012-01-01
With an aim to improve vocational interest assessments geared toward the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas, we developed a new assessment by incorporating occupational complexity levels. Occupations which correspond to Holland's realistic and investigative themes were identified together with their complexity levels…
Mathematical Description and Mechanistic Reasoning: A Pathway toward STEM Integration
Weinberg, Paul J.
2017-01-01
Because reasoning about mechanism is critical to disciplined inquiry in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains, this study focuses on ways to support the development of this form of reasoning. This study attends to how mechanistic reasoning is constituted through mathematical description. This study draws upon Smith's…
Stevenson, Heidi J.
2014-01-01
The Business Roundtable (2013) website presents a common narrative in regard to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, "American students are falling behind in math and science. Fewer and fewer students are pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and American students are performing at…
O'Neal, Melissa Jean
Canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 achievement databases encompassing information from fourth/eighth grades. Student achievement in life science/biology was correlated with achievement in mathematics and other sciences across three analytical areas: mathematics and science student performance, achievement in cognitive domains, and achievement in content domains. Strong correlations between student achievement in life science/biology with achievement in mathematics and overall science occurred for both high- and low-performing education systems. Hence, partial emphases on the inter-subject connections did not always lead to a better student learning outcome in STEM education. In addition, student achievement in life science/biology was positively correlated with achievement in mathematics and science cognitive domains; these patterns held true for correlations of life science/biology with mathematics as well as other sciences. The importance of linking student learning experiences between and within STEM domains to support high performance on TIMSS assessments was indicated by correlations of moderate strength (57 TIMSS assessments was indicated by correlations of moderate strength (57 mathematics, and other sciences. At the eighth grade level, students who built increasing levels of cognitive complexity upon firm foundations were prepared for successful learning throughout their educational careers. The results from this investigation promote a holistic design of school learning opportunities to improve student achievement in life science/biology and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects at the elementary and middle school levels. While the curriculum can vary from combined STEM subjects to separated mathematics or science courses, both professional learning communities (PLC) for teachers and problem-based learning (PBL) for learners can be
Schmuck, Claudine
2017-01-01
This book presents the findings of a survey that analyzes a unique set of data in science and technolog and provides a clear and simple synthesis of heterogeneous databases on the gender gap in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) setting, helping readers understand key trends and developments. The need for more women in innovative fields, particularly with regard to STEM-based innovations, has now been broadly recognized. The book provides insights into both the education and employment of women in STEM. It investigates how the gender gap has evolved among STEM graduates and professionals around the world, drawing on specific data from public and private databases. As such, the book provides readers an understanding of how the so-called ‘leaky pipeline’ operates, and of how more women than men drop out of STEM studies and jobs by geographical area.
Opinions of Secondary School Science and Mathematics Teachers on STEM Education
Yildirim, Bekir; Türk, Cumhur
2018-01-01
In this study, the opinions of middle school science teachers and mathematics teachers towards STEM education were examined. The research was carried out for 30 hours with 28 middle school science and mathematics teachers who were working in Istanbul during the spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. 75% of these teachers are female teachers…
Nkere, Nsidi
2016-01-01
A qualitative case study was conducted by examining the perceptions of fifth-grade African American girls about their experiences with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and potential for STEM as a future career. As the United States suffers from waning participation across all demographics in STEM and a high level…
Nix, Samantha; Perez-Felkner, Lara; Thomas, Kirby
2015-01-01
Students' perceptions of their mathematics ability vary by gender and seem to influence science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree choice. Related, students' perceptions during academic difficulty are increasingly studied in educational psychology, suggesting a link between such perceptions and task persistence. Despite interest in examining the gender disparities in STEM, these concepts have not been considered in tandem. In this manuscript, we investigate how perceived ability under challenge-in particular in mathematics domains-influences entry into the most sex-segregated and mathematics-intensive undergraduate degrees: physics, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (PEMC). Using nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS) data, we estimate the influence of perceived ability under challenging conditions on advanced high school science course taking, selection of an intended STEM major, and specific major type 2 years after high school. Demonstrating the importance of specificity when discussing how gender influences STEM career pathways, the intersecting effects of gender and perceived ability under mathematics challenge were distinct for each scientific major category. Perceived ability under challenge in secondary school varied by gender, and was highly predictive of selecting PEMC and health sciences majors. Notably, women's 12th grade perceptions of their ability under mathematics challenge increased their probability of selecting PEMC majors over and above biology. In addition, gender moderated the effect of growth mindset on students' selection of health science majors. Perceptions of ability under challenge in general and verbal domains also influenced retention in and declaration of certain STEM majors. The implications of these results are discussed, with particular attention to access to advanced scientific coursework in high school and interventions aimed at enhancing young women's perceptions of
Nix, Samantha; Perez-Felkner, Lara; Thomas, Kirby
2015-01-01
Students' perceptions of their mathematics ability vary by gender and seem to influence science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree choice. Related, students' perceptions during academic difficulty are increasingly studied in educational psychology, suggesting a link between such perceptions and task persistence. Despite interest in examining the gender disparities in STEM, these concepts have not been considered in tandem. In this manuscript, we investigate how perceived ability under challenge—in particular in mathematics domains—influences entry into the most sex-segregated and mathematics-intensive undergraduate degrees: physics, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (PEMC). Using nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS) data, we estimate the influence of perceived ability under challenging conditions on advanced high school science course taking, selection of an intended STEM major, and specific major type 2 years after high school. Demonstrating the importance of specificity when discussing how gender influences STEM career pathways, the intersecting effects of gender and perceived ability under mathematics challenge were distinct for each scientific major category. Perceived ability under challenge in secondary school varied by gender, and was highly predictive of selecting PEMC and health sciences majors. Notably, women's 12th grade perceptions of their ability under mathematics challenge increased their probability of selecting PEMC majors over and above biology. In addition, gender moderated the effect of growth mindset on students' selection of health science majors. Perceptions of ability under challenge in general and verbal domains also influenced retention in and declaration of certain STEM majors. The implications of these results are discussed, with particular attention to access to advanced scientific coursework in high school and interventions aimed at enhancing young women
STEM Education and Leadership: A Mathematics and Science Partnership Approach
Twyford, John; Järvinen, Esa-Matti
2010-01-01
The issue of attracting more young people to choose careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has become critical for the United States. Recent studies by businesses, associations, and education have all agreed that the United States’ performance in the STEM disciplines have placed our nation in grave risk of relinquishing its competitive edge in the marketplace (e.g., Rising above the gathering storm, 2007). A Congressional Research Service (2006) report stated that...
2015-08-03
AND SUBTITLE Mobile STEMship Discovery Center: K-12 Aerospace-Based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Mobile Teaching Vehicle...Center program to be able to expose Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) space-inspired science centers for DC Metro beltway schools
Can Parents Influence Children's Mathematics Achievement and Persistence in STEM Careers?
Ing, Marsha
2014-01-01
This study explores the relationship between parental motivational practices, Children's mathematics achievement trajectories, and persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Nationally representative longitudinal survey data were analyzed using latent growth curve analysis. Findings indicate that…
Motivating Children to Develop Their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Talent
Andersen, Lori
2013-01-01
Motivation in mathematics and science appears to be more important to STEM occupational choice than ability. Using the expectancy value model, parents may be able to recognize potential barriers to children's selection of a STEM occupation and take actions to help facilitate talent development. These are especially important for parents of…
Wasserman, Nicholas H.; Rossi, Dara
2015-01-01
The recent trend to unite mathematically related disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) under the broader umbrella of STEM education has advantages. In this new educational context of integration, however, STEM teachers need to be able to distinguish between sufficient proof and reasoning across different disciplines,…
Connecting mathematics learning through spatial reasoning
Mulligan, Joanne; Woolcott, Geoffrey; Mitchelmore, Michael; Davis, Brent
2018-03-01
Spatial reasoning, an emerging transdisciplinary area of interest to mathematics education research, is proving integral to all human learning. It is particularly critical to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This project will create an innovative knowledge framework based on spatial reasoning that identifies new pathways for mathematics learning, pedagogy and curriculum. Novel analytical tools will map the unknown complex systems linking spatial and mathematical concepts. It will involve the design, implementation and evaluation of a Spatial Reasoning Mathematics Program (SRMP) in Grades 3 to 5. Benefits will be seen through development of critical spatial skills for students, increased teacher capability and informed policy and curriculum across STEM education.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Samantha eNix
2015-06-01
Full Text Available Students’ perceptions of their mathematics ability vary by gender and seem to influence science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM degree choice. Related, students’ perceptions during academic difficulty are increasingly studied in educational psychology, suggesting a link between such perceptions and task persistence. Despite interest in examining the gender disparities in STEM, these concepts have not been considered in tandem. We investigate how perceived ability under challenge – in particular in mathematics domains – influences entry into the most sex-segregated and mathematics-intensive undergraduate degrees: physics, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (PEMC. Using nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS data, we estimate the influence of perceived ability under challenging conditions on advanced high school science course taking, selection of an intended STEM major, and specific major type two years after high school. Demonstrating the importance of specificity when discussing how gender influences STEM career pathways, the intersecting effects of gender and perceived ability under mathematics challenge were distinct for each scientific major category. Perceived ability under challenge in secondary school varied by gender, and was highly predictive of selecting PEMC and health sciences majors. Notably, women’s 12th grade perceptions of their ability under mathematics challenge increased the probability that they would select PEMC majors, increasing women's probability of selecting PEMC over and above biology. In addition, gender moderated the effect of growth mindset on students’ selection of health science majors. The implications of these results are discussed, with particular attention to access to advanced scientific coursework in high school and interventions aimed at enhancing young women’s perceptions of their ability to facilitate their pathways to scientific degrees.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael Christie
Full Text Available Abstract Participation rates of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM is comparatively low and their attrition rates high. An obvious solution is to attract more women to study such subjects. In 2016 the authors undertook research to find out why so few women enrolled in STEM subjects and investigate ways of increasing their recruitment and retention in this area. The informants in our study were enrolled in a tertiary preparation course as well as nursing and education programs. A critique of the literature was used to develop a survey that informed focus group and interview schedules which were used in collecting data. Our study found that many of the factors that hindered women from applying for STEM courses twenty years ago still apply today and recommends actions that can help increase recruitment of women into STEM and assist their retention and graduation in those areas of tertiary education.
LeBeau, Brandon; Harwell, Michael; Monson, Debra; Dupuis, Danielle; Medhanie, Amanuel; Post, Thomas R.
2012-04-01
Background: The importance of increasing the number of US college students completing degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) has prompted calls for research to provide a better understanding of factors related to student participation in these majors, including the impact of a student's high-school mathematics curriculum. Purpose: This study examines the relationship between various student and high-school characteristics and completion of a STEM major in college. Of specific interest is the influence of a student's high-school mathematics curriculum on the completion of a STEM major in college. Sample: The sample consisted of approximately 3500 students from 229 high schools. Students were predominantly Caucasian (80%), with slightly more males than females (52% vs 48%). Design and method: A quasi-experimental design with archival data was used for students who enrolled in, and graduated from, a post-secondary institution in the upper Midwest. To be included in the sample, students needed to have completed at least three years of high-school mathematics. A generalized linear mixed model was used with students nested within high schools. The data were cross-sectional. Results: High-school predictors were not found to have a significant impact on the completion of a STEM major. Significant student-level predictors included ACT mathematics score, gender and high-school mathematics GPA. Conclusions: The results provide evidence that on average students are equally prepared for the rigorous mathematics coursework regardless of the high-school mathematics curriculum they completed.
Kumar, David Devraj
2017-01-01
This paper reports an analysis of an interactive technology-supported, problem-based learning (PBL) project in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from a Learning Sciences perspective using the Selected Learning Sciences Interest Areas (SLSIA). The SLSIA was adapted from the "What kinds of topics do ISLS [International…
STEM crisis or STEM surplus? Yes and yes.
Xue, Yi; Larson, Richard C
2015-05-01
The last decade has seen considerable concern regarding a shortage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers to meet the demands of the labor market. At the same time, many experts have presented evidence of a STEM worker surplus. A comprehensive literature review, in conjunction with employment statistics, newspaper articles, and our own interviews with company recruiters, reveals a significant heterogeneity in the STEM labor market: the academic sector is generally oversupplied, while the government sector and private industry have shortages in specific areas.
Heaverlo, Carol Ann
Researchers, policymakers, business, and industry have indicated that the United States will experience a shortage of professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Several strategies have been suggested to address this shortage, one of which includes increasing the representation of girls and women in the STEM fields. In order to increase the representation of women in the STEM fields, it is important to understand the developmental factors that impact girls' interest and confidence in STEM academics and extracurricular programs. Research indicates that greater confidence leads to greater interest and vice versa (Denissen et al., 2007). This study identifies factors that impact girls' interest and confidence in mathematics and science, defined as girls' STEM development. Using Bronfenbrenner's (2005) bioecological model of human development, several factors were hypothesized as having an impact on girls' STEM development; specifically, the macrosystems of region of residence and race/ethnicity, and the microsystems of extracurricular STEM activities, family STEM influence, and math/science teacher influence. Hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that extracurricular STEM involvement and math teacher influence were statistically significant predictors for 6--12th grade girls' interest and confidence in mathematics. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that the only significant predictor for 6--12th grade girls' interest and confidence in science was science teacher influence. This study provides new knowledge about the factors that impact girls' STEM development. Results can be used to inform and guide educators, administrators, and policy makers in developing programs and policy that support and encourage the STEM development of 6--12th grade girls.
Yoder, Jeremy B; Mattheis, Allison
2016-01-01
A survey of individuals working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, or asexual (LGTBQA) was administered online in 2013. Participants completed a 58-item questionnaire to report their professional areas of expertise, levels of education, geographic location, and gender and sexual identities and rated their work and social communities as welcoming or hostile to queer identities. An analysis of 1,427 responses to this survey provided the first broad portrait of this population, and it revealed trends related to workplace practices that can inform efforts to improve queer inclusivity in STEM workplaces.
Schmidt, Shelly J.; Bohn, Dawn M.; Rasmussen, Aaron J.; Sutherland, Elizabeth A.
2012-01-01
The overarching goal of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Initiative is to foster effective STEM teaching and learning throughout the educational system at the local, state, and national levels, thereby producing science literate citizens and a capable STEM workforce. To contribute to achieving this goal, we…
Koyunlu Unlu, Zeynep; Dokme, Ilbilge; Unlu, Veli
2016-01-01
Problem Statement: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has recently become a remarkable research topic, especially in developed countries as a result of the skilled workforce required in the fields of the STEM. Considering that professional tendencies are revealed at early ages, determining students' interest in STEM…
Connecting Mathematics Learning through Spatial Reasoning
Mulligan, Joanne; Woolcott, Geoffrey; Mitchelmore, Michael; Davis, Brent
2018-01-01
Spatial reasoning, an emerging transdisciplinary area of interest to mathematics education research, is proving integral to all human learning. It is particularly critical to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This project will create an innovative knowledge framework based on spatial reasoning that identifies new…
Content Area Literacy in the Mathematics Classroom
Armstrong, Abbigail; Ming, Kavin; Helf, Shawnna
2018-01-01
Content area literacy has an important role in helping students understand content in specific disciplines, such as mathematics. Although the strategies are not unique to each individual content area, they are often adapted for use in a specific discipline. For example, mathematicians use mathematical language to make sense of new ideas and…
Education Council, 2015
2015-01-01
There are many factors that affect student engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Underlying this are the views of the broader community--and parents in particular--about the relevance of STEM, and the approach to the teaching and learning of STEM from the early years and continuing throughout schooling. Connected…
Air Force-Wide Needs for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Academic Degrees
2014-01-01
anthropology (0190), mathematical statistics (1529), general math (AFIT faculty only), metallurgy (1321), and actuarial science (1510). 97 Tier II. Few...linking or frEE DownloAD At www.rand.org C O R P O R A T I O N Research Report Air Force–Wide Needs for Science , Technology, Engineering, and...00-00-2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Air Force-Wide Needs for Science , Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Academic Degrees 5a. CONTRACT
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jessica Ellis
Full Text Available The substantial gender gap in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM workforce can be traced back to the underrepresentation of women at various milestones in the career pathway. Calculus is a necessary step in this pathway and has been shown to often dissuade people from pursuing STEM fields. We examine the characteristics of students who begin college interested in STEM and either persist or switch out of the calculus sequence after taking Calculus I, and hence either continue to pursue a STEM major or are dissuaded from STEM disciplines. The data come from a unique, national survey focused on mainstream college calculus. Our analyses show that, while controlling for academic preparedness, career intentions, and instruction, the odds of a woman being dissuaded from continuing in calculus is 1.5 times greater than that for a man. Furthermore, women report they do not understand the course material well enough to continue significantly more often than men. When comparing women and men with above-average mathematical abilities and preparedness, we find women start and end the term with significantly lower mathematical confidence than men. This suggests a lack of mathematical confidence, rather than a lack of mathematically ability, may be responsible for the high departure rate of women. While it would be ideal to increase interest and participation of women in STEM at all stages of their careers, our findings indicate that if women persisted in STEM at the same rate as men starting in Calculus I, the number of women entering the STEM workforce would increase by 75%.
Ellis, Jessica; Fosdick, Bailey K; Rasmussen, Chris
2016-01-01
The substantial gender gap in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce can be traced back to the underrepresentation of women at various milestones in the career pathway. Calculus is a necessary step in this pathway and has been shown to often dissuade people from pursuing STEM fields. We examine the characteristics of students who begin college interested in STEM and either persist or switch out of the calculus sequence after taking Calculus I, and hence either continue to pursue a STEM major or are dissuaded from STEM disciplines. The data come from a unique, national survey focused on mainstream college calculus. Our analyses show that, while controlling for academic preparedness, career intentions, and instruction, the odds of a woman being dissuaded from continuing in calculus is 1.5 times greater than that for a man. Furthermore, women report they do not understand the course material well enough to continue significantly more often than men. When comparing women and men with above-average mathematical abilities and preparedness, we find women start and end the term with significantly lower mathematical confidence than men. This suggests a lack of mathematical confidence, rather than a lack of mathematically ability, may be responsible for the high departure rate of women. While it would be ideal to increase interest and participation of women in STEM at all stages of their careers, our findings indicate that if women persisted in STEM at the same rate as men starting in Calculus I, the number of women entering the STEM workforce would increase by 75%.
Ellis, Jessica; Fosdick, Bailey K.; Rasmussen, Chris
2016-01-01
The substantial gender gap in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce can be traced back to the underrepresentation of women at various milestones in the career pathway. Calculus is a necessary step in this pathway and has been shown to often dissuade people from pursuing STEM fields. We examine the characteristics of students who begin college interested in STEM and either persist or switch out of the calculus sequence after taking Calculus I, and hence either continue to pursue a STEM major or are dissuaded from STEM disciplines. The data come from a unique, national survey focused on mainstream college calculus. Our analyses show that, while controlling for academic preparedness, career intentions, and instruction, the odds of a woman being dissuaded from continuing in calculus is 1.5 times greater than that for a man. Furthermore, women report they do not understand the course material well enough to continue significantly more often than men. When comparing women and men with above-average mathematical abilities and preparedness, we find women start and end the term with significantly lower mathematical confidence than men. This suggests a lack of mathematical confidence, rather than a lack of mathematically ability, may be responsible for the high departure rate of women. While it would be ideal to increase interest and participation of women in STEM at all stages of their careers, our findings indicate that if women persisted in STEM at the same rate as men starting in Calculus I, the number of women entering the STEM workforce would increase by 75%. PMID:27410262
Turner, Carol-Witkowski CW
Even now, women are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. The literature shows that one significant approach to address this issue is to work with middle school girls, ages eleven to thirteen, to get them interested and excited about STEM career paths. In addition to appropriate in-school support a review of many different middle school programs indicates that such programs exist in certain service areas but are still missing in others, especially the rural areas. To address this situation, a one-day STEM workshop called "Full STEAHM Ahead!" was implemented spring 2012 in Elmira, New York, to address the career exploration "turning point" for rural middle school girls. The implementation involved pre-workshop, workshop, and post-workshop phases. The success and effectiveness of the workshop was demonstrated by survey comments and verbal feedback from both the girls and educators who attended.
Roth, W.-M.; Eijck, van M.W.
2011-01-01
Challenged by a National Science Foundation–funded conference, 2020 Vision: The Next Generation of STEM Learning Research, in which participants were asked to recognize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning as lifelong, life-wide, and life-deep, we draw upon 20 years of
Blotnicky, Karen A.; Franz-Odendaal, Tamara; French, Frederick; Joy, Phillip
2018-01-01
Background: A sample of 1448 students in grades 7 and 9 was drawn from public schools in Atlantic Canada to explore students' knowledge of science and mathematics requirements for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Also explored were their mathematics self-efficacy (MSE), their future career interests, their…
Glennie, Elizabeth; Mason, Marcinda; Dalton, Ben
2016-01-01
Some states have created science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools to encourage student interest and enhance student proficiency in STEM subjects. We examined a set of STEM schools serving disadvantaged students to see whether these students were more likely to take and pass advanced science and mathematics classes than…
Furner, Joseph M.
2017-01-01
Today, being confident and having a sound understanding of mathematics is critical in an age of STEM. Teachers must play in important role in seeing that all students display their confidence in their ability to do mathematics. This paper explains the process of using bibliotherapy when teaching mathematics to address both the math anxious or the…
Chen, Xianglei
2009-01-01
Rising concern about America's ability to maintain its competitive position in the global economy has renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. To understand who enters into and completes undergraduate programs in STEM fields, this report examined data from three major national studies: the 1995-96…
Ocumpaugh, Jaclyn; San Pedro, Maria Ofelia; Lai, Huei-yi; Baker, Ryan S.; Borgen, Fred
2016-12-01
Research suggests that trajectories toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emerge early and are influenced by multiple factors. This paper presents a longitudinal study, which uses data from 76 high school students to explore how a student's vocational self-efficacy and interest are related to his or her middle school behavioral and affective engagement. Measures of vocational self-efficacy and interest are drawn from STEM-related scales in CAPAExplore, while measures of middle school performance and engagement in mathematics are drawn from several previously validated automated indicators extracted from logs of student interaction with ASSISTments, an online learning platform. Results indicate that vocational self-efficacy correlates negatively with confusion, but positively with engaged concentration and carelessness. Interest, which also correlates negatively with confusion, correlates positively with correctness and carelessness. Other disengaged behaviors, such as gaming the system, were not correlated with vocational self-efficacy or interest, despite previous studies indicating that they are associated with future college attendance. We discuss implications for these findings, which have the potential to assist educators or counselors in developing strategies to sustain students' interest in STEM-related careers.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Joseph M. Furner
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Today, being confident and having a sound understanding of mathematics is critical in an age of STEM.Teachers must play in important role in seeing that all students display their confidence in their ability to domathematics. This paper explains the process of using bibliotherapy when teaching mathematics to addressboth the math anxious or the math gifted student to build more math confidence in a STEM world. Oftengifted students of mathematics can be made to feel bad by their peers just because they know mathematicsand things come easy to them. Today there are many students in school that have math anxiety. Children'sand adolescent literature has been recognized now as a means to teaching mathematics to students throughthe use of stories to make the mathematics concepts relevant and meaningful. Literature can also be usedas a form of therapy, bibliotherapy, to reach students who may be frustrated with children picking on themfor knowing a lot of mathematics or who are math anxious. Story and picture books such as Counting onFrank, Math Curse and A Gebra Named Al are now available to use in the classroom as forms of bibliotherapyin helping students come to terms with issues that haunt them as it relates to mathematics. Children's bookscan be beneficial to address the math anxious and even the gifted. In this paper the author proposes usingreading and discussion (bibliotherapy to help all students become confident in mathematics in the STEMworld we live in.
Wei, Xin; Yu, Jennifer W; Shattuck, Paul; McCracken, Mary; Blackorby, Jose
2013-07-01
Little research has examined the popular belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely than the general population to gravitate toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, a nationally representative sample of students with an ASD in special education. Findings suggest that students with an ASD had the highest STEM participation rates although their college enrollment rate was the third lowest among 11 disability categories and students in the general population. Disproportionate postsecondary enrollment and STEM participation by gender, family income, and mental functioning skills were found for young adults with an ASD. Educational policy implications are discussed.
Vertessy, R A; Benyon, R G; O'Sullivan, S K; Gribben, P R
1995-09-01
We examined relationships between stem diameter, sapwood area, leaf area and transpiration in a 15-year-old mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.) forest containing silver wattle (Acacia dealbata Link.) as a suppressed overstory species and mountain hickory (Acacia frigescens J.H. Willis) as an understory species. Stem diameter explained 93% of the variation in leaf area, 96% of the variation in sapwood area and 88% of the variation in mean daily spring transpiration in 19 mountain ash trees. In seven silver wattle trees, stem diameter explained 87% of the variation in sapwood area but was a poor predictor of the other variables. When transpiration measurements from individual trees were scaled up to a plot basis, using stem diameter values for 164 mountain ash trees and 124 silver wattle trees, mean daily spring transpiration rates of the two species were 2.3 and 0.6 mm day(-1), respectively. The leaf area index of the plot was estimated directly by destructive sampling, and indirectly with an LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer and by hemispherical canopy photography. All three methods gave similar results.
Gustiani, Ineu; Widodo, Ari; Suwarma, Irma Rahma
2017-05-01
This study is intended to examine the development and validation of simple machines instructional material that developed based on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) framework that provides guidance to help students learn and practice for real life and enable individuals to use knowledge and skills they need to be an informed citizen. Sample of this study consist of one class of 8th grader at a junior secondary school in Bandung, Indonesia. To measure student learning, a pre-test and post-test were given before and after implementation of the STEM based instructional material. In addition, a questionnaire of readability was given to examine the clarity and difficulty level of each page of instructional material. A questionnaire of students' response towards instructional material given to students and teachers at the end of instructional material reading session to measure layout aspects, content aspects and utility aspects of instructional material for being used in the junior secondary school classroom setting. The results show that readability aspect and students' response towards STEM based instructional material of STEM based instructional material is categorized as very high. Pretest and posttest responses revealed that students retained significant amounts information upon completion of the STEM instructional material. Student overall learning gain is 0.67 which is categorized as moderate. In summary, STEM based instructional material that was developed is valid enough to be used as educational materials necessary for conducting effective STEM education.
Stout, Jane G; Dasgupta, Nilanjana; Hunsinger, Matthew; McManus, Melissa A
2011-02-01
Three studies tested a stereotype inoculation model, which proposed that contact with same-sex experts (advanced peers, professionals, professors) in academic environments involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enhances women's self-concept in STEM, attitudes toward STEM, and motivation to pursue STEM careers. Two cross-sectional controlled experiments and 1 longitudinal naturalistic study in a calculus class revealed that exposure to female STEM experts promoted positive implicit attitudes and stronger implicit identification with STEM (Studies 1-3), greater self-efficacy in STEM (Study 3), and more effort on STEM tests (Study 1). Studies 2 and 3 suggested that the benefit of seeing same-sex experts is driven by greater subjective identification and connectedness with these individuals, which in turn predicts enhanced self-efficacy, domain identification, and commitment to pursue STEM careers. Importantly, women's own self-concept benefited from contact with female experts even though negative stereotypes about their gender and STEM remained active. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
STEM learning research through a funds of knowledge lens
Civil, Marta
2016-03-01
This article examines STEM learning as a cultural process with a focus on non-dominant communities. Building on my work in funds of knowledge and mathematics education, I present three vignettes to raise some questions around connections between in-school and out-of-school mathematics. How do we define competence? How do task and environment affect engagement? What is the role of affect, language, and cognition in different settings? These vignettes serve to highlight the complexity of moving across different domains of STEM practice—everyday life, school, and STEM disciplines. Based on findings from occupational interviews I discuss characteristics of learning and engaging in everyday practices and propose several areas for further research, including the nature of everyday STEM practices, valorization of knowledge, language choice, and different forms of engagement.
STEM Gives Meaning to Mathematics
Hefty, Lukas J.
2015-01-01
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM's) "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000) outlines fi ve Process Standards that are essential for developing deep understanding of mathematics: (1) Problem Solving; (2) Reasoning and Proof; (3) Communication; (4) Connections; and (5) Representation. The Common Core…
Quinton, Jessica Elizabeth
Career interests develop over a lifetime and tend to solidify during late adolescence and early adulthood (Lent, Brown, and Hackett, 2002). The primary purpose of the present qualitative study, which is framed in Feminist Standpoint Theory (Haraway, 1988; Harding, 2007; Naples, 2007; Richardson, 2007), is to understand how eighth-grade, young women in a suburban, public, southern, middle school the South Carolina County School District (CCSD) (pseudonym) perceive their accessibility to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses and careers. The secondary purpose is to understand these young women's "perceptions and unconscious beliefs about gender in science and mathematics" and how their "perceptions and unconscious beliefs about gender" in the STEM fields may impact the careers that these young women may choose in the future (American Association of University Women, 2010, 9). Within the present study, the perceptions of young women who identified as "Interested in Science," "Somewhat Interested in Science" and "Uninterested in Science" were identified. STEM courses and careers are a major emphasis in education today. Increasing the numbers of Americans who pursue STEM careers is a government priority, as these careers will strengthen the economy (AAUW 2010). The present study reveals how young women who are highly motivated, talented students perceive STEM courses and careers and how they are influenced by their experiences, gendered messages, and knowledge of STEM careers. To analyze the data, four of Saldana's (2010) dramaturgical codes were utilized including: 1. OBJectives, or motives; 2. CONflicts the participants faced; 3. TACtics to dealing with obstacles; and 4. ATTitudes toward the setting, others, and the conflict. The InVivo Codes allowed the participants stories to emerge through the set of dramaturgical codes that allowed for viewing the girls' experience sin different ways that added depth to their stories. The young women in
Lee, Sang Eun
2017-01-01
This dissertation examines gender differences in career advancement outcomes among academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scientists. In particular, this research examines effects of gender, PhD advisors and postdoctoral supervisors mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on the career advancement…
Kolo, Yovonda Ingram
African American women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields throughout the United States. As the need for STEM professionals in the United States increases, it is important to ensure that African American women are among those professionals making valuable contributions to society. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American young women in relation to STEM education. The research question for this study examined how experiences with STEM in K-10 education influenced African American young women's academic choices in their final years in high school. The theory of multicontextuality was used to provide the conceptual framework. The primary data source was interviews. The sample was composed of 11 African American young women in their junior or senior year in high school. Data were analyzed through the process of open coding, categorizing, and identifying emerging themes. Ten themes emerged from the answers to research questions. The themes were (a) high teacher expectations, (b) participation in extra-curricular activities, (c) engagement in group-work, (d) learning from lectures, (e) strong parental involvement, (f) helping others, (g) self-efficacy, (h) gender empowerment, (i) race empowerment, and (j) strategic recruitment practices. This study may lead to positive social change by adding to the understanding of the experiences of African American young women in STEM. By doing so, these findings might motivate other African American young women to pursue advanced STEM classes. These findings may also provide guidance to parents and educators to help increase the number of African American women in STEM.
The Development of the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS)
Kier, Meredith W.; Blanchard, Margaret R.; Osborne, Jason W.; Albert, Jennifer L.
2014-06-01
Internationally, efforts to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers have been on the rise. It is often the goal of such efforts that increased interest in STEM careers should stimulate economic growth and enhance innovation. Scientific and educational organizations recommend that efforts to interest students in STEM majors and careers begin at the middle school level, a time when students are developing their own interests and recognizing their academic strengths. These factors have led scholars to call for instruments that effectively measure interest in STEM classes and careers, particularly for middle school students. In response, we leveraged the social cognitive career theory to develop a survey with subscales in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In this manuscript, we detail the six stages of development of the STEM Career Interest Survey. To investigate the instrument's reliability and psychometric properties, we administered this 44-item survey to over 1,000 middle school students (grades 6-8) who primarily were in rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern USA. Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the STEM-CIS is a strong, single factor instrument and also has four strong, discipline-specific subscales, which allow for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subscales to be administered separately or in combination. This instrument should prove helpful in research, evaluation, and professional development to measure STEM career interest in secondary level students.
McKenna, Rachel Lynn-Pleis
2016-01-01
Over the past decade, there has been a considerable push in emphasizing STEM--an acronym standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math--as an integral aspect of educational curriculums. Even though research suggests that females tend to outperform males in standardized testing in STEM areas, they remain underrepresented in STEM careers…
High School Students' Perception of University Students as STEM Representatives
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Poulsen, Eva Lykkegaard
The Danish government has an ambition to recruit more high school students into STEM edu-cations (science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics). The students’ choice of further education is based on the people and jobs they have knowledge of. Therefore, to recruit more students into STEM....... Some representatives transmit infor-mation and are thereby definers, whereas other representatives illustrates as personal examples and are thereby models. This study focuses on high school students’ views on STEM representatives and the impact these representatives have on the high school students...... studies, it is important to introduce high school students to good STEM representatives to make possible the development of potential STEM identities. A potential identity within a specific subject area relies on at least a situation bound relation-ship to the subject area or the person representing it...
Kartal, Ozgul; Dunya, Beyza Aksu; Diefes-Dux, Heidi A.; Zawojewski, Judith S.
2016-01-01
Critical to many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career paths is mathematical modeling--specifically, the creation and adaptation of mathematical models to solve problems in complex settings. Conventional standardized measures of mathematics achievement are not structured to directly assess this type of mathematical…
Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica L.
2017-01-01
Although the gender gap in math course-taking and performance has narrowed in recent decades, females continue to be underrepresented in math-intensive fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Career pathways encompass the ability to pursue a career as well as the motivation to employ that ability. Individual differences…
Learning for STEM Literacy: STEM Literacy for Learning
Zollman, Alan
2012-01-01
We are in the STEM generation whose comprehensive purpose is to resolve (1) societal needs for new technological and scientific advances; (2) economic needs for national security; and (3) personal needs to become a fulfilled, productive, knowledgeable citizen. STEM specifically refers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but now…
Empowering Effective STEM Role Models to Promote STEM Equity in Local Communities
Harte, T.; Taylor, J.
2017-12-01
Empowering Effective STEM Role Models, a three-hour training developed and successfully implemented by NASA Langley Research Center's Science Directorate, is an effort to encourage STEM professionals to serve as role models within their community. The training is designed to help participants reflect on their identity as a role model and provide research-based strategies to effectively engage youth, particularly girls, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Research shows that even though girls and boys do not demonstrate a significant difference in their ability to be successful in mathematics and science, there is a significant difference in their confidence level when participating in STEM subject matter and pursuing STEM careers. The Langley training model prepares professionals to disrupt this pattern and take on the habits and skills of effective role models. The training model is based on other successful models and resources for role modeling in STEM including SciGirls; the National Girls Collaborative; and publications by the American Association of University Women and the National Academies. It includes a significant reflection component, and participants walk through situation-based scenarios to practice a focused suite of research-based strategies. These strategies can be implemented in a variety of situations and adapted to the needs of groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. Underpinning the training and the discussions is the fostering of a growth mindset and promoting perseverance. "The Power of Yet" becomes a means whereby role models encourage students to believe in themselves, working toward reaching their goals and dreams in the area of STEM. To provide additional support, NASA Langley role model trainers are available to work with a champion at other organizations to facilitate the training. This champion helps recruit participants, seeks leadership buy-in, and helps provide valuable insights for needs and
Mahoney, Melissa M.
The increased demand for qualified STEM workers, necessitates addressing the bachelor's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree achievement among African Americans and other underrepresented populations. Using inquiry derived from Harper's (2010) Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework, this study sought to explore the factors that contribute to the successful degree completion of African American STEM students within a large comprehensive university system. Coding of the twelve semi-structured interviews revealed six major themes: a) K-12/precollege educational experiences, b) motivation to complete a STEM degree, c) systems of social support, d) extracurricular activities and out-of-class experiences, e) addressing stereotyping and discrimination, and f) faculty behaviors and dispositions. All themes were intertwined at each phase of participants' academic careers, thereby, highlighting the complexity of this population's experience and what is needed to address their low STEM degree attainment. Findings indicated that this student population benefits from positive, sustained faculty-student interactions, holistic STEM success programming, and genuine networks of social support. Furthermore, Harper's framework can be modified to explore the motivation of African American STEM students as well as the African American student's relationship with disability support services.
Gayles, Joy Gaston; Ampaw, Frim D.
2011-01-01
Although more women than men are enrolled in college within the United States, women remain underrepresented in critical areas of study such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This is particularly concerning given that STEM fields of study are vital to the economic growth and workforce development within the United…
Kalevitch, Maria; Maurer, Cheryl; Badger, Paul; Holdan, Greg; Sirinterlikci, Arif
2015-01-01
The School of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science (SEMS) at Robert Morris University (RMU) was awarded a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund scholarships to 21 academically talented but financially challenged students majoring in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Each…
Students' Attitude towards STEM Education
Popa, Roxana-Alexandra; Ciascai, Liliana
2017-01-01
STEM is the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. STEM education refers both to teaching and learning in the above-mentioned disciplines, but especially to teaching and learning a new discipline based on the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The present survey aims to investigate the…
Monica MEADOWS
2016-01-01
Women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses and careers lags behind that of men. Multiple factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women and girls in STEM. Academic research suggests three areas, which account for the under representation of girls in STEM: social and environmental factors, the school climate and the influence of bias. In order to engage and to retain girls in STEM, educators need to: eliminate bias in the classroom, change ...
Lee, Ahlam
2011-12-01
Using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002/06, this study examined the effects of the selected mathematical learning and teacher motivation factors on graduates' science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related major choices in 4-year colleges and universities, as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, I analyzed: (1) the association between mathematical learning instruction factors (i.e., computer, individual, and lecture-based learning activities in mathematics) and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy and (2) the association between school factor, teacher motivation and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities via mediators of math performance and math self-efficacy. The results revealed that among the selected learning experience factors, computer-based learning activities in math classrooms yielded the most positive effects on math self-efficacy, which significantly predicted the increase in the proportion of students' STEM major choice as mediated by math self-efficacy. Further, when controlling for base-year math Item Response Theory (IRT) scores, a positive relationship between individual-based learning activities in math classrooms and the first follow-up math IRT scores emerged, which related to the high proportion of students' STEM major choices. The results also indicated that individual and lecture-based learning activities in math yielded positive effects on math self-efficacy, which related to STEM major choice. Concerning between-school levels, teacher motivation yielded positive effects on the first follow up math IRT score, when controlling for base year IRT score. The results from this study inform educators, parents, and policy makers on how mathematics instruction can improve student math performance and encourage more students to prepare for STEM careers. Students
Gottfried, Michael A; Sublett, Cameron
Over the most recent two decades, federal policy has urged high schools to embed applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses into the curriculum to reinforce concepts learned in traditional math and science classes as well as to motivate students' interests and long-term pursuits in STEM areas. While prior research has examined whether these courses link to STEM persistence for the general student population, no work has examined the role of these courses for students with learning disabilities (LDs). This is a critical lapse, as these courses have been supported as being one path by which STEM material can become more accessible for students with diverse learning needs. Hence, this descriptive study examines the landscape of applied STEM course taking for students with LDs. The findings suggest students with LDs are less likely to take applied STEM courses in high school compared to the general population. Additionally, while the general population does benefit from taking these courses, there is a unique association between applied STEM course taking and advanced math and science course taking or math achievement for students with LDs. Hence, there is no evidence that applied STEM course taking is related to any closure of the STEM achievement gap for students with LDs.
Methods of mathematical modelling continuous systems and differential equations
Witelski, Thomas
2015-01-01
This book presents mathematical modelling and the integrated process of formulating sets of equations to describe real-world problems. It describes methods for obtaining solutions of challenging differential equations stemming from problems in areas such as chemical reactions, population dynamics, mechanical systems, and fluid mechanics. Chapters 1 to 4 cover essential topics in ordinary differential equations, transport equations and the calculus of variations that are important for formulating models. Chapters 5 to 11 then develop more advanced techniques including similarity solutions, matched asymptotic expansions, multiple scale analysis, long-wave models, and fast/slow dynamical systems. Methods of Mathematical Modelling will be useful for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students in applied mathematics, engineering and other applied sciences.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anna Howard
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Mathematical anxiety is a phenomenon linked to poor attainment in mathematics and restricted development of mathematical skills among those who are afflicted by it. Unfortunately most undergraduate courses in business related areas require the further study of mathematics to enable effective business decision making and students who suffer from mathematical anxiety are placed at risk of underperformance or failure in such quantitative modules. This paper summarizes the results of a survey (n = 330 of students joining a university business school with a view to ascertaining the degree of mathematical anxiety exhibited by incoming students. Results of the survey show no significant differences in anxiety attributable to age or gender but significant differences attributable to level of study and subject area. Implications of the findings for a redesigned teaching approach are discussed drawing on suggestions from the literature surrounding mathematical anxiety.
Gullick, Margaret M.; Sprute, Lisa A.; Temple, Elise
2011-01-01
Individual differences in mathematics performance may stem from domain-general factors like working memory and intelligence. Parietal and frontal brain areas have been implicated in number processing, but the influence of such cognitive factors on brain activity during mathematics processing is not known. The relationship between brain mechanisms…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Monica MEADOWS
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM courses and careers lags behind that of men. Multiple factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women and girls in STEM. Academic research suggests three areas, which account for the under representation of girls in STEM: social and environmental factors, the school climate and the influence of bias. In order to engage and to retain girls in STEM, educators need to: eliminate bias in the classroom, change school culture, introduce female role models, help girls assess their abilities accurately and develop talent in areas related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Educators should encourage young girls to ask questions about the world, to problem solve, and to develop creativity through play and experimentation. Women have made impressive gains in science and engineering but remain a distinct minority in many science and engineering fields. Creating environments that support girls’ and women’s achievements and interests in science and engineering will encourage more girls and women to pursue careers in these vital fields.
Pollard, Vikki; Hains-Wesson, Rachael; Young, Karen
2018-01-01
If Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in higher education are to retain students, there needs to be a shift towards teaching in more enriching and interesting ways. Creative teaching needs to become more prominent in STEM. This article presents a study that defines creative teaching in the STEM context and…
Irish, Teresa J.
The aim of this study was to provide insights addressing national concerns in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education by examining how a set of six perimeter urban K-12 schools were transformed into STEM-focused professional learning communities (PLC). The concept of a STEM Academy as a STEM-focused PLC emphasizes the development of a STEM culture where professional discourse and teaching are focused on STEM learning. The STEM Academies examined used the STEM Academy Measurement Tool and Rubric (Tool) as a catalyst for discussion and change. This Tool was developed with input from stakeholders and used for school-wide initiatives, teacher professional development and K-12 student engagement to improve STEM teaching and learning. Two primary goals of this study were to assess the levels of awareness and use of the tool by all stakeholders involved in the project and to determine how the Tool assisted in the development and advancement of these schools as STEM PLCs. Data from the STEM Academy Participant Survey was analyzed to determine stakeholders' perceptions of the Tool in terms of (i) how aware stakeholders were of the Tool, (ii) whether they participated in the use of the Tool, (iii) how the characteristics of PLCs were perceived in their schools, and finally (iv) how the awareness of the Tool influenced teachers' perceptions of the presence of PLC characteristics. Findings indicate that school faculty were aware of the Tool on a number of different levels and evidence exists that the use of the Tool assisted in the development of STEM Academies, however impact varied from school to school. Implications of this study suggest that the survey should be used for a longer period of time to gain more in-depth knowledge on teachers' perceptions of the Tool as a catalyst across time. Additional findings indicate that the process for using the Tool should be ongoing and involve the stakeholders to have the greatest impact on school culture
Miles, Rhea; Slagter van Tryon, Patricia J.; Mensah, Felicia Moore
2015-01-01
TechMath is a professional development program that forms collaborations among businesses, colleges, and schools for the purpose of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. TechMath has provided strategies for creating highquality professional development by bringing together teachers, students, and business…
Collins, Kristina Henry
2018-01-01
What is Black student's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity? The author addresses this question through a synthesis of the literature that includes studies that explore Black student identity. Background information regarding STEM achievement and persistence followed by empirical studies that explore STEM attitudes…
Expanding STEM opportunities through inclusive STEM-focused high schools.
Means, Barbara; Wang, Haiwen; Wei, Xin; Lynch, Sharon; Peters, Vanessa; Young, Viki; Allen, Carrie
2017-09-01
Inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs) (where STEM is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) admit students on the basis of interest rather than competitive examination. This study examines the central assumption behind these schools-that they provide students from subgroups underrepresented in STEM with experiences that equip them academically and attitudinally to enter and stay in the STEM pipeline. Hierarchical modeling was applied to data from student surveys and state longitudinal data records for 5113 students graduating from 39 ISHSs and 22 comprehensive high schools in North Carolina and Texas. Compared to peers from the same demographic group with similar Grade 8 achievement levels, underrepresented minority and female ISHS students in both states were more likely to undertake advanced STEM coursework. Hispanics in Texas and females in both states expressed more STEM career interest in Grade 12 if they attended an ISHS. Positive relationships between ISHS attendance and grade point average were found in the total sample and each subgroup in North Carolina. Positive ISHS advantages in terms of test scores for the total student sample were found for science in both states and for mathematics in Texas. For the various student subgroups, test score differences favored the ISHS samples but attained statistical significance only for African Americans' science achievement scores in the Texas study.
Encouraging Creativity in a STEM Classroom
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
David L. Byrum
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The Thailand Ministry of Education’s “Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology” (IPST uses the following as its working definition of STEM: “STEM education integrates science, engineering, technology and mathematics focusing on the application of knowledge to real-life problem solving and development of new products or procedures benefiting daily living and livelihood. STEM education infuses the engineering process into the existing science, mathematics and technology curricula to enable utilization of the knowledge to solve actual problems and aid future occupational undertakings.”
Exploring international gender differences in mathematics self-concept
Goldman, Amy D.; Penner, Andrew M.
2013-01-01
This study provides an international perspective on mathematics by examnnng mathematics self-concept, achievement, and the desire to enter a career involving mathematics among eighth graders in 49 countries. Using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, this study shows that self-concept in mathematics is more closely related to the desire to enter a career using mathematics than achievement is. Further, while gender differences in mathematics self-concept are smaller in more egalitarian countries, both girls and boys have lower mathematics self-concepts and less interest in mathematics careers in these countries. These findings reveal a policy paradox: policies aimed at training the next generation of STEM professionals often highlight the need to close the gender gap, but countries with smaller gender gaps have fewer boys and girls interested in mathematics-intensive careers. We conclude by highlighting the importance of disentangling instrumental and expressive aspects of gender inequality in STEM fields. PMID:27840545
Howard, A; Warwick, J
2016-01-01
Mathematical anxiety is a phenomenon linked to poor attainment in mathematics and restricted development of mathematical skills among those who are afflicted by it. Unfortunately most undergraduate courses in business related areas require the further study of mathematics to enable effective business decision making and students who suffer from mathematical anxiety are placed at risk of underperformance or failure in such quantitative modules. This paper summarizes the results of ...
Estuarine Ecosystems: Using T & E Signature Approaches to Support STEM Integration
McCulloch, Allison W.; Ernst, Jeremy V.
2012-01-01
STEM-based understandings and experiences that prepare learners beyond the classroom are of imminent need, as today's STEM education students are tomorrow's leaders in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and education (Prabhu, 2009). Integrative STEM education signifies the intentional integration of science and mathematics with the…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Juan Quílez
2017-01-01
Full Text Available In this work it is both discussed and provided a framework of specific competences that may serve as a guide for setting up an ongoing process in the professional development of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM teachers. The fundamentals of the TPACK model serve to base the theoretical background of this scheme, to which we have incorporated an additional feature which means to consider the linguistic (L dimension, thus transforming it into the TPACLK model. The different detailed professional STEM capacities have been classified into six main sections. The two first points discussed establish the STEM disciplinary and didactic capacities; the third section corresponds to the role of language in the STEM classroom; the fourth category is focused on the motivational elements of the teaching and learning process; the fifth corresponds to the self-perception of teachers and the last section summarises how to integrate effectively the information and communication technologies into the educational STEM activity. This professional development is framed within innovative and research educational activities.
Females and STEM: Determining the K-12 Experiences that Influenced Women to Pursue STEM Fields
Petersen, Anne Marie
In the United States, careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are increasing yet there are not enough trained personnel to meet this demand. In addition, of those that seek to pursue STEM fields in the United States, only 26% are female. In order to increase the number of women seeking STEM based bachelor's degrees, K-12 education must provide a foundation that prepares students for entry into these fields. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the perceived K-12 experiences that influenced females to pursue a STEM field. Twelve college juniors or seniors seeking a degree in Biology, Mathematics, or Physics were interviewed concerning their K-12 experiences. These interviews were analyzed and six themes emerged. Teacher passion and classroom characteristics such as incorporating challenging activities played a significant role in the females' decisions to enter STEM fields. Extra-curricular activities such as volunteer and mentor opportunities and the females' need to benefit others also influenced females in their career choice. Both the formal (within the school) and informal (outside of the traditional classroom) pipeline opportunities that these students encountered helped develop a sense of self-efficacy in science and mathematics; this self-efficacy enabled them to persist in pursuing these career fields. Several participants cited barriers that they encountered in K-12 education, but these barriers were primarily internal as they struggled with overcoming self-imposed obstacles in learning and being competitive in the mathematics and science classrooms. The experiences from these female students can be used by K-12 educators to prepare and encourage current female students to enter STEM occupations.
Park, Do-Yong; Park, Mi-Hwa; Bates, Alan B.
2018-01-01
This case study explores young children's understanding and application of the concept of volume through the practices of engineering design in a STEM activity. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, engineering stands out as a challenging area to implement. In addition, most early engineering education…
The Effect of STEM Learning through the Project of Designing Boat Model toward Student STEM Literacy
Tati, T.; Firman, H.; Riandi, R.
2017-09-01
STEM Learning focusses on development of STEM-literate society, the research about implementation of STEM learning to develope students’ STEM literacy is still limited. This study is aimed to examine the effect of implementation STEM learning through the project of designing boat model on students STEM literacy in energy topic. The method of this study was a quasi-experiment with non-randomized pretest-posttest control group design. There were two classes involved, the experiment class used Project Based Learning with STEM approach and control class used Project-Based Learning without STEM approach. A STEM Literacy test instrument was developed to measure students STEM literacy which consists of science literacy, mathematics literacy, and technology-engineering literacy. The analysis showed that there were significant differences on improvement science literacy, mathematics technology-engineering between experiment class and control class with effect size more than 0.8 (large effect). The difference of improvement of STEM literacy between experiment class and control class is caused by the existence of design engineering activity which required students to apply the knowledge from every field of STEM. The challenge that was faced in STEM learning through design engineering activity was how to give the students practice to integrate STEM field in solving the problems. In additional, most of the students gave positive response toward implementation of STEM learning through design boat model project.
Schnabel, Stephanie L.
2017-01-01
Collaboration between school libraries and classroom teachers can have a powerful impact on student learning. School librarians routinely collaborate with English language arts and social studies curriculum and less frequently with areas in STEM education. This research examines middle school mathematics teachers' extent of or willingness to…
The Current Status of STEM Education Research
Brown, Josh
2012-01-01
This paper explores the current Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education research base through an analysis of articles from eight journals focused on the STEM disciplines. Analyzed are both practitioner and research publications to determine the current scope of STEM education research, where current STEM education…
Stoet, Gijsbert; Bailey, Drew H; Moore, Alex M; Geary, David C
2016-01-01
Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls' STEM participation.
2016-01-01
Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls’ STEM participation. PMID:27100631
Enhancing the Psychology STEM Student Journey
Hill, Kimberley M.
2017-01-01
Psychology is a valuable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) discipline, but one which could do far more at communicating its value to the wider public. This paper discusses how popular initiatives, such as "The University of Northampton's STEM Champions" programme, enhance psychology's STEM membership, while…
Shin, Jiyun Elizabeth L.
2016-01-01
Increasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates has become an important part of the education agenda in the U.S. in recent years. Stereotypes about STEM (i.e., belief that STEM abilities are innate, and that European American men are best suited for STEM) have been identified as one of the critical factors that may…
Exploring Collective Mathematical Creativity in Elementary School
Levenson, Esther
2011-01-01
This study combines theories related to collective learning and theories related to mathematical creativity to investigate the notion of collective mathematical creativity in elementary school classrooms. Collective learning takes place when mathematical ideas and actions, initially stemming from an individual, are built upon and reworked,…
Barriers To Successful Implementation of STEM Education
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James A. Ejiwale
2013-05-01
Full Text Available The implementation of STEM education in schools across the globe is to prepare the future workforce with strong scientific and mathematical backgrounds to enhance skills development across STEM disciplines. However, for STEM education to achieve its goals and objectives, addressing the barriers to STEM education should start by fixing the problems at the elementary, junior and senior high school levels; the grassroots and potential feeders to colleges and universities. Since many nations including the United States of America is in dire need of the workforce with adequate preparation in science and mathematics to help address the nation’s economy that is in shambles, the barriers to its successful implementation should be identified and addressed. In this paper, (a the definition of STEM education and (b some barriers to successful implementation of STEM education are discussed and elaborated.
Welch, C.; Osborne, B.
programmes to schools and organisations in their particular areas, mainly through the STEM Ambassador Programme (see below) and the Schools STEM Advisory Network.In support of its vision - `To increase young people's choice and chances through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ' - STEMNET seeks to be a recognised leader in enabling all young people to achieve their potential in STEM by:
Integrative STEM Education Defined
Sanders, Mark E.
2015-01-01
“My work with integrative STEM education began in 1990 with the NSF-funded Technology, Science, Mathematics Integration Project… By 2008, I was convinced “STEM Education” was (and always would be) a hopelessly ambiguous phrase, and therefore felt we absolutely needed to rename our “STEM Education” graduate program and develop a tight operational definition of the central idea underlying our program, in hopes of preventing the sort of hopeless ambiguity that ruined the term “STEM education” fr...
Utility-value intervention with parents increases students' STEM preparation and career pursuit.
Rozek, Christopher S; Svoboda, Ryan C; Harackiewicz, Judith M; Hulleman, Chris S; Hyde, Janet S
2017-01-31
During high school, developing competence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is critically important as preparation to pursue STEM careers, yet students in the United States lag behind other countries, ranking 35th in mathematics and 27th in science achievement internationally. Given the importance of STEM careers as drivers of modern economies, this deficiency in preparation for STEM careers threatens the United States' continued economic progress. In the present study, we evaluated the long-term effects of a theory-based intervention designed to help parents convey the importance of mathematics and science courses to their high-school-aged children. A prior report on this intervention showed that it promoted STEM course-taking in high school; in the current follow-up study, we found that the intervention improved mathematics and science standardized test scores on a college preparatory examination (ACT) for adolescents by 12 percentile points. Greater high-school STEM preparation (STEM course-taking and ACT scores) was associated with increased STEM career pursuit (i.e., STEM career interest, the number of college STEM courses, and students' attitudes toward STEM) 5 y after the intervention. These results suggest that the intervention can affect STEM career pursuit indirectly by increasing high-school STEM preparation. This finding underscores the importance of targeting high-school STEM preparation to increase STEM career pursuit. Overall, these findings demonstrate that a motivational intervention with parents can have important effects on STEM preparation in high school, as well as downstream effects on STEM career pursuit 5 y later.
Carbajal, Sandy C.
Drawing from Latino/a Critical Race Theory and the related Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model, I concentrate on three forms of CCW---aspirational, navigational, and resistance capital---for this qualitative study on the undergraduate experience of Latina students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors, focusing on strategies and achieving baccalaureate attainment. I interviewed ten Latina students and asked them questions regarding their educational experiences in STEM majors, what contributed to their degree completion, and the strategies they employed for achieving baccalaureate attainment. I identified and described six themes within the study (the underrepresentation of Latinas in STEM majors, the lack of preparation by academic programs for upper division courses, motivators, involvement, time management, and support networks) that, when combined, contributed to participants' degree attainment. This study concludes with implications for policy and practice that would allow universities to better assist Latinas in STEM majors to achieve baccalaureate attainment.
Allen, Charles
2017-01-01
Informed by Gagne's belief in the necessity of prerequisite knowledge for new learning, and Bruner's Spiral Curriculum Theory, the objective of this case study was to explore the postsecondary pathway from remedial mathematics, through one gateway mathematics course, and into the quantitative literacy requirements of various non-STEM programs of…
Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica L
2017-03-01
Although the gender gap in math course-taking and performance has narrowed in recent decades, females continue to be underrepresented in math-intensive fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Career pathways encompass the ability to pursue a career as well as the motivation to employ that ability. Individual differences in cognitive capacity and motivation are also influenced by broader sociocultural factors. After reviewing research from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, and education over the past 30 years, we summarize six explanations for US women's underrepresentation in math-intensive STEM fields: (a) cognitive ability, (b) relative cognitive strengths, (c) occupational interests or preferences, (d) lifestyle values or work-family balance preferences, (e) field-specific ability beliefs, and (f) gender-related stereotypes and biases. We then describe the potential biological and sociocultural explanations for observed gender differences on cognitive and motivational factors and demonstrate the developmental period(s) during which each factor becomes most relevant. We then propose evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice to improve STEM diversity and recommendations for future research directions.
Jayarajah, Kamaleswaran; Saat, Rohaida Mohd; Rauf, Rose Amnah Abdul
2014-01-01
The purpose of this study is to explore the research base of STEM education in Malaysia through an analysis review of articles for a 14-year period, from 1999 to 2013. The research base review focuses on identifying four characteristics of STEM education: a) temporal distribution, b) the research areas involved in each discipline, c) the types of…
Lubrica, Joel V.; Abiasen, Jovalson T.; Dolipas, Bretel B.; Ramos, Jennifer Lyn S.
2017-01-01
In this article, we present results of our endeavours as physics educators to facilitate and support pedagogical change and development in the educational system of a developing country, the Philippines. We have discovered that the interaction of junior high school (years 7-10) students with physics apparatus can influence students’ interest in pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This assertion stems from self-reports of students who gave their views immediately after their exposure to interactive apparatus in their own school, outside of their usual lessons. Participants claimed that their interest in following a STEM career path was ‘greatly increased’ due to their exposure to these apparatus. This was true even for students who were intending to take a non-STEM career path. Thus, we recommend that, in settings that have constraints involving access to practical equipment, ways to introduce school level interactive physics apparatus to secondary school students be conducted in order to attract more students towards STEM courses. Possibly, policies encouraging this type of exposure should also be formulated.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Application Areas
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mujde Kivanc
2015-09-01
Full Text Available The use of stem cells derived from adipose tissue as an autologous and self-replenishing source for a variety of differentiated cell phenotypes, provides a great deal of promise for reconstructive surgery. The secret of the human body, stem cells are reserved. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells found in the human body placed in any body tissue characteristics that differentiate and win ever known to cross the tissue instead of more than 200 diseases and thus improve and, rejuvenates the tissues. So far, the cord blood of newborn babies are used as a source of stem cells, bone marrow, and twenty years after tooth stem cells in human adipose tissue, scientists studied more than other sources of stem cells in adipose tissue and discovered that. Increase in number of in vitro studies on adult stem cells, depending on many variables is that the stem cells directly to the desired soybean optimization can be performed.. We will conclude by assessing potential avenues for developing this incredibly promising field. The aim of this paper is to review the existing literature on applications of harvest, purification, characterization and cryopreservation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(3.000: 399-408
Learning transfer of geospatial technologies in secondary science and mathematics core areas
Nielsen, Curtis P.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the transfer of geospatial technology knowledge and skill presented in a social sciences course context to other core areas of the curriculum. Specifically, this study explored the transfer of geospatial technology knowledge and skill to the STEM-related core areas of science and mathematics among ninth-grade students. Haskell's (2001) research on "levels of transfer" provided the theoretical framework for this study, which sought to demonstrate the experimental group's higher ability to transfer geospatial skills, higher mean assignment scores, higher post-test scores, higher geospatial skill application and deeper levels of transfer application than the control group. The participants of the study consisted of thirty ninth-graders enrolled in U.S. History, Earth Science and Integrated Mathematics 1 courses. The primary investigator of this study had no previous classroom experiences with this group of students. The participants who were enrolled in the school's existing two-section class configuration were assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group had ready access to Macintosh MacBook laptop computers, and the control group had ready access to Macintosh iPads. All participants in U.S. History received instruction with and were required to use ArcGIS Explorer Online during a Westward Expansion project. All participants were given the ArcGIS Explorer Online content assessment following the completion of the U.S. History project. Once the project in U.S. History was completed, Earth Science and Integrated Mathematics 1 began units of instruction beginning with a multiple-choice content pre-test created by the classroom teachers. Experimental participants received the same unit of instruction without the use or influence of ArcGIS Explorer Online. At the end of the Earth Science and Integrated Math 1 units, the same multiple-choice test was administered as the content post-test. Following the
The M in Stem via the M in Epidemiology
Griffiths, Martin
2011-01-01
It is the case that some activities claiming to reside under the STEM umbrella do not, in fact, give participants the opportunity to engage in anything other than routine mathematics. With this in mind, we explore here the potential for developing and then delivering STEM activities based on the discipline of mathematical epidemiology. We argue…
Mathematization in introductory physics
Brahmia, Suzanne M.
Mathematization is central to STEM disciplines as a cornerstone of the quantitative reasoning that characterizes these fields. Introductory physics is required for most STEM majors in part so that students develop expert-like mathematization. This dissertation describes coordinated research and curriculum development for strengthening mathematization in introductory physics; it blends scholarship in physics and mathematics education in the form of three papers. The first paper explores mathematization in the context of physics, and makes an original contribution to the measurement of physics students' struggle to mathematize. Instructors naturally assume students have a conceptual mastery of algebra before embarking on a college physics course because these students are enrolled in math courses beyond algebra. This paper provides evidence that refutes the validity of this assumption and categorizes some of the barriers students commonly encounter with quantification and representing ideas symbolically. The second paper develops a model of instruction that can help students progress from their starting points to their instructor's desired endpoints. Instructors recognize that the introductory physics course introduces new ideas at an astonishing rate. More than most physicists realize, however, the way that mathematics is used in the course is foreign to a large portion of class. This paper puts forth an instructional model that can move all students toward better quantitative and physical reasoning, despite the substantial variability of those students' initial states. The third paper describes the design and testing of curricular materials that foster mathematical creativity to prepare students to better understand physics reasoning. Few students enter introductory physics with experience generating equations in response to specific challenges involving unfamiliar quantities and units, yet this generative use of mathematics is typical of the thinking involved in
Examining Thai high school students' developing STEM projects
Teenoi, Kultida; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai
2018-01-01
Like others, Thailand education strongly focused on STEM education. This paper aimed to examine existing Thai high school students' integrated knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their developing science project. The participants included 49 high school students were studying the subject of individual study (IS) in Khon Kaen wittayayon school, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The IS was provided to gradually enhance students to know how to do science project starting from getting start to do science projects, They enrolled to study the individual study of science project for three year in roll. Methodology was qualitative research. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM were interpreted through participant observation, interview, and students' science projects. The first author as participant observation has taught this group of students for 3 years. It found that 16 science projects were developed. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM could be categorized into three categories. These included (1) completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, (2) partial indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and (3) no integration. The findings revealed that majority of science projects could be categorized as completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The paper suggested some ideas of enhancing students to applying STEM for developing science projects.
Advancing STEM Education: A 2020 Vision
Bybee, Rodger W.
2010-01-01
STEM (an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) had its origins in the 1990s at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has been used as a generic label for any event, policy, program, or practice that involves one or several of the STEM disciplines. However, a recent survey on the "perception of STEM" found that most…
Financial Literacy: Mathematics and Money Improving Student Engagement
Attard, Catherine
2018-01-01
The low levels of student engagement with mathematics has been of significant concern in Australia for some time (Attard, 2013). This is a particularly important issue in mathematics education given the current attention to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to ensure "the continued prosperity of Australia on…
Greenseid, Lija O.; Lawrenz, Frances
2011-01-01
This study explores the use of citation analysis methods to assess the influence of program evaluations conducted within the area of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Citation analysis is widely used within scientific research communities to measure the relative influence of scientific research enterprises and/or…
Captain R. Rubber Ducky: A STEM- Driven Project in Aquatic Robotics
Sheikh, Muntaha; Fulbright, Mark; Hademenos, George
2011-12-01
Project-based learning is a research-based instructional tool that has proven to be effective in all secondary curricular disciplines, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).1-5 A project is an applied activity, often hands-on, where the students are challenged to successfully address a problem. In many STEM projects, the problem is solved by designing, constructing, and operating a device to accomplish tasks inherent to the solution of the problem. Project-based learning exemplifies the core values of the scientific process, including peer discussion and collaboration, problem-solving skills, modeling, testing, data analysis, and forming conclusions.
Ethnic variation in gender-STEM stereotypes and STEM participation: an intersectional approach.
O'Brien, Laurie T; Blodorn, Alison; Adams, Glenn; Garcia, Donna M; Hammer, Elliott
2015-04-01
Stereotypes associating men and masculine traits with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are ubiquitous, but the relative strength of these stereotypes varies considerably across cultures. The present research applies an intersectional approach to understanding ethnic variation in gender-STEM stereotypes and STEM participation within an American university context. African American college women participated in STEM majors at higher rates than European American college women (Study 1, Study 2, and Study 4). Furthermore, African American women had weaker implicit gender-STEM stereotypes than European American women (Studies 2-4), and ethnic differences in implicit gender-STEM stereotypes partially mediated ethnic differences in STEM participation (Study 2 and Study 4). Although African American men had weaker implicit gender-STEM stereotypes than European American men (Study 4), ethnic differences between men in STEM participation were generally small (Study 1) or nonsignificant (Study 4). We discuss the implications of an intersectional approach for understanding the relationship between gender and STEM participation. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
Teaching mathematics online in the European Area of Higher Education: an instructor's point of view
Juan, Angel A.; Steegmann, Cristina; Huertas, Antonia; Martinez, M. Jesus; Simosa, J.
2011-03-01
This article first discusses how information technologies are changing the way knowledge is delivered at universities worldwide. Then, the article reviews some of the most popular learning management systems available today and some of the most useful online resources in the areas of Mathematics and Statistics. After that, some long-term experiences regarding the teaching of online courses in those areas at the Open University of Catalonia are discussed. Finally, the article presents the results of a large-scale survey performed in Spain that aims to reflect instructors' opinions and feelings about potential benefits and challenges of teaching mathematics online, as well as the role of emergent technologies in the context of the European Area of Higher Education. Therefore, this article contributes to the existing literature as an additional reference point, one based on our long-term experience in a large-scale online environment, for discussions involving mathematical e-learning.
Geiger, Vince; Mulligan, Joanne; Date-Huxtable, Liz; Ahlip, Rehez; Jones, D. Heath; May, E. Julian; Rylands, Leanne; Wright, Ian
2018-01-01
In this article we describe and evaluate processes utilized to develop an online learning module on mathematical modelling for pre-service teachers. The module development process involved a range of professionals working within the STEM disciplines including mathematics and science educators, mathematicians, scientists, in-service and pre-service…
Heilbronner, Nancy N.
2009-01-01
Many men and women who are talented in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) choose not to pursue undergraduate majors or careers in these fields. To develop talents in STEM, educators must understand the factors that contribute to an individual's retention in STEM domains, as well as the factors that act as barriers to…
Adams, Vicki
2012-01-01
Students do not pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) because of a lack of ability, but rather a lack of positive experiences with mathematics. Research has concluded that attitudes in math directly influence success in mathematics. As many as 75% of high school graduates in the United States suffer from mild to…
NASA SMD STEM Activation: Enabling NASA Science Experts and Content into the Learning Environment
Hasan, Hashima; Erickson, Kristen
2018-01-01
The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) restructured its efforts to enhance learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content areas through a cooperative agreement notice issued in 2015. This effort resulted in the competitive selection of 27 organizations to implement a strategic approach that leverages SMD’s unique assets. Three of these are exclusively directed towards Astrophysics. These unique assets include SMD’s science and engineering content and Science Discipline Subject Matter Experts. Awardees began their work during 2016 and span all areas of Earth and space science and the audiences NASA SMD intends to reach. The goal of the restructured STEM Activation program is to further enable NASA science experts and content into the learning environment more effectively and efficiently with learners of all ages. The objectives are to enable STEM education, improve US scientific literacy, advance national educational goals, and leverage efforts through partnerships. This presentation will provide an overview of the NASA SMD STEM Activation landscape and its commitment to meeting user needs.
Do High School STEM Courses Prepare Non-College Bound Youth for Jobs in the STEM Economy?
Bozick, Robert; Srinivasan, Sinduja; Gottfried, Michael
2017-01-01
Our study assesses whether high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses provide non-college bound youth with the skills and training necessary to successfully transition from high school into the STEM economy. Specifically, our study estimates the effects that advanced math, advanced science, engineering, and…
Identifying 21st Century STEM Competencies Using Workplace Data
Jang, Hyewon
2016-04-01
Gaps between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and required workplace skills have been identified in industry, academia, and government. Educators acknowledge the need to reform STEM education to better prepare students for their future careers. We pursue this growing interest in the skills needed for STEM disciplines and ask whether frameworks for 21st century skills and engineering education cover all of important STEM competencies. In this study, we identify important STEM competencies and evaluate the relevance of current frameworks applied in education using the standardized job-specific database operated and maintained by the US Department of Labor. Our analysis of the importance of 109 skills, types of knowledge and work activities, revealed 18 skills, seven categories of knowledge, and 27 work activities important for STEM workers. We investigate the perspectives of STEM and non-STEM job incumbents, comparing the importance of each skill, knowledge, and work activity for the two groups. We aimed to condense dimensions of the 52 key areas by categorizing them according to the Katz and Kahn (1978) framework and testing for inter-rater reliability. Our findings show frameworks for 21st century skills and engineering education do not encompass all important STEM competencies. Implications for STEM education programs are discussed, including how they can bridge gaps between education and important workplace competencies.
Findings from a Pre-Kindergarten Classroom: Making the Case for STEM in Early Childhood Education
Tippett, Christine D.; Milford, Todd M.
2017-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in early childhood education is an area currently given little attention in the literature, which is unfortunate since young children are natural scientists and engineers. Here, we outline our mixed-methods design-based research investigation of a pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) classroom where two…
Mathematical Modelling at Secondary School: The MACSI-Clongowes Wood College Experience
Charpin, J. P. F.; O'Hara, S.; Mackey, D.
2013-01-01
In Ireland, to encourage the study of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and particularly mathematics, the Mathematics Applications Consortium for Science and Industry (MACSI) and Clongowes Wood College (County Kildare, Ireland) organized a mathematical modelling workshop for senior cycle secondary school students.…
STEM-21CS Module: Fostering 21st Century Skills through Integrated STEM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Norhaqikah Mohamad Khalil
2017-07-01
Full Text Available Malaysia calls for a society that is highly knowledgeable in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM and equipped with 21st century skills to provide professional workforce that can compete globally. The application of a STEM interdisciplinary approach and teaching and learning (T&L strategies such as problem-based and inquiry-based learning are proposed in development of the STEM-21CS Module in order to foster 21st century skills in the existing science curricula. A majority of real-world issues today are interdisciplinary in which they require students to comprehend the need to integrate multiple disciplines to solve them. STEM-21CS Module allows students to master scientific knowledge and subsequently master other disciplinary skills. It is aimed at improving students’ abilities to enrich their knowledge through hands-on and minds-on activities. The field of engineering requires the knowledge of product design and inventive problem solving skills. The integration of information technology in T&L is recommended in meeting the current needs of the Net Generation. Besides that, mathematics plays a vital role in providing computational tools, especially in analysing data. The STEM-21CS Module is expected to nurture 21st century skills such as digital era literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, high productivity, and spiritual and noble values among Malaysian students.
iSTEM: Promoting Fifth Graders' Mathematical Modeling
Yanik, H. Bahadir; Karabas, Celil
2014-01-01
Modeling requires that people develop representations or procedures to address particular problem situations (Lesh et al. 2000). Mathematical modeling is used to describe essential characteristics of a phenomenon or a situation that one intends to study in the real world through building mathematical objects. This article describes how fifth-grade…
STEM Leadership Qualification: Tomorrow's Leaders Today
Williams, Chris
2009-01-01
This article features the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Leadership Qualification programme, developed by the Centre for Science Education (CSE) at Sheffield Hallam University in collaboration with Edexcel, which sets out to develop leadership skills and capabilities through contexts in STEM. With six units to complete…
Mohr-Schroeder, Margaret J.; Jackson, Christa; Miller, Maranda; Walcott, Bruce; Little, David L.; Speler, Lydia; Schooler, William; Schroeder, D. Craig
2014-01-01
It is a well-known fact that, in general, many students have a lack of interest and proficiency in mathematics and science. Therefore, it is imperative that we prepare and inspire all students, specifically students of underrepresented populations, to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content. Now in its fourth year,…
Symposium Promotes Technological Literacy through STEM
Havice, Bill; Marshall, Jerry
2009-01-01
This article describes a symposium which promotes technological literacy through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The three-day symposium titled, "The Anderson, Oconee, Pickens Symposium on Teaching and Learning STEM Standards for the 21st Century," was held August 4-6, 2008 at the Tri-County Technical College…
Psychosocial Factors Impacting STEM Career Selection
Lamb, Richard; Annetta, Leonard; Vallett, David; Firestone, Jonah; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen; Walker, Heather; Deviller, Nicole; Hoston, Douglas
2018-01-01
Attention on P-20 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has increased tremendously in recent years. Many efforts are underway to promote STEM major and career selection across the nation; specifically, in engineering and computer science. The authors' purpose was to examine an underlying profile combinations of latent…
Almarode, John T.; Subotnik, Rena F.; Crowe, Edward; Tai, Robert H.; Lee, Geesoo Maie; Nowlin, Fiona
2014-01-01
The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between self-efficacy and maintenance of interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) resulting in completion of an undergraduate degree in a science related area. To pursue this analysis, the researchers surveyed 3,510 graduates from selective specialized science…
Wang, Ming-Te; Ye, Feifei; Degol, Jessica Lauren
2017-08-01
Career aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are formulated in adolescence, making the high school years a critical time period for identifying the cognitive and motivational factors that increase the likelihood of future STEM employment. While past research has mainly focused on absolute cognitive ability levels in math and verbal domains, the current study tested whether relative cognitive strengths and interests in math, science, and verbal domains in high school were more accurate predictors of STEM career decisions. Data were drawn from a national longitudinal study in the United States (N = 1762; 48 % female; the first wave during ninth grade and the last wave at age 33). Results revealed that in the high-verbal/high-math/high-science ability group, individuals with higher science task values and lower orientation toward altruism were more likely to select STEM occupations. In the low-verbal/moderate-math/moderate-science ability group, individuals with higher math ability and higher math task values were more likely to select STEM occupations. The findings suggest that youth with asymmetrical cognitive ability profiles are more likely to select careers that utilize their cognitive strengths rather than their weaknesses, while symmetrical cognitive ability profiles may grant youth more flexibility in their options, allowing their interests and values to guide their career decisions.
Smith, Kara; Jagesic, Sanja; Wyatt, Jeff; Ewing, Maureen
2018-01-01
Projections by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (2012) point to a need for approximately one million more Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals than the U.S. will be able to produce considering the current rate of STEM postsecondary degree completions (Executive Office of the President of…
Sax, Linda J.; Kanny, M. Allison; Riggers-Piehl, Tiffani A.; Whang, Hannah; Paulson, Laura N.
2015-01-01
Math self-concept (MSC) is considered an important predictor of the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Women's underrepresentation in the STEM fields is often attributed to their consistently lower ratings on MSC relative to men. Research in this area typically considers STEM in the aggregate and does not account…
Student’s STEM Literacy in Biotechnology Learning at Junior High School
Nurlaely, N.; Permanasari, A.; Riandi, R.
2017-09-01
A considerable study to student’s STEM literacy achievement profile, especially in biotechnology learning, has been conducted to make the innovation of the STEM-based learning. The study aims to find out the STEM literacy. The sample is taken through purposive sampling technique to 45 students of 9th grade of a junior high school in Tasikmalaya district. The instruments are multiple choice questions. Data are analysed by calculating mean score of students’ STEM literacy achievement. The results show that student’s STEM literacy achievement was low. Science literacy aspect was the lowest, while mathematical literacy gained better than another aspect. The low achievement of students’ STEM literacy was because of learning activities that have not been able to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in science learning. The literacy profile indicates the importance of applying STEM approach to science learning, and it is recommended to improve students’ STEM literacy achievement.
Xie, Yu; Fang, Michael; Shauman, Kimberlee
2015-08-01
Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, especially for traditionally disadvantaged groups, is widely recognized as pivotal to the U.S.'s long-term economic growth and security. In this article, we review and discuss current research on STEM education in the U.S., drawing on recent research in sociology and related fields. The reviewed literature shows that different social factors affect the two major components of STEM education attainment: (1) attainment of education in general, and (2) attainment of STEM education relative to non-STEM education conditional on educational attainment. Cognitive and social psychological characteristics matter for both major components, as do structural influences at the neighborhood, school, and broader cultural levels. However, while commonly used measures of socioeconomic status (SES) predict the attainment of general education, social psychological factors are more important influences on participation and achievement in STEM versus non-STEM education. Domestically, disparities by family SES, race, and gender persist in STEM education. Internationally, American students lag behind those in some countries with less economic resources. Explanations for group disparities within the U.S. and the mediocre international ranking of US student performance require more research, a task that is best accomplished through interdisciplinary approaches.
Cetin, Ali; Balta, Nuri
2017-01-01
This qualitative study was designed to introduce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) activities to preservice science teachers and identify their views about STEM materials. In this context, a competition was organized with 42 preservice science teachers (13 male- 29 female) who took Instructional Technologies and Material…
Does Postsecondary Persistence in STEM Vary by Gender?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Barbara King
2016-09-01
Full Text Available The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM is often explained by women’s greater likelihood to leave STEM at each key juncture from elementary school into the workforce. It is important to examine this more closely and look for points in the pipeline where gender equity exists. This study uses nationally representative data from a recent cohort of college students to investigate thoroughly gender differences in STEM persistence. Results indicate that no significant gender differences in persistence exist. This finding holds among those in computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physical science, and for those in life science. Additionally, the results are unchanged if the sample is limited to degree earners and are robust to the inclusion of individual and institutional variables. Although it is clear that women are less likely to choose certain STEM majors, those who do are no less likely to earn a STEM degree.
STEM and Technology Education: International State-of-the-Art
Ritz, John M.; Fan, Szu-Chun
2015-01-01
This paper reports the perceptions of 20 international technology education scholars on their country's involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Survey research was used to obtain data. It was found that the concept of STEM education is being discussed differently by nations. Some consider STEM education…
Mitts, Charles R.
2016-01-01
The International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) defines STEM as a new transdisciplinary subject in schools that integrates the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a single course of study. There are three major problems with this definition: There is no consensus in support of the ITEEA…
Hogue, Barbara A.
Research into women's underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has become a topic of interest due to the increasing need for employees with technical expertise and a shortage of individuals to fill STEM jobs. The discrepancy in women's representation between STEM and other fields cannot adequately be explained by factors such as women's need to balance work and family (medicine and law are both extremely demanding careers), women's fear of competition (admissions into medical and law schools are highly competitive), or women's inability to excel in science (e.g., entry into medicine requires excellent achievement in the basic sciences). The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the role and/or impact a sense of belonging has inside and outside of STEM classrooms. Research questions focused on the role and/or impact of belonging contributes to students' self-efficacy beliefs as a STEM major. Bandura's self-efficacy theory serves as the theoretical framework. Data sources include close-ended surveys of 200 sophomore- and junior-level college students majoring in a STEM discipline. A quantitative exploratory approach allowed participants' responses to be analyzed using both correlation and multiple regression analyses to understand whether a student's sense of belonging is associated with his or her self-efficacy beliefs. Findings suggested that positive support systems impact students' self-efficacy and play a role in fostering students' motivation and decision to major in STEM disciplines. This study contributes to positive social change by providing empirical evidence faculty and administrators may use to promote university-based STEM support programs reflecting the impact belonging has on students' self-efficacy and potentially increasing the number of students majoring in STEM disciplines.
Vijil, Veronica G.
2011-12-01
An overall increased awareness of the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has prompted attention toward the continued underrepresentation of Hispanic women in this field. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the support systems, perceived barriers, and prior experiences influencing high school Hispanic girls' decisions to pursue advanced coursework and related careers through a career pathway in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. Specifically, participants were interviewed regarding their mathematics and science experiences in elementary and middle schools, as well as perceived supports and barriers to their choices to pursue STEM careers and advanced coursework. Results indicated that the participants linked their elementary and middle school experiences with their teachers rather than specific activities. Accolades such as certificates and good grades for academic achievement contributed to the girls' strong self-efficacy at an early age. The participants possessed self-discipline and self-confidence, using intrinsic motivation to pursue their goals. Support systems included families and a few teachers. Barriers were revealed in different forms including derogatory comments by boys in class, difficult curricula with limited tutors available for higher level courses, and receipt of financial assistance to attend a university of their choice.
Batchelder, William H
2010-09-01
Mathematical psychology is a sub-field of psychology that started in the 1950s and has continued to grow as an important contributor to formal psychological theory, especially in the cognitive areas of psychology such as learning, memory, classification, choice response time, decision making, attention, and problem solving. In addition, there are several scientific sub-areas that were originated by mathematical psychologists such as the foundations of measurement, stochastic memory models, and psychologically motivated reformulations of expected utility theory. Mathematical psychology does not include all uses of mathematics and statistics in psychology, and indeed there is a long history of such uses especially in the areas of perception and psychometrics. What is most unique about mathematical psychology is its approach to theory construction. While accepting the behaviorist dictum that the data in psychology must be observable and replicable, mathematical models are specified in terms of unobservable formal constructs that can predict detailed aspects of data across multiple experimental and natural settings. By now almost all the substantive areas of cognitive and experimental psychology have formal mathematical models and theories, and many of these are due to researchers that identify with mathematical psychology. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research Area 3: Mathematics (3.1 Modeling of Complex Systems)
2017-10-31
Title: RESEARCH AREA 3: MATHEMATICS (3.1 Modeling of Complex Systems). Proposal should be directed to Dr. John Lavery Report Term: 0-Other Email ...Paolo Rosso Email : prosso@dsic.upv.es values of the profile characteristics taken by the users), intersection (they represent the relationship between...accuracy, especially when adding fully connected layers at the end of the network. This work has resulted in the writing of a manuscript for the Journal
Universities Conducting STEM Outreach: A Conceptual Framework
Eilam, Efrat; Bigger, Stephen W.; Sadler, Kirsten; Barry, Fiachra; Bielik, Tom
2016-01-01
This paper addresses the positioning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach programmes within universities' operations. Though universities in many respects form a rather homogenous international community, there is wide diversity in regard to the provision of STEM outreach by different institutions. To explain this…
An Intersectional Analysis of Latin@ College Women's Counter-Stories in Mathematics
Leyva, Luis A.
2016-01-01
In this article, the author discusses the intersectionality of mathematics experiences for two Latin@ college women pursuing mathematics-intensive STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors at a large, predominantly White university. The author employs intersectionality and poststructural theories to explore and make meaning…
Chow, Christina M.
Maintaining a competitive edge within the 21st century is dependent on the cultivation of human capital, producing qualified and innovative employees capable of competing within the new global marketplace. Technological advancements in communications technology as well as large scale, infrastructure development has led to a leveled playing field where students in the U.S. will ultimately be competing for jobs with not only local, but also international, peers. Thus, the ability to understand and learn from our global competitors, starting with the examination of innovative education systems and best practice strategies, is tantamount to the economic development, and ultimate survival, of the U.S. as a whole. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current state of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce pipelines in the U.S., China, and Taiwan. Two broad research questions examined STEM workforce production in terms of a) structural differences in primary and secondary school systems, including analysis of minimum high school graduation requirements and assessments as well as b) organizational differences in tertiary education and trends in STEM undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded in each region of interest. While each of the systems studied had their relative strengths and weaknesses, each of the Asian economies studied had valuable insights that can be categorized broadly in terms of STEM capacity, STEM interest and a greater understanding of global prospects that led to heightened STEM awareness. In China and Taiwan, STEM capacity was built via both traditional and vocational school systems. Focused and structured curriculum during the primary and early secondary school years built solid mathematics and science skills that translated into higher performance on international assessments and competitions. Differentiated secondary school options, including vocational high school and technical colleges and
Alexander, Quentin R.; Hermann, Mary A.
2016-01-01
In this phenomenological investigation we used qualitative research methodology to examine the experiences of 8 African American women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate programs at 1 predominantly White university (PWU) in the South. Much of the current research in this area uses quantitative methods and only…
A Complex Formula: Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Asia
Salmon, Aliénor
2015-01-01
What factors might be causing the low participation of women Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields? What can be done to attract more girls and women into STEM in Asia and beyond? The report, "A Complex Formula. Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Asia", answers three fundamental…
Quantification of the Contact Area at the Head-Stem Taper Interface of Modular Hip Prostheses.
Witt, Florian; Gührs, Julian; Morlock, Michael M; Bishop, Nicholas E
2015-01-01
Corrosion of modular taper junctions of hip implants may be associated with clinical failure. Taper design parameters, as well as the intraoperatively applied assembly forces, have been proposed to affect corrosion. Fretting corrosion is related to relative interface shear motion and fluid ingress, which may vary with contact force and area. It was hypothesised in this study that assembly forces modify the extent and distribution of the surface contact area at the taper interface between a cobalt chrome head and titanium stem taper with a standard threaded surface profile. Local abrasion of a thin gold coating applied to the stem taper prior to assembly was used to determine the contact area after disassembly. Profilometry was then used to assess permanent deformation of the stem taper surface profile. With increasing assembly force (500 N, 2000 N, 4000 N and 8000 N) the number of stem taper surface profile ridges in contact with the head taper was found to increase (9.2±9.3%, 65.4±10.8%, 92.8±6.0% and 100%) and the overall taper area in contact was also found to increase (0.6±0.7%, 5.5±1.0%, 9.9±1.1% and 16.1±0.9%). Contact was inconsistently distributed over the length of the taper. An increase in plastic radial deformation of the surface ridges (-0.05±0.14 μm, 0.1±0.14 μm, 0.21±0.22 μm and 0.96±0.25 μm) was also observed with increasing assembly force. The limited contact of the taper surface ridges at lower assembly forces may influence corrosion rates, suggesting that the magnitude of the assembly force may affect clinical outcome. The method presented provides a simple and practical assessment of the contact area at the taper interface.
The Gender-Equality Paradox in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education.
Stoet, G; Geary, DC
2018-01-01
The underrepresentation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a continual concern for social scientists and policymakers. Using an international database on adolescent achievement in science, mathematics, and reading ( N = 472,242), we showed that girls performed similarly to or better than boys in science in two of every three countries, and in nearly all countries, more girls appeared capable of college-level STEM study than had enrolled. P...
Development of a geoscience education book with schoolchildren from low STEM engagement areas
Boyd, Alex; McAuliffe, Fergus
2017-04-01
Crucial career-related concepts and attitudes are first formed in childhood though different phases: Fantasy (age 4-10 years), Interest (age (age 11-12 years) and Capacity (age 13-14 years). Parents are major influencers in high school subject choice and ultimately career choice. Despite bring aware of the importance of STEM, 68% of Irish parents feel uninformed with regards to advising on career choices for their children. In response to this, the Science Apprentice is a series of children's books, showcasing the importance of STEM in today's society. Developed by University College Dublin, and circulated with an Irish national newspaper, this series was directed at children in elementary school (7-12 year olds) and was written to inform the first conceptions of STEM career pathways through dynamic visuals, intriguing stories and creative expressions of knowledge that relates to STEM literacy. Furthermore, the Science Apprentice series was created to offer parents a level of confidence and understanding in STEM and STEM career opportunities. Despite outreach efforts by many geoscience academics and institutions, applied geoscience remains somewhat invisible in society, with most members of the public lacking any firm familiarity with the bedrock on which they live or the resources that it holds. Here we present an overview of the Science Apprentice book series, with particular emphasis on the Energy and Resources book edition. This edition was developed in conjunction with geoscientists from the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geoscience (iCRAG), and covered a wide range of applied geoscience topics, such as renewable and non-renewable energy sources, raw materials, engineering and the career paths of young researchers working in the geosciences. A key target audience for this book was families in low STEM engagement areas and low internet broadband connectivity areas. In this presentation we will outline how the book was developed by working with schools
Presser, Ashley Lewis; Busey, Amy
2016-01-01
This research brief describes the value of using mobile technologies in and out of elementary mathematics classrooms, and investigates the view that teachers may not be getting the guidance they need to best leverage those technologies. The authors explore three areas of concern: How can teachers use technology in developmentally appropriate ways…
The creation and validation of an instrument to measure school STEM Culture
White, Christopher
Although current research exists on school culture, there is a gap in the literature on specialized aspects of culture such as STEM Culture defined as the beliefs, values, practices, resources, and challenges in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) within a school. The objective of this study was to create a valid and reliable instrument, the STEM Culture Assessment Tool (STEM-CAT), that measures this cultural aspect based on a survey of stakeholder groups within the school community and use empirical data to support the use of this instrument to measure STEM Culture. Items were created and face validity was determined through a focus group and expert review before a pilot study was conducted to determine reliability of the items. Once items were determined reliable, the survey was given to eight high schools and results were correlated to the percentage of seniors who self-reported whether they intend to pursue STEM fields upon graduation. The results of this study indicate further need for research to determine how the STEM-CAT correlates to STEM culture due to some inconsistencies with the dependent variable in this study. Future research could be done correlating the results of the STEM-CAT with participation in Advanced Placement science and mathematics, SAT/ACT scores in science and mathematics or the number of students who actually pursue STEM fields rather than a prediction halfway through the 12th grade.
Roberts, Julia Link
2015-01-01
How do schools with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fit in with state goals to increase innovation and to boost the economy? This article briefly discusses how educators can encourage creativity and innovation.
Reilly, David; Neumann, David L.; Andrews, Glenda
2017-06-01
The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related fields remains a concern for educators and the scientific community. Gender differences in mathematics and science achievement play a role, in conjunction with attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs. We report results from the 2011 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a large international assessment of eighth grade students' achievement, attitudes, and beliefs among 45 participating nations (N = 261,738). Small- to medium-sized gender differences were found for most individual nations (from d = -.60 to +.31 in mathematics achievement, and d = -.60 to +.26 for science achievement), although the direction varied and there were no global gender differences overall. Such a pattern cross-culturally is incompatible with the notion of immutable gender differences. Additionally, there were different patterns between OECD and non-OECD nations, with girls scoring higher than boys in mathematics and science achievement across non-OECD nations. An association was found between gender differences in science achievement and national levels of gender equality, providing support for the gender segregation hypothesis. Furthermore, the performance of boys was more variable than that of girls in most nations, consistent with the greater male variability hypothesis. Boys reported more favorable attitudes towards mathematics and science, and girls reported lower self-efficacy beliefs. While the gender gap in STEM achievement may be closing, there are still large sections of the world where differences remain.
Teo, Tang Wee
2014-01-01
In this article, I use the idea of "dyschrony" to describe the multiple disjunctures experienced in a Hispanic woman's life as she struggled to gain full membership in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) community. Despite having earned a doctoral degree in chemistry and a teaching position in a STEM school, she…
Mathematical model of parking space unit for triangular parking area
Syahrini, Intan; Sundari, Teti; Iskandar, Taufiq; Halfiani, Vera; Munzir, Said; Ramli, Marwan
2018-01-01
Parking space unit (PSU) is an effective measure for the area size of a vehicle, including the free space and the width of the door opening of the vehicle (car). This article discusses a mathematical model for parking space of vehicles in triangular shape area. An optimization model for triangular parking lot is developed. Integer Linear Programming (ILP) method is used to determine the maximum number of the PSU. The triangular parking lot is in isosceles and equilateral triangles shape and implements four possible rows and five possible angles for each field. The vehicles which are considered are cars and motorcycles. The results show that the isosceles triangular parking area has 218 units of optimal PSU, which are 84 units of PSU for cars and 134 units of PSU for motorcycles. Equilateral triangular parking area has 688 units of optimal PSU, which are 175 units of PSU for cars and 513 units of PSU for motorcycles.
Castleman, Benjamin L.; Long, Bridget Terry; Mabel, Zachary A.
2014-01-01
The fastest growing supply of jobs in the United States today is in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Yet despite the availability of work in STEM, there is not a sufficient supply of workers to fill open positions. Amidst the growing demand for STEM workers, educational achievement and attainment in STEM fields in…
STEM Education in Canada: A Knowledge Synthesis
DeCoito, Isha
2016-01-01
Across Canada many initiatives have been initiated to generate more interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; however, no single or comprehensive overview has been conducted that takes into account the impact of these STEM initiatives on teaching/learning outcomes in K-12 education. This knowledge synthesis of…
Stoeger, Heidrun; Hopp, Manuel; Ziegler, Albert
2017-01-01
Online mentoring provides an effective means of extracurricular gifted education for talented girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Comparative studies on the effectiveness of one-on-one versus group mentoring are lacking, however. The authors investigated this question in the context of a Germany-wide online mentoring…
Effective Practices for Evaluating STEM Out-of-School Time Programs
Wilkerson, Stephanie B.; Haden, Carol M.
2014-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in out-of-school time (OST) are designed to supplement school work, ignite student interest, and extend STEM learning. From interactive museum exhibits to summer-long science camps, opportunities for informal student engagement in STEM learning abound. The differences these programs…
Morel-Baker, Sonaliz
Hispanics, and women in particular, continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The purpose of this study was to analyze cognitive and motivational factors that inspired Hispanic female college students to major in STEM programs and aspire to academic success. This mixed methods study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques in a sequential phase. Quantitative data were collected through the use of the 80-item Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Questionnaire, which was focused on the students' learning styles and how they impact Hispanic female students upon engaging in a STEM-related curriculum. Qualitative data were collected during interviews focusing on factors that led students to select, participate in, and make a commitment to some aspect of a STEM-related program. The questions that were asked during the interviews were intended to examine whether the existence of role models and STEM initiatives motivate Hispanic female students to major in STEM-related academic programs and aspire to academic success. The participants in this study were undergraduate Hispanic female students majoring in STEM-related academic programs and at a four-year university. The results indicate that the majority of the participants (88%) identified as reflectors, 4% as activists, 4% as theorists, and 4% as pragmatists. The results from the interviews suggested that the existence of role models (family members, educators, or STEM professionals) was a factor that motivated Hispanic females to major in STEM-related subjects and that exposure to STEM initiatives during K-12 education motivated Hispanic females to pursue a career in STEM.
Integrated STEM in secondary education: A case study
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
De Meester, Jolien; Dehaene, Wim; Knipprath, Heidi; Thielemans, Jan; De Cock, Mieke; Langie, Greet
2015-01-01
Despite many opportunities to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in Flemish secondary education, only a minority of pupils are actually pursuing STEM fields in higher education and jobs. One reason could be that they do not see the relevance of science and mathematics. In order to draw their pupils’ interest in STEM, a Belgian school started a brand new initiative: the school set up and implemented a first year course that integrates various STEM disciplines, hoping to provide an answer to the question pupils often ask themselves about the need to study math and science. The integrated curriculum was developed by the school’s teachers and a STEM education research group of the University of Leuven. To examine the pupils’ attitude towards STEM and STEM professions and their notion of relevance of STEM at the end of this one-year course, a post-test was administered to the group of pupils who attended the integrated STEM course (the experimental group) and to a group of pupils that took traditional, non-integrated STEM courses (the control group). The results reveal that attending the integrated STEM course is significantly related to pupils’ interest in STEM and notion of relevance of STEM. Another post-test was administered only to the experimental group to investigate pupils’ understanding of math and physics concepts and their relation when taught in an integrated way. The results reveal that the pupils have some conceptual understanding and can, to a certain extent, make a transfer of concepts across different STEM disciplines. However, the test results did point out that some additional introductory training in pure math context is needed.
Steinke, Jocelyn
2017-01-01
Popular media have played a crucial role in the construction, representation, reproduction, and transmission of stereotypes of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals, yet little is known about how these stereotypes influence STEM identity formation. Media images of STEM professionals may be important sources of information about STEM and may be particularly salient and relevant for girls during adolescence as they actively consider future personal and professional identities. This article describes gender-stereotyped media images of STEM professionals and examines theories to identify variables that explain the potential influence of these images on STEM identity formation. Understanding these variables is important for expanding current conceptual frameworks of science/STEM identity to better determine how and when cues in the broader sociocultural context may affect adolescent girls’ STEM identity. This article emphasizes the importance of focusing on STEM identity relevant variables and STEM identity status to explain individual differences in STEM identity formation. PMID:28603505
Steinke, Jocelyn
2017-01-01
Popular media have played a crucial role in the construction, representation, reproduction, and transmission of stereotypes of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals, yet little is known about how these stereotypes influence STEM identity formation. Media images of STEM professionals may be important sources of information about STEM and may be particularly salient and relevant for girls during adolescence as they actively consider future personal and professional identities. This article describes gender-stereotyped media images of STEM professionals and examines theories to identify variables that explain the potential influence of these images on STEM identity formation. Understanding these variables is important for expanding current conceptual frameworks of science/STEM identity to better determine how and when cues in the broader sociocultural context may affect adolescent girls' STEM identity. This article emphasizes the importance of focusing on STEM identity relevant variables and STEM identity status to explain individual differences in STEM identity formation.
Exploring an Integrative Lens of Identity for a High School Mathematics Teacher
Wilson, Kimi
2016-01-01
Driven largely by societal discourse regarding the underrepresentation of African American males pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors, careers and professions, it becomes salient to understand how African American males experience mathematics in K-12 public schools in relation to their mathematics identity…
Chonkaew, Patcharee; Sukhummek, Boonnak; Faikhamta, Chatree
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate the analytical thinking abilities and attitudes towards science learning of grade-11 students through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education integrated with a problem-based learning in the study of stoichiometry. The research tools consisted of a pre- and post-analytical…
Sriraman, Bharath, Ed.
2012-01-01
The interaction of the history of mathematics and mathematics education has long been construed as an esoteric area of inquiry. Much of the research done in this realm has been under the auspices of the history and pedagogy of mathematics group. However there is little systematization or consolidation of the existing literature aimed at…
Identifying STEM Concepts Associated with Junior Livestock Projects
Wooten, Kate; Rayfield, John; Moore, Lori L.
2013-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is intended to provide students with a cross-subject, contextual learning experience. To more fully prepare our nation's students to enter the globally competitive workforce, STEM integration allows students to make connections between the abstract concepts learned in core subject…
The Gender-Equality Paradox in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education.
Stoet, Gijsbert; Geary, David C
2018-04-01
The underrepresentation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a continual concern for social scientists and policymakers. Using an international database on adolescent achievement in science, mathematics, and reading ( N = 472,242), we showed that girls performed similarly to or better than boys in science in two of every three countries, and in nearly all countries, more girls appeared capable of college-level STEM study than had enrolled. Paradoxically, the sex differences in the magnitude of relative academic strengths and pursuit of STEM degrees rose with increases in national gender equality. The gap between boys' science achievement and girls' reading achievement relative to their mean academic performance was near universal. These sex differences in academic strengths and attitudes toward science correlated with the STEM graduation gap. A mediation analysis suggested that life-quality pressures in less gender-equal countries promote girls' and women's engagement with STEM subjects.
Sondergeld, Toni A.; Johnson, Carla C.; Walten, Janet B.
2016-01-01
Despite monetary and educational investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) being at record high levels, little attention has been devoted to generating a common understanding of STEM. In addition, working with business, K-12 schools, and/or institutions of higher education to establish a grassroots effort to help…
Wang, Xueli
2016-01-01
This research focuses on course-taking patterns of beginning community college students enrolled in one or more non-remedial science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses during their first year of college, and how these patterns are mapped against upward transfer in STEM fields of study. Drawing upon postsecondary transcript…
Preparing the Future STEM Workforce for Diverse Environments
Daily, Shaundra Bryant; Eugene, Wanda
2013-01-01
Following the belief that diversity breeds innovation in scientific endeavors, there is a national push for more diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce in order to maintain national economic competitiveness. Currently, STEM-related employment is only 28% non-White; however, greater efforts to recruit…
Glass, Jennifer L; Sassler, Sharon; Levitte, Yael; Michelmore, Katherine M
2013-01-01
We follow female college graduates in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and compare the trajectories of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related occupations to other professional occupations. Results show that women in STEM occupations are significantly more likely to leave their occupational field than professional women, especially early in their career, while few women in either group leave jobs to exit the labor force. Family factors cannot account for the differential loss of STEM workers compared to other professional workers. Few differences in job characteristics emerge either, so these cannot account for the disproportionate loss of STEM workers. What does emerge is that investments and job rewards that generally stimulate field commitment, such as advanced training and high job satisfaction, fail to build commitment among women in STEM.
Extinction models for cancer stem cell therapy
Sehl, Mary; Zhou, Hua; Sinsheimer, Janet S.; Lange, Kenneth L.
2012-01-01
Cells with stem cell-like properties are now viewed as initiating and sustaining many cancers. This suggests that cancer can be cured by driving these cancer stem cells to extinction. The problem with this strategy is that ordinary stem cells are apt to be killed in the process. This paper sets bounds on the killing differential (difference between death rates of cancer stem cells and normal stem cells) that must exist for the survival of an adequate number of normal stem cells. Our main tools are birth–death Markov chains in continuous time. In this framework, we investigate the extinction times of cancer stem cells and normal stem cells. Application of extreme value theory from mathematical statistics yields an accurate asymptotic distribution and corresponding moments for both extinction times. We compare these distributions for the two cell populations as a function of the killing rates. Perhaps a more telling comparison involves the number of normal stem cells NH at the extinction time of the cancer stem cells. Conditioning on the asymptotic time to extinction of the cancer stem cells allows us to calculate the asymptotic mean and variance of NH. The full distribution of NH can be retrieved by the finite Fourier transform and, in some parameter regimes, by an eigenfunction expansion. Finally, we discuss the impact of quiescence (the resting state) on stem cell dynamics. Quiescence can act as a sanctuary for cancer stem cells and imperils the proposed therapy. We approach the complication of quiescence via multitype branching process models and stochastic simulation. Improvements to the τ-leaping method of stochastic simulation make it a versatile tool in this context. We conclude that the proposed therapy must target quiescent cancer stem cells as well as actively dividing cancer stem cells. The current cancer models demonstrate the virtue of attacking the same quantitative questions from a variety of modeling, mathematical, and computational perspectives
Heilbronner, Nancy N.
Many men and women who are talented in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) choose not to pursue undergraduate majors or careers in these fields. To develop talents in STEM, educators must understand the factors that contribute to an individual's retention in STEM domains, as well as the factors that act as barriers to success, such as the role that gender plays in the underrepresentation of women in certain STEM fields (e.g., computer science and engineering) and changes in recent decades in the process of selecting STEM majors and careers. The purpose of this study was to explore the influences that guide decisions related to the selection of majors and occupations during high school, post-secondary education, and early careers. Survey methodology was used to explore the perceptions of 360 Science Talent Search (STS) semifinalists and finalists during the years 1987-1989 and 1997-1999, and quantitative procedures were used to analyze the data. A majority (74.2%) of STS participants majored in a STEM field in college, and most (68.6%) currently work in a STEM field. A greater percentage of men selected computer science, engineering, physics, and mathematics majors, and a greater percentage of women selected biological science and chemistry. Belief in one's ability to achieve in STEM was a predictor of STEM majors in college and STEM concentrations in graduate school, but differences were found between men's and women's self-efficacy in STEM during high school and in college, as women had lower self-efficacy. Sex was a predictor of STEM majors in college, but perceived quality of academic courses was not. STEM majors also reported more satisfaction with their STEM courses in high school and college than non-STEM majors. In a departure from the results of previous research, the reasons that men and women selected occupations were similar, as were the reasons they chose to leave or not to enter STEM. The most frequently cited reason for
Flowers, Reagan D.
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how a management service organization can assist schools with reducing the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) during the after-school hours. Developing a strategic plan through creating a program that provides support services for the implementation of hands-on activities in STEM for children during the after-school hours was central to this purpose. This Project Demonstrating Excellence (PDE), a social action project, also presents historical and current after-school program developments in the nation. The study is quantitative and qualitative in nature. Surveys were utilized to quantitatively capture the opinions of participants in the social action project on three specific education related issues: (1) disparity in academic motivation of students to participate in after-school STEM enrichment programs; (2) whether teachers and school administrators saw a need for STEM after-school enrichment; and (3) developing STEM after-school programs that were centered on problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills to develop students' interest in STEM careers. The sample consisted of 50 participants comprised of students, teachers, and administrators. The focus groups and interviews provided the qualitative data for the study. The qualitative sample consisted of 14 participants comprised of students, parents and teachers, administrators, an education consultant, and a corporate sponsor. The empirical data obtained from the study survey, focus groups, and interviews provided a comprehensive profile on the current views and future expectations of STEM after-school enrichment, student and school needs, and community partnerships with STEM companies. Results of the study and review of the implementation of the social action project, C-STEM (communication, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Teacher and Student Support
Preparation Matters Most in STEM. Issue Brief
Hayes, Shannon
2017-01-01
Serious attention has been directed in recent years towards the need for increasing the number of high school graduates in the United States who are prepared for postsecondary education, training and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The number of jobs in U.S. STEM occupations grew by 10.5 percent…
Self-efficacy of college freshmen engaged in STEM outreach
Patchin, Stephen H.
Not since the Cold War and the launch of Sputnik has there been such a focus on producing college graduates in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As manually driven careers disappear, new diverse careers are created and they have one thing in common, STEM. As students move into these challenging curriculums they will need to have faith in their abilities to achieve their goals. This self-efficacy is vital component for their collegiate and career success. This mixed methods study examines the unique pre-college STEM outreach phenomenon called Mind Trekkers. Mind Trekkers uses the "WOW" of experiential learning in the areas of STEM to motivate K-12 students to engage in STEM related fields. The focus of the study is on the first-year college freshmen that join this program, becoming STEM serviceteers, and how being part of this STEM phenomenon impacts their self-efficacy. The findings can be summed up in a quote. I get to help people understanding in a different way than I would if I was just doing volunteering like I did in high school. It's cool. I just love it and it gives me the confidence that what I am doing is the right thing here at (the university). (Jean). The results of the study indicate that the Mind Trekkers program acted as a catalyst to increase the self-efficacy of the students that participated in it, through personal social and academic impact.
Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference for Pre-Service Educators
Hardrict-Ewing, Gloria
2017-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are attracting increased attention in education. The iSTEM 2017 conference was a professional development program designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with interdisciplinary, research-based STEM instructional strategies that can transform traditional classroom instruction…
The Language of Mathematics: The Importance of Teaching and Learning Mathematical Vocabulary
Riccomini, Paul J.; Smith, Gregory W.; Hughes, Elizabeth M.; Fries, Karen M.
2015-01-01
Vocabulary understanding is a major contributor to overall comprehension in many content areas, including mathematics. Effective methods for teaching vocabulary in all content areas are diverse and long standing. Teaching and learning the language of mathematics is vital for the development of mathematical proficiency. Students' mathematical…
Quotable Quotes in Mathematics
Lo, Bruce W. N.
1983-01-01
As a way to dispel negative feelings toward mathematics, a variety of quotations are given. They are categorized by: what mathematics is, mathematicians, mathematics and other disciplines, different areas of mathematics, mathematics and humor, applications of mathematics, and pure versus applied mathematics. (MNS)
Greig, Chasen J; Cowles, Robert A
2017-07-01
Quantification of intestinal mucosal growth typically relies on morphometric parameters, commonly villus height, as a surrogate for presumed changes in mucosal surface area (MSA). We hypothesized that using mathematical modeling based on multiple unique measurements would improve discrimination of the effects of interventions on MSA compared to standard measures. To determine the ability of mathematical modeling to resolve differences in MSA, a mouse model with enhanced serotonin (5HT) signaling known to stimulate mucosal growth was used. 5-HT signaling is potentiated by targeting the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) molecule. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-treated wild-type (WT-SSRI), SERT-knockout (SERTKO), and wild-type C57Bl/6 (WT) mice were used. Distal ileal sections were H&E-stained. Villus height (VH), width (VW), crypt width (CW), and bowel diameter were used to calculate surface area enlargement factor (SEF) and MSA. VH alone for SERTKO and SSRI was significantly increased compared to WT, without a difference between SERTKO and WT-SSRI. VW and CW were significantly decreased for both SERTKO and WT-SSRI compared to WT, and VW for WT-SSRI was also decreased compared to SERTKO. These changes increased SEF and MSA for SERTKO and WT-SSRI compared to WT. Additionally, SEF and MSA were significantly increased for WT-SSRI compared to SERTKO. Mathematical modeling provides a valuable tool for differentiating changes in intestinal MSA. This more comprehensive assessment of surface area does not appear to correlate linearly with standard morphometric measures and represents a more comprehensive method for discriminating between therapies aimed at increasing functional intestinal mucosa. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Conflicts in Developing an Elementary STEM Magnet School
Sikma, Lynn; Osborne, Margery
2014-01-01
Elementary schools in the United States have been the terrain of a highly politicized push for improved reading and mathematics attainment, as well as calls for increased importance to be given to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With priorities placed on basic skills, however, instructional time in subjects such as…
Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions and Lived Experiences on Mathematical Communication
Kaya, Defne; Aydin, Hasan
2016-01-01
Mathematical thinking skills and meaningful mathematical understanding are among the goals of current mathematics education. There is a wide consensus among scholars about the purpose of developing mathematical understanding and higher order thinking skills in students. However, how to develop those skills in classroom settings is an area that…
Parental Perceptions of STEM Enrichment for Young Children
Tay, Juliana; Salazar, Alissa; Lee, Hyeseong
2018-01-01
Most pre-kindergarten (pre-K) and kindergarten curricula are challenging and engaging, but few are strongly grounded in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In this study, the authors examined parental perception (N = 55) of the influences of a Saturday STEM enrichment program in one university center on pre-K and…
The Turkish Adaptation of the Mathematical Resilience Scale: Validity and Reliability Study
Gürefe, Nejla; Akçakin, Veysel
2018-01-01
Persistent in mathematical studies is an important element allowing students to be successful in their STEM careers, and there is a need for affective measurement instruments to assess persistence in mathematics in spite of problems. For this reason, this study aims to adapt the Mathematical Resilience Scale developed to assess resilience, which…
Society, reality and STEM-education : challenging contributions to ‘science as practice’
Taconis, R.; Pepin, B.
2017-01-01
Connecting school science and mathematics to real-life is a key issue in STEM education. This symposium presents four studies on ‘realistic’ STEM-education from various STEM-domains that all involve ‘science as practice’. Key issues addressed are: How can students’ understanding and appreciation of
Harackiewicz, Judith M; Rozek, Christopher S; Hulleman, Chris S; Hyde, Janet S
2012-08-01
The pipeline toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) begins to leak in high school, when some students choose not to take advanced mathematics and science courses. We conducted a field experiment testing whether a theory-based intervention that was designed to help parents convey the importance of mathematics and science courses to their high school-aged children would lead them to take more mathematics and science courses in high school. The three-part intervention consisted of two brochures mailed to parents and a Web site, all highlighting the usefulness of STEM courses. This relatively simple intervention led students whose parents were in the experimental group to take, on average, nearly one semester more of science and mathematics in the last 2 years of high school, compared with the control group. Parents are an untapped resource for increasing STEM motivation in adolescents, and the results demonstrate that motivational theory can be applied to this important pipeline problem.
Smith, Michelle K.; Jones, Francis H. M.; Gilbert, Sarah L.; Wieman, Carl E.
2013-01-01
Instructors and the teaching practices they employ play a critical role in improving student learning in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Consequently, there is increasing interest in collecting information on the range and frequency of teaching practices at department-wide and institution-wide scales. To help facilitate this process, we present a new classroom observation protocol known as the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM or C...
The STEM Pathway for Women: What Has Changed?
Heilbronner, Nancy N.
2013-01-01
In previous decades, researchers have identified a gender gap in the careers and academic achievement of men and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Recently, it has been suggested that some of these gender gaps no longer exist; however, the picture is more nuanced, for women are represented well in some STEM fields…
2013-09-01
inquiry and scientific pedagogy . 2.0 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES The DoD selected AFRL/XPPD, Domestic Partnering Branch, as the NDEP coordinator at...users access to LabTV, STEM career videos , STEM Education Quality Framework and Curriculum developed by the Dayton Regional STEM Center. In October
Identifying 21st Century STEM Competencies Using Workplace Data
Jang, Hyewon
2016-01-01
Gaps between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and required workplace skills have been identified in industry, academia, and government. Educators acknowledge the need to reform STEM education to better prepare students for their future careers. We pursue this growing interest in the skills needed for STEM…
Family Friendly Policies in STEM Departments: Awareness and Determinants
Su, Xuhong; Bozeman, Barry
2016-01-01
Focused on academic departments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in the United States, we attempt to map department chairs' awareness of family friendly policies and investigate possible determinants of their knowledge levels. Based on a sample of STEM department chairs in American research universities, we find…
STEM Projects: Should We Add the "TEM" to Science?
Hall, Angela
2012-01-01
A recent curriculum development from the Nuffield Foundation rose to the challenge of producing a set of resources to establish STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as a curriculum focus. The result is two STEM cross-curricular projects: "Games," inspired by the London Olympics, and "Futures," a novel…
Women in STEM hit by discrimination
Randall, Ian
2016-02-01
Almost a third of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Australia are considering leaving their job within the next five years, according to a survey by the employee association Professionals Australia.
Shin, Jiyun Elizabeth L.
Increasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates has become an important part of the education agenda in the U.S. in recent years. Stereotypes about STEM (i.e., belief that STEM abilities are innate, and that European American men are best suited for STEM) have been identified as one of the critical factors that may contribute to low recruitment and retention of STEM students. Drawing from the literatures on biological essentialism and role models, this study compared different strategies for challenging STEM stereotypes among undergraduate students in STEM and non-STEM fields. STEM stereotypes were challenged directly with research articles that provided non-biological explanations for STEM success and interest (a strategy used in the essentialism research) and indirectly with biographies of successful STEM role models who are underrepresented in their field and who succeeded through hard work (a strategy used in the role model research). Contrary to the predictions, exposure to the role model biographies, research articles, or combination of both did not have statistically significant effects on participants' reported STEM interest and academic intentions. Possible explanations for the lack of significant findings as well as suggestions for developing effective interventions to promote STEM engagement among students are discussed.
Effects of Transferring to STEM-Focused Charter and Magnet Schools on Student Achievement
Judson, Eugene
2014-01-01
There have been strong calls to action in recent years to promote both school choice and the learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This has led to the burgeoning development of STEM-focused schools. Nine STEM-focused charter and 2 STEM-focused magnet schools that serve elementary-aged students were examined to…
Lee, Sang Eun
This dissertation examines gender differences in career advancement outcomes among academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scientists. In particular, this research examines effects of gender, PhD advisors and postdoctoral supervisors mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on the career advancement outcomes at early career stages. Female academic scientists have disadvantages in the career progress in the academic STEM. They tend to fall behind throughout their career paths and to leave the field compared to their male colleagues. Researchers have found that gender differences in the career advancement are shaped by gender-biased evaluations derived from gender stereotypes. Other studies demonstrate the positive impacts of mentoring and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads. To add greater insights to the current findings of female academic scientists' career disadvantages, this dissertation investigates comprehensive effects of gender, mentoring, and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on female scientists' career advancement outcomes in academic science. Based on the Status Characteristics Theory, the concept of mentoring, Social Capital Theory, and Ingroup Bias Theory, causal path models are developed to test direct and indirect effects of gender, mentoring resources, and gender homophily on STEM faculty's career advancement. The research models were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with data collected from a national survey, funded by the National Science Foundation, completed in 2011 by tenured and tenure-track academic STEM faculty from higher education institutions in the United States. Findings suggest that there is no gender difference in career advancement controlling for mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads and other factors including research productivity and domestic caregiving responsibilities. Findings also show that the positive relationship between
Community Colleges Giving Students a Framework for STEM Careers
Musante, Susan
2012-01-01
Over the coming decade, America will need one million more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals than was originally projected. This is the conclusion of a February 2012 report, "Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics".…
Marshall, Stephanie Pace
2010-01-01
This article offers a personal vision and conceptual design for reimagining specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academies designed to nurture "decidedly different" STEM minds and ignite a new generation of global STEM talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership. This design enables students to engage…
Jensen, Jamie L.; Neeley, Shannon; Hatch, Jordan B.; Piorczynski, Ted
2017-01-01
The United States produces too few Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates to meet demand. We investigated scientific reasoning ability as a possible factor in STEM retention. To do this, we classified students in introductory biology courses at a large private university as either declared STEM or non-STEM majors and…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ze-Xin Fan
2017-09-01
Full Text Available Leaf–stem allometry is an important spectrum that linked to biomass allocation and life history strategy in plants, although the determinants and evolutionary significance of leaf–stem allometry remain poorly understood. Leaf and stem architectures – including stem area/mass, petiole area/mass, lamina area/mass, leaf number, specific leaf area (LA, and mass-based leafing intensity (LI – were measured on the current-year branches for 28 Ficus species growing in a common garden in SW China. The leaf anatomical traits, stem wood density (WD, and stem anatomical and mechanical properties of these species were also measured. We analyzed leaf–stem allometric relationships and their associations with stem hydraulic ad mechanical properties using species-level data and phylogenetically independent contrasts. We found isometric relationship between leaf lamina area/mass and stem area/mass, suggesting that the biomass allocation to leaf was independent to stem size. However, allometric relationship between LA/mass and petiole mass was found, indicating large leaves invest a higher fractional of biomass in petiole than small ones. LI, i.e., leaf numbers per unit of stem mass, was negatively related with leaf and stem size. Species with larger terminal branches tend to have larger vessels and theoretical hydraulic conductivity, but lower WD and mechanical strength. The size of leaf lamina, petiole, and stem was correlated positively with stem theoretical hydraulic conductivity, but negatively with stem WD and mechanical strength. Our results suggest that leaf–stem allometry in Ficus species was shaped by the trade-off between stem hydraulic efficiency and mechanical stability, supporting a functional interpretation of the relationship between leaf and stem dimensions.
Multiple Case Study of STEM in School-Based Agricultural Education
Stubbs, Eric A.; Myers, Brian E.
2015-01-01
This multiple case study investigated the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in three Florida high school agriculture programs. Observations, interviews, documents, and artifacts provided qualitative data that indicated the types of STEM knowledge taught. Variables of interest included student and teacher…
Leadership Training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in Bulgaria
Bairaktarova, Diana; Cox, Monica F.; Evangelou, Demetra
2011-01-01
This synthesis paper explores current leadership training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Bulgaria. The analysis begins with discussion of global factors influencing the implementation of leadership training in STEM education in general and then presents information about the current status of leadership…
Averages, Areas and Volumes; Cambridge Conference on School Mathematics Feasibility Study No. 45.
Cambridge Conference on School Mathematics, Newton, MA.
Presented is an elementary approach to areas, columns and other mathematical concepts usually treated in calculus. The approach is based on the idea of average and this concept is utilized throughout the report. In the beginning the average (arithmetic mean) of a set of numbers is considered and two properties of the average which often simplify…
Dissemination and Assessment Center for Bilingual Education, Austin, TX.
This is one of a series of student booklets designed for use in a bilingual mathematics program in grades 6-8. The general format is to present each page in both Spanish and English. The mathematical topics in this booklet include measurement, perimeter, and area. (MK)
Strategies of solving arithmetic word problems in students with learning difficulties in mathematics
Kalan, Marko
2015-01-01
Problem solving as an important skill is, beside arithmetic, measure and algebra, included in standards of school mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) (NCTM, 2000) and needed as a necessary skill for successfulness in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Since solving of human problems is connected to the real life, the arithmetic word problems (in short AWP) are an important kind of mathematics tasks in scho...
What’s So Special about STEM? A Comparison of Women’s Retention in STEM and Professional Occupations
Glass, Jennifer L.; Sassler, Sharon; Levitte, Yael; Michelmore, Katherine M.
2013-01-01
We follow female college graduates in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and compare the trajectories of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related occupations to other professional occupations. Results show that women in STEM occupations are significantly more likely to leave their occupational field than professional women, especially early in their career, while few women in either group leave jobs to exit the labor force. Family factors cannot ac...
Cooper, Robyn; Heaverlo, Carol
2013-01-01
For girls there is a distinct loss in interest, lack of confidence, and decline in positive attitudes toward STEM subject areas that begins early on in their academic experience and increases with age. According to the National Academy of Engineering, students need to begin associating the possibilities in STEM fields with the need for creativity…
Building Bridges between Psychological Science and Education: Cultural Stereotypes, STEM, and Equity
Master, Allison; Meltzoff, Andrew N.
2016-01-01
There is a gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This presents a worldwide problem of inequity. Sociocultural stereotypes associating STEM with males act as barriers that prevent girls from developing interests in STEM. This article aims to show that we can increase equity and enhance outcomes for a…
STEM Learning Is Everywhere: Summary of a Convocation on Building Learning Systems
Olson, Steve; Labov, Jay
2014-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) permeate the modern world. The jobs people do, the foods they eat, the vehicles in which they travel, the information they receive, the medicines they take, and many other facets of modern life are constantly changing as STEM knowledge steadily accumulates. Yet STEM education in the United…
Why are some STEM fields more gender balanced than others?
Cheryan, Sapna; Ziegler, Sianna A; Montoya, Amanda K; Jiang, Lily
2017-01-01
Women obtain more than half of U.S. undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, yet they earn less than 20% of computer science, engineering, and physics undergraduate degrees (National Science Foundation, 2014a). Gender differences in interest in computer science, engineering, and physics appear even before college. Why are women represented in some science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields more than others? We conduct a critical review of the most commonly cited factors explaining gender disparities in STEM participation and investigate whether these factors explain differential gender participation across STEM fields. Math performance and discrimination influence who enters STEM, but there is little evidence to date that these factors explain why women's underrepresentation is relatively worse in some STEM fields. We introduce a model with three overarching factors to explain the larger gender gaps in participation in computer science, engineering, and physics than in biology, chemistry, and mathematics: (a) masculine cultures that signal a lower sense of belonging to women than men, (b) a lack of sufficient early experience with computer science, engineering, and physics, and (c) gender gaps in self-efficacy. Efforts to increase women's participation in computer science, engineering, and physics may benefit from changing masculine cultures and providing students with early experiences that signal equally to both girls and boys that they belong and can succeed in these fields. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).
The Impact of Inclusive STEM High Schools on Student Achievement
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jennifer Gnagey
2016-05-01
Full Text Available This study is one of the first to estimate the impact of “inclusive“ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM high schools using student-level data. We use multiple statistical strategies to estimate the effect on student achievement from 2 years of attendance at six such high schools in Ohio. The results indicate that two schools had positive effects on science achievement that appear to come at the expense of achievement in social studies. The other schools had negligible or, often, negative effects across both STEM and, particularly, non-STEM subjects. These results are consistent with studies indicating that inclusive STEM schools typically focus on problem-based, personalized learning rather than science and mathematics content. The analysis also reveals the importance of accounting for students’ prior test scores in science, in addition to math and reading, when estimating models that use only 1 year of prior test score data—something that existing studies fail to do.
Ng, Chee Hoe; Adnan, M.
2018-01-01
This research aims to investigate the effect of integrating STEM education through Project-based Inquiry Learning (PIL) and the users of the STEM modules which consists of five projects on topic Space in Year One Mathematics Syllabus in Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) of Malaysia. STEM education in primary school focuses on the introduces and awareness of students about the importance of STEM education. The projects in STEM modules are covering the different ethnic cultures in Malaysia. The modules are designed using the four phases in PIL. Concepts and the explanation of STEM education on each project are emphasized and provided in the modules so the teachers able to carry out the projects by using the modules. By using the modules in primary Mathematics, the students and teachers will be more understanding on how to integrate the Mathematics’ concepts in STEM education.
Astronomy in Denver: Effects of a summer camp on girls’ preconceived notions of careers in STEM
Hoffman, Jennifer L.; Fetrow, Kirsten J.; Broder, Dale E.; Murphy, Shannon M.; Tinghitella, Robin; Hart, Quyen N.
2018-06-01
Despite gains in recent years, gender disparities persist in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although young women can perform as well as their male peers in STEM courses and tests, they are less likely to pursue higher education and careers in STEM. Our study examined the effectiveness of a STEM-focused summer camp at increasing middle-school girls’ career aspirations in STEM and self-confidence with respect to scientific topics. The 15 participants were Denver-area girls ages 10 to 13 years old from groups underrepresented in STEM fields. During the weeklong DU SciTech camp, these girls built telescopes and computers, collected and classified insects, completed inquiry activities, and interacted with female STEM professionals from a variety of scientific fields and racial backgrounds. We hypothesized that camp attendance would expand girls’ perceptions of who does science, increase their awareness of and interest in STEM careers, and increase their scientific self-efficacy, or belief in their ability to succeed at STEM tasks. We found that DU SciTech improved the girls’ scientific self-efficacy and awareness of STEM careers, but it did not increase their (already high) interest in pursuing their own careers in STEM. We will present our results and discuss their implications for future summer camps and efforts to broaden STEM participation by young women from underrepresented groups.
STEM-based workbook: Enhancing students' STEM competencies on lever system
Sejati, Binar Kasih; Firman, Harry; Kaniawati, Ida
2017-05-01
Twenty-first century is a century of technology, a rapid development of scientific studies and technology make them relied heavily on each other. This research investigated about the effect of STEM-based workbook in enhancing students' STEM competencies in terms of knowledge understanding, problem solving skill, innovative abilities, and responsibility. The workbook was tried on 24 students that applied engineering design processes together with mathematics and science knowledge to design and create an egg cracker. The result showed that the implementation of STEM-based workbook on lever system in human body is effective to improve students' STEM competencies, it can be proven by students' result on their knowledge understanding improvement which can be seen from normalized gain () score is 0.41 and categorized as medium improvement, students' problem solving skill is also improving where it obtained a medium improvement with normalized gain as much as 0.45. Innovative abilities also encountered an the improvement, the workbook analysis obtained a higher score which means students can be more innovative after finishing their workbook. Last, students' responsibility is keep improving day by day, students' effort gain the highest score it means that the students become more responsible after implementation of STEM-based workbook. All of the results are supported with the response of students towards STEM-based workbook implementation which showed positive response in all indicators.
Psycho-Social Determinants of Gender Prejudice in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Nnachi, N. O.; Okpube, M. N.
2015-01-01
This work focused on the "Psycho-social Determinants of Gender Prejudice in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)". The females were found to be underrepresented in STEM fields. The under-representation results from gender stereotype, differences in spatial skills, hierarchical and territorial segregations and…
Curriculum Choice, Educational Performance, and Wages within Stem
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kromann, Lene; Sørensen, Anders; Walldorf, Jeanette
to graduates specialized in Science (S), graduates specialized in Mathematics (M) have a starting wage that is 20 percent higher, and graduates specialized in Technology (T) have a starting wage that is approximately 15 percent higher; graduates specialized in Engineering (E) have a similar starting wage. Wage...... variation within the specific education program is of comparable importance to the wage variations between broad types and different lengths of education. Moreover, large variations in wages exist within the four STEM areas, which can be partly explained by course choice. Specifically, courses in M...... are associated with higher wages in most areas of specialization, which indicates that M is a general-purpose skill. In contrast, S, T and E are to a higher extent specific-purpose skills, as courses in these fields are not associated with higher wages if completed outside the area of specialization. In addition...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jorge Arroyo Hernández
2016-03-01
Full Text Available This article describes the purpose and activities of the project Promoting Mathematics Education in Rural Areas of Costa Rica. The activity has focused on two objectives. First, supporting and monitoring students who have expressed interest in studying a mathematics teacher. To achieve this, it has been working with students who have an ideal profile for the career, mainly from rural areas. The second objective is to conduct training workshops for high school in-service teachers, to strengthen and improve their knowledge in the area of mathematics. Among the results of the project, it can be highlighted a significant increase in the enrollment of students in the career of Mathematics Education in 2010 and 2011, and the training processes in the field of Real Functions of Real Variable and Geometry at different regional areas mostly rural as Aguirre, Sarapiquí, Coto, Buenos Aires, Limón, Cañas, Pérez Zeledón, Nicoya, Los Santos, Turrialba, Puriscal, Desamparados, San Carlos, Puntarenas, Limón, Liberia, Santa Cruz y Upala.
Andreescu, Titu; Tetiva, Marian
2017-01-01
Building bridges between classical results and contemporary nonstandard problems, Mathematical Bridges embraces important topics in analysis and algebra from a problem-solving perspective. Blending old and new techniques, tactics and strategies used in solving challenging mathematical problems, readers will discover numerous genuine mathematical gems throughout that will heighten their appreciation of the inherent beauty of mathematics. Most of the problems are original to the authors and are intertwined in a well-motivated exposition driven by representative examples. The book is structured to assist the reader in formulating and proving conjectures, as well as devising solutions to important mathematical problems by making connections between various concepts and ideas from different areas of mathematics. Instructors and educators teaching problem-solving courses or organizing mathematics clubs, as well as motivated mathematics students from high school juniors to college seniors, will find Mathematical Bri...
Do higher levels of education and skills in an area benefit wider society?
Winters, John V.
2015-01-01
Formal schooling increases earnings and provides other individual benefits. However, societal benefits of education may exceed individual benefits. Research finds that increased average education levels in an area are correlated with higher earnings, even for locals with relatively little education. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates appear to have especially strong external effects, due to their role in stimulating innovation and economic growth. Several strat...
The Effects of STEM PBL on Students' Mathematical and Scientific Vocabulary Knowledge
Bilgin, Ali; Boedeker, Peter; Capraro, Robert M.; Capraro, Mary M.
2015-01-01
Vocabulary is at the surface level of language usage; thus, students need to develop mathematical and scientific vocabulary to be able to explicitly communicate their mathematical and scientific reasoning with others. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have both created…
Toward a Framework for Multicultural STEM-Focused Career Interventions
Byars-Winston, Angela
2015-01-01
Numerous federal and national commissions have called for policies, funds, and initiatives aimed at expanding the nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce and education investments to create a significantly larger, more diverse talent pool of individuals who pursue technical careers. Career development professionals are poised to contribute to the equity discourse about broadening STEM participation. However, few are aware of STEM-related career development matters, career opportunities and pathways, or strategies for promoting STEM pursuits. The author summarizes STEM education and workforce trends and articulates an equity imperative for broadening and diversifying STEM participation. The author then offers a multicultural STEM-focused career development framework to encourage career development professionals' knowledge and awareness of STEM education and careers and delineates considerations for practice aimed at increasing the attainment and achievement of diverse groups in STEM fields. PMID:25750480
Fan, Ze Xin; Sterck, Frank; Zhang, Shi Bao; Fu, Pei Li; Hao, Guang You
2017-01-01
Leaf-stem allometry is an important spectrum that linked to biomass allocation and life history strategy in plants, although the determinants and evolutionary significance of leaf-stem allometry remain poorly understood. Leaf and stem architectures - including stem area/mass, petiole area/mass,
Study choice and career development in STEM fields: an overview and integration of the research
van Tuijl, Cathy; Walma van der Molen, Julie Henriëtte
2015-01-01
Although science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) study paths and STEM work fields may be relatively difficult and therefore not appropriate for everyone, too many children prematurely exclude STEM-related study and work options, based on negative images of the field or negative
STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future. ESA Issue Brief #03-11
Langdon, David; McKittrick, George; Beede, David; Khan, Beethika; Doms, Mark
2011-01-01
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers drive the nation's innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. However, U.S. businesses frequently voice concerns over the supply and availability of STEM workers. Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as…
Expanding STEM opportunities through inclusive STEM‐focused high schools
Wang, Haiwen; Wei, Xin; Lynch, Sharon; Peters, Vanessa; Young, Viki; Allen, Carrie
2017-01-01
Abstract Inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs) (where STEM is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) admit students on the basis of interest rather than competitive examination. This study examines the central assumption behind these schools—that they provide students from subgroups underrepresented in STEM with experiences that equip them academically and attitudinally to enter and stay in the STEM pipeline. Hierarchical modeling was applied to data from student surveys and state longitudinal data records for 5113 students graduating from 39 ISHSs and 22 comprehensive high schools in North Carolina and Texas. Compared to peers from the same demographic group with similar Grade 8 achievement levels, underrepresented minority and female ISHS students in both states were more likely to undertake advanced STEM coursework. Hispanics in Texas and females in both states expressed more STEM career interest in Grade 12 if they attended an ISHS. Positive relationships between ISHS attendance and grade point average were found in the total sample and each subgroup in North Carolina. Positive ISHS advantages in terms of test scores for the total student sample were found for science in both states and for mathematics in Texas. For the various student subgroups, test score differences favored the ISHS samples but attained statistical significance only for African Americans’ science achievement scores in the Texas study. PMID:28919649
The Maths Arcade: A Tool for Supporting and Stretching Mathematics Undergraduates
Bradshaw, Noel-Ann
2017-01-01
The Maths Arcade is an activity which aims simultaneously to support those university mathematics learners who are having difficulties, stretch more confident learners, and encourage the development of a staff-student mathematical community. The first Maths Arcade was set up at the University of Greenwich in September 2010, funded initially by a University grant for innovative teaching and later by the Mathematical Sciences Curriculum Innovation Fund of the UK National Higher Education STEM P...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hara, Yasuo; Takahashi, Mitsuo; Yoshikawa, Hiroo; Yorifuji, Shirou; Tarui, Seiichiro
1988-01-01
A 48-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of urinary incontinence and gait disturbance, both of which had progressed slowly without any sign of remission. Family history was not contributory. Neurologically, extreme spasticity was recoginized in the lower limbs. Babinski sign was positive bilaterally. Flower-like atypical lymphocytes were seen in blood. Positive anti-HTLV-I antibody was confirmed in serum and spinal fluid by western blot. She was diagnosed as having HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM). CT reveald calcification in bilateral globus pallidus, and MRI revealed multiple spotty areas in cerebral white matter and brain stem, but no spinal cord lesion was detectable. Electrophysiologically, brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) suggested the presence of bilateral brain stem lesions. Neither median nor posterior tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potentials were evoked, a finding suggesting the existence of spinal cord lesion. In this case, the lesion was not confined to spinal cord, it was also observed in brain stem and cerebral white matter. Such distinct lesions in cerebral white matter and brain stem have not been reported in patients with HAM. It is suggested that HTLV-I is probably associated with cerebral white matter and brain stem.
Zingiber zerumbet flower stem postharvest characterization
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Charleston Gonçalves
2017-05-01
Full Text Available About the Zingiber zerumbet little is known about its cut flower postharvest and market, despite its high ornamental potential. The inflorescences, which resemble a compact cone, emerge from the base of the plants and start with green color changing to red with the age. This study objective was to characterize floral stem of ornamental ginger in two cultivate conditions and to evaluate the longevity of those submitted to post-harvest treatments. Flower stems were harvest from clumps cultivated under full sun and partial shade area, and were submitted to the postharvest treatments: complete flower immersion in tap water (CFI or only the base stem immersion (BSI. The flower stems harvested from clumps at partial shade presented higher fresh weight, length and diameter of the inflorescences compared to flower stems harvested from clumps at full sun area. The flower stem bracts cultivated in full sun area changed the color from green to red 10.69 and 11.94 days after BSI and CFI postharvest treatments, and the vase life were 22.94 and 28.19 days, respectively. Flower stem harvest in partial shade area change the color only after 18.94 and 18.43 days and the vase life durability was 27.56 and 31.81, respectively. The complete immersion of the flower stem increase the vase life durability in 5.25 and 4.25 days compared to flowers kept with the stem base immersed only, in flower stems harvested from clumps cultivated in full sun area and partial shade area, respectively. Flower stems harvested from clumps cultivated in partial shade area and completely immerse in tap water during 3 hours increase the vase life durability in 8.87 days compared to flowers harvested from clumps cultivated in full sun area and base immersed only.
Cyberinfrastructure for Undergraduate STEM Education
Swaid, Samar
2013-01-01
Cyberinfrastructure (CI) is a term that usually appears in scientific research, but rarely to be noticed as a scientific education tool. In this paper, I describe a transformative Cyberinfrastructure-based strategy to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at one of the historically black colleges. This strategy…
Hancock, Sally; Walsh, Elaine
2016-01-01
The science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) doctorate is the established entry qualification for a scientific research career. However, contemporary STEM doctoral graduates assume increasingly diverse professional paths, with many forging non-academic careers. Using the UK as an example, the authors suggest that the STEM PhD fails to…
Design-based online teacher professional development to introduce integration of STEM in Pakistan
Anwar, Tasneem
In today's global society where innovations spread rapidly, the escalating focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has quickly intensified in the United States, East Asia and much of Western Europe. Our ever-changing, increasingly global society faces many multidisciplinary problems, and many of the solutions require the integration of multiple science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts. Thus, there is a critical need to explore the integration of STEM subjects in international education contexts. This dissertation study examined the exploration of integration of STEM in the unique context of Pakistan. This study used three-phase design-based methodological framework derived from McKenney and Reeves (2012) to explore the development of a STEM focused online teacher professional development (oTPD-STEM) and to identify the design features that facilitate teacher learning. The oTPD-STEM program was designed to facilitate eight Pakistani elementary school teachers' exploration of the new idea of STEM integration through both practical and theoretical considerations. This design-based study employed inductive analysis (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) to analyze multiple data sources of interviews, STEM perception responses, reflective learning team conversations, pre-post surveys and artifacts produced in oTPD-STEM. Findings of this study are presented as: (1) design-based decisions for oTPD-STEM, and (2) evolution in understanding of STEM by sharing participant teachers' STEM model for Pakistani context. This study advocates for the potential of school-wide oTPD for interdisciplinary collaboration through support for learner-centered practices.
Contemporary mathematical physics
Dobrushin, R L; Shubin, M A; Vershik, Anatoly M
1996-01-01
This first of a two-volume collection is a celebration of the scientific heritage of F. A. Berezin (1931-1980). Before his untimely death, Berezin had an important influence on physics and mathematics, discovering new ideas in mathematical physics, representation theory, analysis, geometry, and other areas of mathematics. His crowning achievements were the introduction of a new notion of deformation quantization, and Grassmannian analysis ("supermathematics"). Collected here are papers by his many of his colleagues and others who worked in related areas, representing a wide spectrum of topics
Profile of Pre-Service Science Teachers Based on STEM Career Interest Survey
Winarno, N.; Widodo, A.; Rusdiana, D.; Rochintaniawati, D.; Afifah, R. M. A.
2017-09-01
This study aims to investigate the profile of pre-service science teachers based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Career Interest Survey. The study uses descriptive survey method as the research design. Samples collected from 66 preservice science teachers in a university located in Bandung, Indonesia. The results of the study are the profile of pre-service science teachers based on STEM Career Interest Survey shows that the average number of career interest in the field of technology is 4.08, in science 3.80, mathematics 3.39 and engineering 3.30. Pre-service science teachers are found to have interests in the STEM career fields. This research is necessary as there are many instances of people choosing majors or studies that are not in accordance with their interests and talents. The recommendation of this study is to develop learning in pre-service science teachers by using STEM approach.
Characteristics and Effects of a Statewide STEM Program
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jeffrey D. Weld
2015-10-01
Full Text Available A comprehensive statewide STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics reform initiative enters its fifth year in the U.S. state of Iowa. A significant proportion of the state’s pre K-12 students and teachers participate in one or more of the twenty programs offered, ranging from classroom curricular innovations to teacher professional development, and from community STEM festivals to career exploration events. An external, inter-university evaluation consortium measures annual progress of the initiative through the Iowa STEM Monitoring Project. Results show citizens to be increasingly aware of and supporting of STEM education; students to be increasingly interested in STEM as well as outperforming nonparticipating peers on state math and science tests; and teachers more confident and knowledgeable in teaching STEM. Iowa’s STEM initiative has garnered national acclaim though challenges remain with regard to expanding the participation of learners of diversity, as well as ensuring the long-term sustainability of the programs and structures that define Iowa’s statewide STEM initiative.
Pittinsky, Todd L.; Diamante, Nicole
2015-01-01
The United States education system must improve its ability to produce scientists, engineers, and programmers. Despite numerous national, state, and local efforts to make the study of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects more fun in K-12, initial interest in those subjects drops off precipitously in middle and later…
Bioinspiring an Interest in STEM
Laut, Jeffrey; Bartolini, Tiziana; Porfiri, Maurizio
2015-01-01
Attracting K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is viewed as a critical element for benefiting both the economy and society. This paper describes an outreach program, conducted in a Brooklyn, New York, USA, public middle school, aimed at educating students in mechatronics, biology, and…
Women's Leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics: Barriers to Participation
McCullough, Laura
2011-01-01
Despite gains overall, women are still under-represented in leadership positions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Data in the US suggest around one-quarter of deans and department heads are women; in science this drops to nearly 1 in 20. Part of this problem of under-representation stems from the population pool:…
Multivariate Assessment of Middle School Students' Interest in STEM Career: a Profile from Turkey
Koyunlu Ünlü, Zeynep; Dökme, İlbilge
2018-05-01
According to a report by the Turkish Industry and Business Association, Turkey will need approximately 1 million individuals to be employed in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields by 2023, and 31% of this requirement will not be met. For continuous economic development, there is a need to integrate STEM into education in Turkey, which brings the need for research in this area. This study, based on a survey model, aimed to determine the level of interest of a sample of Turkish middle school students in STEM careers on the basis of gender, where they lived, grade levels, their end-of-semester grades, and their parents' educational status and levels of income. The research data was collected using the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) and Personal Information Form, which were applied to 851 middle school students (fifth and eighth graders). The collected data was analyzed with SPSS using Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests. It was found that middle school students' interest in STEM careers differed according to sex, where they lived, and grade levels but it did not differ in relation to their parents' educational status and the levels of income of the family. It is believed that the results obtained in this study reflecting the profile in Turkey will guide educational policy makers, curriculum developers, teachers, pre-service teachers, and researchers about STEM education.
Research Collaboration Workshop for Women in Mathematical Biology
Miller, Laura
2017-01-01
Inspired by the Research Collaboration Workshop for Women in Mathematical Biology, this volume contains research and review articles that cover topics ranging from models of animal movement to the flow of blood cells in the embryonic heart. Hosted by the National Institute for Mathematics and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), the workshop brought together women working in biology and mathematics to form four research groups that encouraged multidisciplinary collaboration and lifetime connections in the STEM field. This volume introduces many of the topics from the workshop, including the aerodynamics of spider ballooning; sleep, circadian rhythms, and pain; blood flow regulation in the kidney; and the effects of antimicrobial therapy on gut microbiota and microbiota and Clostridium difficile. Perfect for students and researchers in mathematics and biology, the papers included in this volume offer an introductory glimpse at recent research in mathematical biology. .
Engaging learners in STEM education
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Joseph Krajcik
2017-04-01
Full Text Available In this manuscript we focus on how to develop STEM learning environments, and how STEM can be implemented in K-12 schools. We focus on the following question: “How can we support students in building a deep, integrated knowledge of STEM so that they have the practical knowledge and problem solving skills necessary to live in and improve the world?” We also discuss criteria for evaluating STEM learning environments and the challenges teachers face in implementing STEM. We define STEM as the integration of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics to focus on solving pressing individual and societal problems. Engaging students in STEM also means engaging learners in the design process. Design is integral to student thinking in the STEM world. The design process is very non-linear and iterative in its nature but requires clearly articulating and identifying the design problem, researching what is known about the problem, generating potential solutions, developing prototype designs (artifacts that demonstrate solutions, and sharing and receiving feedback. With the integration of design, STEM education has the potential to support students in learning big ideas in science and engineering, as well as important scientific and engineering practices, and support students in developing important motivational outcomes such as ownership, agency and efficacy. Moreover, students who engage in STEM learning environments will also develop 21st century capabilities such as problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
Stem and ICT education in intelligent environments
Kanematsu, Hideyuki
2016-01-01
This book combines information communication technology (ICT) with the creative interdisciplinary teaching approach known as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). It introduces STEM and Creative Education and shows (through examples and creative activities) the importance and impact that ICT has for STEM and modern education. The book describes the audio visual classroom, the use of the Internet, Social Networking and STEM, and provides STEM lessons for both the real and virtual worlds. Instructors will find this unique textbook to be very useful with students, of various ages, in creative education and engineering classes. This special book offers something for everyone. It serves as a guide for teachers in charge of science fairs and creative classes, especially those which require STEM education. It also includes activities to help develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills, and prepares students who plan to become teachers and mentors of the future. Readers in general can s...
The therapeutic implications of plasticity of the cancer stem cell phenotype.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kevin Leder
2010-12-01
Full Text Available The cancer stem cell hypothesis suggests that tumors contain a small population of cancer cells that have the ability to undergo symmetric self-renewing cell division. In tumors that follow this model, cancer stem cells produce various kinds of specified precursors that divide a limited number of times before terminally differentiating or undergoing apoptosis. As cells within the tumor mature, they become progressively more restricted in the cell types to which they can give rise. However, in some tumor types, the presence of certain extra- or intracellular signals can induce committed cancer progenitors to revert to a multipotential cancer stem cell state. In this paper, we design a novel mathematical model to investigate the dynamics of tumor progression in such situations, and study the implications of a reversible cancer stem cell phenotype for therapeutic interventions. We find that higher levels of dedifferentiation substantially reduce the effectiveness of therapy directed at cancer stem cells by leading to higher rates of resistance. We conclude that plasticity of the cancer stem cell phenotype is an important determinant of the prognosis of tumors. This model represents the first mathematical investigation of this tumor trait and contributes to a quantitative understanding of cancer.
Green Action through Education: A Model for Fostering Positive Attitudes about STEM
Wheland, Ethel R.; Donovan, William J.; Dukes, J. Thomas; Qammar, Helen K.; Smith, Gregory A.; Williams, Bonnie L.
2013-01-01
This paper describes an innovative collaboration between instructors of non-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses and scientists who teach STEM courses in the GATE (Green Action Through Education) learning community. The scientists in this project presented engaging science--in such diverse locations as a sewage…
Myszkal, Philip Ian
This study explores the potential of the Outreach Workshops in STEM (OWS) to affect Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers' content knowledge, self-efficacy, and pedagogical approaches, as well as its viability as a potential form of professional development (PD). The data for the thesis is taken from a larger longitudinal study looking at the potential of OWS to influence middle school students' and teachers' attitudes and beliefs around STEM. The study employs a mixed-methods design, utilizing surveys, open-ended questions, interviews, and observations. The findings show that there were no significant changes in teachers' content knowledge, confidence, or pedagogical approaches. However, the majority of participants reported that they learned new teaching ideas and considered the workshops to be an effective PD opportunity.
Kager, Elisabeth
Middle school is a critical time for the development of girls' attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Existing research has indicated declining positive attitudes toward these fields among girls throughout adolescence. This study investigated how, to what extent, and for whom participation in a summer STEM Camp at a Midwestern college in the United States affected the STEM attitudes and career aspirations of 23 female participants, ages 10-14 years. Using a concurrent triangulation design, the researcher collected pre- and post-questionnaire data (N = 20), interviewed participants (N = 9), read journal entries (N = 22), and wrote field notes. The researcher adapted the Fennema-Sherman Attitude Scales (FSAS) to measure five of the original nine attitude scales concerning STEM: Male Domain, Confidence, Usefulness, Success, and Motivation. In addition to these standardized, Likert-type scale questions, the questionnaire included demographic items to gauge participants' anticipated career choices and the level of STEM motivation (e.g., extracurricular activities and guardians' STEM involvement). The interview questions elicited information about the participants' Camp experiences and the Camp's influence on participants' attitudes and career aspirations. The journal prompts provoked participants to think about their perceptions of, and relationship with, science and mathematics as well as how supportive their parents and peers had been regarding these two fields. Participants' incoming STEM attitudes were positive. Accordingly, there was no statistically significant difference between pre- and post-scores of attitudes toward STEM. Nevertheless, qualitative results showed that the Camp did strengthen participants' positive attitudes through enthusiastic instructors, STEM-motivated peers, and hands-on activities that allowed for creative freedom. Participating in the STEM Camp challenged participants' prior career aspirations by
Choosing STEM College Majors: Exploring the Role of Pre-College Engineering Courses
Phelps, L. Allen; Camburn, Eric M.; Min, Sookweon
2018-01-01
Despite the recent policy proclamations urging state and local educators to implement integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula, relatively little is known about the role and impact of pre-college engineering courses within these initiatives. When combined with appropriate mathematics and science courses, high…
Mathematics education a spectrum of work in mathematical sciences departments
Hsu, Pao-sheng; Pollatsek, Harriet
2016-01-01
Many in the mathematics community in the U.S. are involved in mathematics education in various capacities. This book highlights the breadth of the work in K-16 mathematics education done by members of US departments of mathematical sciences. It contains contributions by mathematicians and mathematics educators who do work in areas such as teacher education, quantitative literacy, informal education, writing and communication, social justice, outreach and mentoring, tactile learning, art and mathematics, ethnomathematics, scholarship of teaching and learning, and mathematics education research. Contributors describe their work, its impact, and how it is perceived and valued. In addition, there is a chapter, co-authored by two mathematicians who have become administrators, on the challenges of supporting, evaluating, and rewarding work in mathematics education in departments of mathematical sciences. This book is intended to inform the readership of the breadth of the work and to encourage discussion of its val...
At Hesitant Doors: The lived experience of women in STEM
Romina B. da Costa
2016-01-01
This phenomenological investigation aims to explore the lived experience of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. As a minority group within a traditionally male-dominated space, women are still underrepresented in the upper echelons of science, even if the number of women in STEM is increasing. The author draws from her experiences as an “undesirable statistic,” a woman who entered college as a STEM student but ended up getting a degree in the social s...
Kesici, Sahin; Erdogan, Ahmet
2010-01-01
The purpose of this study is to clarify whether middle school students' mathematics anxiety differentiates or not, according to their low and high achievement motivation and their level of self-esteem stemming from social comparison. This study also aims to clarify the effects of these two variables on mathematics anxiety. The study groups were…
Historical Research: How to Fit Minority and Women's Studies into Mathematics Class
Saraco, Margaret R.
2008-01-01
This article presents a lesson for studying minority and women's contributions to the field of mathematics in the middle school classroom. This lesson may be able to stem the tide of the shrinking number of students entering the field of mathematics by helping them become interested in its history. Nonetheless, this project encourages students to…
Prima, E. C.; Oktaviani, T. D.; Sholihin, H.
2018-05-01
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. One way to support the development of the technology is by integrating the use of technology and build the technology with the learning process in the form of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Learning approach. Applying STEM Learning could improve Students’ STEM Literacy. The learning approach is applied in every aspect of Learning including the application of STEM Learning in the lesson plan and worksheet. The method used in this research is weak experimental method. One group class (N=15) is taken and learn using STEM Learning approach. The topic choosen is the electricity topic which is separated into electrical circuit and parameters. The learning process is separated into 3 meetings. 15 Students are given a STEM Literacy test item before and after the lesson. The result of the normalized gain shows there are improvement in students’ STEM Literacy by 0.16 categorieed as low improvement. The most higher improvement is the students’ technology literacy, because students learn using the same technology in every meeting. This factor influences students’ technology literacy so the result is higher than another.
Towards an Online Lab Portal for Inquiry-Based STEM Learning at School
Govaerts, Sten; Cao, Yiwei; Vozniuk, Andrii; Holzer, Adrian; Zutin, Danilo Garbi; San Cristobal Ruiz, Elio; Bollen, Lars; Manske, Sven; Faltin, Nils; Salzmann, Christophe; Wang, Jhing-Fa; Rynson, Lau
2013-01-01
Nowadays, the knowledge economy is growing rapidly. To sustain future growth, more well educated people in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are needed. In the Go-Lab project we aim to motivate and orient students from an early age on to study STEM fields in their future
Business-Higher Education Forum (NJ1), 2011
2011-01-01
Efforts by federal and state governments to increase the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workforce in support of innovation and competitiveness are frustrated by a shortage of adequately prepared and interested students. Less than half of 12th graders meet the math proficiency benchmark that indicates college readiness.…
Embedding Multiple Literacies into STEM Curricula
Soules, Aline; Nielsen, Sarah; LeDuc, Danika; Inouye, Caron; Singley, Jason; Wildy, Erica; Seitz, Jeff
2014-01-01
In fall 2012, an interdisciplinary team of science, English, and library faculty embedded reading, writing, and information literacy strategies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curricula as a first step in improving student learning and retention in science courses and aligning them with the Next Generation Science and…
Wilson, Kimi Leemar
National data continues to show an underrepresentation of African American males pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors, careers and professions in the United States. Whites and Asian Americans are continuously positioned as the face of STEM education and participation. And while research has provided ways to support mathematics and science learning for African American males, there still remains a gap in understanding how their formed mathematics-science identities in K-12 public schooling influences STEM participation. The research undertaken in this study explores this gap, and uses an integrative identity framework to understand mathematics-science identity development which goes beyond personal identity, and explores the relational, collective and material components of identity. Specifically, this research seeks to answer the following research questions: What are the shared lived experiences that exist between a group of African American male students developing a mathematics-science identity, and how these shared lived experiences shape their mathematics-science identity development? Therefore, by analyzing African American males lived experiences employing an integrative identity framework fosters a greater understanding of how mathematics-science identity is formed in K-12 public schools, which impacts STEM education and participation. The high school aged youth featured in this study consist of four African American males, who live in a moderate size city in California. Data for this study consists of observations, phenomenological interviews, and policy document analysis that took place over six months. Data has been analyzed to describe and interpret the young men's mathematics and science experiences, as revealed in their K-12 public school education. This inquiry sought to make meaning of how African American males experience mathematics and science teaching and learning within K-12 public schooling and how these
Teacher's Guide to Secondary Mathematics.
Duval County Schools, Jacksonville, FL.
This is a teacher's guide to secondary school mathematics. Developed for use in the Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville, Florida. Areas of mathematics covered are algebra, analysis, calculus, computer literacy, computer science, geometry, analytic geometry, general mathematics, consumer mathematics, pre-algebra, probability and statistics,…
Study Choice and Career Development in STEM Fields: An Overview and Integration of the Research
van Tuijl, Cathy; van der Molen, Juliette H.
2016-01-01
Although science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) study paths and STEM work fields may be relatively difficult and therefore not appropriate for everyone, too many children prematurely exclude STEM-related study and work options, based on negative images of the field or negative ability beliefs. In the present article, we provide an…
Spector, A. A.; Yuan, D.; Somers, S.; Grayson, W. L.
2018-04-01
Stem cells play a key role in the healthy development and maintenance of organisms. They are also critically important in medical treatments of various diseases. It has been recently demonstrated that the mechanical factors such as forces, adhesion, stiffness, relaxation, etc. have significant effects on stem cell functions. Under physiological conditions, cells (stem cells) in muscles, heart, and blood vessels are under the action of externally applied strains. We consider the stem cell microenvironment and performance associated with their conversion (differentiation) into skeletal muscle cells. Two problems are studied by using mathematical models whose parameters are then optimized by fitting experiments. First, we present our analysis of the process of stem cell differentiation under the application of cyclic unidirectional strain. This process is interpreted as a transition through several (six) stages where each of them is defined in terms of expression of a set of factors typical to skeletal muscle cells. The stem cell evolution toward muscle cells is described by a system of nonlinear ODEs. The parameters of the model are determined by fitting the experimental data on the time course of expression of the factors under consideration. Second, we analyse the mechanical (relaxation) properties of a scaffold that serves as the microenvironment for stem cells differentiation into skeletal muscle cells. This scaffold (surrounded by a liquid solution) is composed of unidirectional fibers with pores between them. The relaxation properties of the scaffold are studied in an experiment where a long cylindrical specimen is loaded by the application of ramp displacement until the strain reaches a prescribed value. The magnitude of the corresponding load is recorded. The specimen is considered as transversely isotropic poroelastic cylinder whose force relaxation is associated with liquid diffusion through the pores. An analytical solution for the total force applied to
Smith, Michelle K.; Jones, Francis H. M.; Gilbert, Sarah L.; Wieman, Carl E.
2013-01-01
Instructors and the teaching practices they employ play a critical role in improving student learning in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Consequently, there is increasing interest in collecting information on the range and frequency of teaching practices at department-wide and institution-wide scales. To…
Preparing STEM Teachers for Integration of NGSS: a Summer Workshop Development
Altuger-Genc, Gonca; Issapour, Marjaneh
2015-01-01
The increasing emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in United States and across the world created the demand for STEM education to start as early as elementary school. Especially in the past decade, the demand for middle schools and high schools to increase the involvement of the STEM components in their curriculum has been on the rise. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)(http://www.nextgenscience.org/) are testimonial to this demand and need...
A mathematical model of cancer cells with phenotypic plasticity
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Da Zhou
2015-12-01
Full Text Available Purpose: The phenotypic plasticity of cancer cells is recently becoming a cutting-edge research area in cancer, which challenges the cellular hierarchy proposed by the conventional cancer stem cell theory. In this study, we establish a mathematical model for describing the phenotypic plasticity of cancer cells, based on which we try to find some salient features that can characterize the dynamic behavior of the phenotypic plasticity especially in comparison to the hierarchical model of cancer cells. Methods: We model cancer as population dynamics composed of different phenotypes of cancer cells. In this model, not only can cancer cells divide (symmetrically and asymmetrically and die, but they can also convert into other cellular phenotypes. According to the Law of Mass Action, the cellular processes can be captured by a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs. On one hand, we can analyze the long-term stability of the model by applying qualitative method of ODEs. On the other hand, we are also concerned about the short-term behavior of the model by studying its transient dynamics. Meanwhile, we validate our model to the cell-state dynamics in published experimental data.Results: Our results show that the phenotypic plasticity plays important roles in both stabilizing the distribution of different phenotypic mixture and maintaining the cancer stem cells proportion. In particular, the phenotypic plasticity model shows decided advantages over the hierarchical model in predicting the phenotypic equilibrium and cancer stem cells’ overshoot reported in previous biological experiments in cancer cell lines.Conclusion: Since the validity of the phenotypic plasticity paradigm and the conventional cancer stem cell theory is still debated in experimental biology, it is worthy of theoretically searching for good indicators to distinguish the two models through quantitative methods. According to our study, the phenotypic equilibrium and overshoot
Ong, Maria; Smith, Janet M.; Ko, Lily T.
2018-01-01
Counterspaces in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are often considered "safe spaces" at the margins for groups outside the mainstream of STEM education. The prevailing culture and structural manifestations in STEM have traditionally privileged norms of success that favor competitive, individualistic, and solitary…
2012-01-01
D.Ed. The aim of this theses is to find out whether there is any relationship between learners' attitudes and learning difficulties in mathematics: To investigate whether learning difficulties in mathematics are associated with learners' gender. To establish the nature of teachers' perceptions of the learning problem areas in the mathematics curriculum. To find out about the teachers' views on the methods of teaching mathematics, resources, learning of mathematics, extra curricular activit...
STEM and the Evolution of the Astronomical Star Party
Day, B. H.; Munive, P.; Franco, J.; Jones, A. P.; Shaner, A. J.; Buxner, S.; Bleacher, L.
2015-12-01
The astronomical star party has long been a powerful and effective way to engage the public and enhance cohesiveness within the amateur astronomy community. Early star parties tended to be strictly small, local events. But with improvements in transportation, larger regional star parties became popular. These advanced the considerable capabilities for citizen science in the amateur community, shared technology and engineering innovations in the field of telescope making, and refined numerous mathematical techniques in areas such instrument design and ephemeris generation, covering the full breadth of STEM. Advancements in astrophotography showcased at these events brought the star party from STEM to STEAM. Now, the advent of social media, web streaming, and virtual presence has facilitated the phenomenon of very large, networked star parties with international scope. These mega star parties take public engagement to a new, far greater levels, giving a vastly larger and more diverse public the opportunity to directly participate in exciting first-hand STEM activities. This presentation will recount the evolution of the star party and will focus on two examples of large, multinational, networked star parties, International Observe the Moon Night and Noche de las Estrellas. We will look at lessons learned and ways to participate.
Mathematics Teachers' Use of Ethnomathematics Approach in Mathematics Teaching in Edo State
Aikpitanyi, Lucky Aiwuyor; Eraikhuemen, Lucy
2017-01-01
The study investigated mathematics teachers' use of ethnomathematics approach to teaching. Descriptive survey research was used with a target population of all mathematics teacher in all public secondary schools in Oredo, Egor and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas of Edo State out of which 121 mathematics teachers in 42 randomly selected public…
Stoeger, Heidrun; Greindl, Teresa; Kuhlmann, Johanna; Balestrini, Daniel Patrick
2017-01-01
Magnet schools focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as extracurricular programs in STEM support talented students and help increase their participation rates in those domains. We examined whether and the extent to which the learning and educational capital of male and female students (N = 801) enrolled in…
STEM Teachers' Planned and Enacted Attempts at Implementing Engineering Design-Based Instruction
Capobianco, Brenda M.; Rupp, Madeline
2014-01-01
This study investigates grades 5 and 6 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers' planned and actualized engineering design-based instruction, the instruments used to characterize their efforts, and the implications this work has for teachers' implementations of an integrated approach to STEM education.…
Velasco, Jonathan B.; Knedeisen, Adam; Xue, Dihua; Vickrey, Trisha L.; Abebe, Marytza; Stains, Marilyne
2016-01-01
Chemistry laboratories play an essential role in the education of undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM students. The extent of student learning in any educational environment depends largely on the effectiveness of the instructors. In chemistry laboratories at large universities, the instructors of…
The role of a posteriori mathematics in physics
MacKinnon, Edward
2018-05-01
The calculus that co-evolved with classical mechanics relied on definitions of functions and differentials that accommodated physical intuitions. In the early nineteenth century mathematicians began the rigorous reformulation of calculus and eventually succeeded in putting almost all of mathematics on a set-theoretic foundation. Physicists traditionally ignore this rigorous mathematics. Physicists often rely on a posteriori math, a practice of using physical considerations to determine mathematical formulations. This is illustrated by examples from classical and quantum physics. A justification of such practice stems from a consideration of the role of phenomenological theories in classical physics and effective theories in contemporary physics. This relates to the larger question of how physical theories should be interpreted.
McGee, Daniel; Vasquez, Pedro; Cajigas, Jesus
2014-01-01
The University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez (UPRM) has found that there are disadvantages to a semester long remedial mathematics course that is administered during the freshmen year to students with mathematics deficiencies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs. Correspondingly, the UPRM designed and implemented an…
A mathematical approach to human pterygium shape
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pajic B
2016-07-01
Full Text Available Bojan Pajic,1–4 Iraklis Vastardis,1 Predrag Rajkovic,5 Brigitte Pajic-Eggspuehler,1 Daniel M Aebersold,6 Zeljka Cvejic2 1Eye Clinic ORASIS, Swiss Eye Research Foundation, Reinach AG, Switzerland; 2Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad,3Faculty of Medicine of the Military Medical Academy, University of Defence, Belgrade, Serbia; 4Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; 5Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia; 6Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland Purpose: Pterygium is a common lesion affecting the population in countries with high levels of ultraviolet exposure. The final shape of a pterygium is the result of a growth pattern, which remains poorly understood. This manuscript provides a mathematical analysis as a tool to determine the shape of human pterygia.Materials and methods: Eighteen patients, all affected by nasal unilateral pterygia, were randomly selected from our patient database independently of sex, origin, or race. We included all primary or recurrent pterygia with signs of proliferation, dry eye, and induction of astigmatism. Pseudopterygia were excluded from this study. Pterygia were outlined and analyzed mathematically using a Cartesian coordinate system with two axes (X, Y and five accurate landmarks of the pterygium.Results: In 13 patients (72%, the shape of the pterygia was hyperbolic and in five patients (28%, the shape was rather elliptical.Conclusion: This analysis gives a highly accurate mathematical description of the shape of human pterygia. This might help to better assess the clinical results and outcome of the great variety of therapeutic approaches concerning these lesions. Keywords: etiology, pterygium, limbal stem cells, stem cells dysfunction, mathematical shape analysis
Implementing Out-of-School Time STEM Resources: Best Practices from Public Television
Paulsen, Christine Andrews
2013-01-01
Business leaders, educators, and government leaders agree that, in order for the United States to retain its standing as a world leader, public and private institutions need to work together to develop a well-qualified workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, the number of graduates with STEM degrees has not…
Geroch, Robert
1985-01-01
Mathematical Physics is an introduction to such basic mathematical structures as groups, vector spaces, topological spaces, measure spaces, and Hilbert space. Geroch uses category theory to emphasize both the interrelationships among different structures and the unity of mathematics. Perhaps the most valuable feature of the book is the illuminating intuitive discussion of the ""whys"" of proofs and of axioms and definitions. This book, based on Geroch's University of Chicago course, will be especially helpful to those working in theoretical physics, including such areas as relativity, particle
Journal of applied mathematics
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
2001-01-01
"[The] Journal of Applied Mathematics is a refereed journal devoted to the publication of original research papers and review articles in all areas of applied, computational, and industrial mathematics...
Dynamic mapping of genes controlling cancer stem cell proliferation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhong eWang
2012-05-01
Full Text Available The growing evidence that cancer originates from stem cells holds a great promise to eliminate this disease by designing specific drug therapies for removing cancer stem cells. Translation of this knowledge into predictive tests for the clinic is hampered due to the lack of methods to discriminate cancer stem cells from non-cancer stem cells. Here, we address this issue by describing a conceptual strategy for identifying the genetic origins of cancer stem cells. The strategy incorporates a high-dimensional group of differential equations that characterizes the proliferation, differentiation, and reprogramming of cancer stem cells in a dynamic cellular and molecular system. The deployment of robust mathematical models will help uncover and explain many still unknown aspects of cell behavior, tissue function, and network organization related to the formation and division of cancer stem cells. The statistical method developed allows biologically meaningful hypotheses about the genetic control mechanisms of carcinogenesis and metastasis to be tested in a quantitative manner.
Torcivia, Patrice Prusko
2012-01-01
Numerous studies have addressed science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and their relation to education and gender ranging from elementary school pedagogy to career choices for traditional-aged college students. Little research has addressed nontraditional female students returning to the university to in the STEM fields. This…
Meador, Audrey
2018-01-01
Prior research regarding minorities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields indicated that the factors of peer support and participation in STEM-related activities contributed positively to minority students' recruitment and retention in these fields. Utilizing stereotype threat as a conceptual framework, this…
Incorporating Engineering Design Challenges into STEM Courses
Householder, Daniel L., Ed.; Hailey, Christine E., Ed.
2012-01-01
Successful strategies for incorporating engineering design challenges into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in American high schools are presented in this paper. The developers have taken the position that engineering design experiences should be an important component of the high school education of all American…
Engaging Faculty for Innovative STEM Bridge Programs
Goldfien, Andrea C.; Badway, Norena Norton
2014-01-01
Bridge programs, in which underprepared students gain the academic and technical skills necessary for college level courses and entry-level employment, are a promising initiative for expanding access to, and success in, community college education. For career pathways related to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), bridge…
Aural mapping of STEM concepts using literature mining
Bharadwaj, Venkatesh
Recent technological applications have made the life of people too much dependent on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and its applications. Understanding basic level science is a must in order to use and contribute to this technological revolution. Science education in middle and high school levels however depends heavily on visual representations such as models, diagrams, figures, animations and presentations etc. This leaves visually impaired students with very few options to learn science and secure a career in STEM related areas. Recent experiments have shown that small aural clues called Audemes are helpful in understanding and memorization of science concepts among visually impaired students. Audemes are non-verbal sound translations of a science concept. In order to facilitate science concepts as Audemes, for visually impaired students, this thesis presents an automatic system for audeme generation from STEM textbooks. This thesis describes the systematic application of multiple Natural Language Processing tools and techniques, such as dependency parser, POS tagger, Information Retrieval algorithm, Semantic mapping of aural words, machine learning etc., to transform the science concept into a combination of atomic-sounds, thus forming an audeme. We present a rule based classification method for all STEM related concepts. This work also presents a novel way of mapping and extracting most related sounds for the words being used in textbook. Additionally, machine learning methods are used in the system to guarantee the customization of output according to a user's perception. The system being presented is robust, scalable, fully automatic and dynamically adaptable for audeme generation.
Mitchell, Aquila
2011-12-01
The expansion of STEM education and career opportunities among underrepresented populations is a national priority. Therefore, more research is needed that examines the institutional, instructional and individual factors related to African American students' success in these fields. This dissertation study was drawn from a larger mixed-methods longitudinal study (Freeman and Winston, 2007). It utilized a concurrent embedded design of mixed methods (Creswell, 2009), to investigate faculty relationships as a source of motivation for STEM undergraduates at a HBCU. Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory was the theoretical basis for this study. The following research questions were examined: (a) What is the nature of student-faculty relationships among STEM undergraduates attending an HBCU; (b) How does the nature of faculty student relationships vary by gender and STEM major; (c) How do student-faculty relationships influence students' persistence in STEM, self-concept of ability in mathematics and in science and grade point average; and (d) Does the influence of student-faculty relationships on self-concept of ability in mathematics and in science and grade point average vary by gender and STEM major? Freshman college students (N=167) who had a declared major in STEM fall 2009 were participants in this study. Students were predominately Black/African American (82%) and predominately female (71%). The Student-Professor Interaction Scale (SPIS) was used to measure various dimensions of student-faculty interactions (Cokley, Komarraju, Rosales, et al., 2006). The Experiences with Faculty Scale (Pace & Kuh, 1998) was used to measure the frequency of student's experiences with faculty. Self-Concept of Ability Scales in Mathematics and in Science (Marsh, 1999) was used to measure students' global perception of their abilities. An open-ended question was designed to expand and provide breadth to the quantitative results. Findings indicated that student
Snead-McDaniel, Kimberly
2010-01-01
An expanding ethnicity gap exists in the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in the United States. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering revealed that the number of minorities pursuing STEM degrees and careers has declined over the past few years. The specific origins of…
Catalysts of Women's Talent Development in STEM: A Systematic Review
Mullet, Dianna R.; Rinn, Anne N.; Kettler, Todd
2017-01-01
Numbers of women in the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering are growing, yet women are still far outnumbered by men at upper levels of those fields. The purpose of the study is to review the literature on academic women who develop exceptional talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Data sources included 18…
Guerra, Maricela
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) advocated by the National Research Council emphasize the connections among Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. By design, NGSS is expected to replace the previous science education standards to enhance the quality of STEM education across the nation. To support this initiative, this investigation was conducted to fill a void in the research literature by developing an empirical indicator for the relationship of student performance across STEM subjects using a large-scale database from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In particular, an innovative approach has been taken in this study to support the canonical correlation analysis of student plausible scores between physics and other STEM subjects at different grade levels and in a cross-country context. Results from this doctoral research revealed the need to strengthen the alignment between the intended, implemented, and attained curricula to support the integration of STEM disciplines in the United States.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cota, P.L.
1987-01-01
The used methods for calculating the rate and area of sedimentation are based in techniques of graphical resolution. The solution of the problem by a mathematical resolution, using computational methods, is more fast and more accuracy. The comparison between the results from this methods and the conventional method is shown. (E.G.) [pt
Think3d!: Improving mathematics learning through embodied spatial training.
Burte, Heather; Gardony, Aaron L; Hutton, Allyson; Taylor, Holly A
2017-01-01
Spatial thinking skills positively relate to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outcomes, but spatial training is largely absent in elementary school. Elementary school is a time when children develop foundational cognitive skills that will support STEM learning throughout their education. Spatial thinking should be considered a foundational cognitive skill. The present research examined the impact of an embodied spatial training program on elementary students' spatial and mathematical thinking. Students in rural elementary schools completed spatial and math assessments prior to and after participating in an origami and pop-up paper engineering-based program, called Think3d!. Think3d! uses embodied tasks, such as folding and cutting paper, to train two-dimensional to three-dimensional spatial thinking. Analyses explored spatial thinking gains, mathematics gains - specifically for problem types expected to show gains from spatial training - and factors predicting mathematics gains. Results showed spatial thinking gains in two assessments. Using a math categorization to target problems more and less likely to be impacted by spatial training, we found that all students improved on real-world math problems and older students improved on visual and spatial math problems. Further, the results are suggestive of developmental time points for implementing embodied spatial training related to applying spatial thinking to math. Finally, the spatial thinking assessment that was most highly related to training activities also predicted math performance gains. Future research should explore developmental issues related to how embodied spatial training might support STEM learning and outcomes.
Federal STEM Policy and Politics and Their Impact on Astronomy EPO: Reflections and Provocations
Schultz, G.; Storksdieck, M.; Canright, S.
2015-11-01
The federal government invests more than $3 billion each year across its various units in supporting STEM education and outreach. Efforts in recent years to understand and better coordinate these investments have resulted in considerable pushback, particularly those efforts that aimed at consolidation and elimination of programs deemed ineffective or duplicative. While initial plans to streamline federal STEM education were defeated, many agencies nonetheless saw cuts and elimination, and a high-level effort to coordinate STEM education at the cross-agency level is now gaining steam (CoSTEM: Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education). What do all of these developments mean for education and public outreach in astronomy and related fields? How should this community operate within the opportunities and threats that CoSTEM might pose? Former director of the National Academy of Science's Board on Science Education, and now director of the Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning, Martin Storksdieck, reflected on past and recent developments from the perspective of a close observer, and from the perspective of someone who has been involved in astronomy education research and evaluation for nearly 20 years. Shelley Canright, Senior Advisor for Education Integration at the NASA Office of Education, shared her insights and perspectives with respect to CoSTEM and EPO, in particular from co-chairing the Federal Coordination in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (FC-STEM) group.
Pursuit of STEM: Factors shaping degree completion for African American females in STEM
Wilkins, Ashlee N.
The primary purpose of the study was to examine secondary data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman and College Senior Surveys to investigate factors shaping degree aspirations for African American female undergraduates partaking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the data and identify relationships between independent variables in relation to the dependent variable. The findings of the study reveal four key variables that were predictive of degree completion for African American females in STEM. Father's education, SAT composite, highest degree planned, and self-perception were positive predictors for females; while independent variable overall sense of community among students remained a negative predictor. Lastly implications for education and recommendations for future research were discussed.
Developing Non-Formal Education Competences as a Complement of Formal Education for STEM Lecturers
Terrazas-Marín, Roy Alonso
2018-01-01
This paper focuses on a current practice piece on professional development for university lecturers, transformative learning, dialogism and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education. Its main goals are to identify the key characteristics that allow STEM educators to experiment with the usage of non-formal education…
Designing Programs that Foster Sustained Interest in STEM
Cuff, K. E.; Diaz, J. L.; Marks-Block, T. A.
2008-12-01
Current and possible future shortages of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in the US are again becoming hot topics of discussion amongst policy makers and educators alike. In an innovative approach to addressing these concerns, Tai et al. (2006) analyzed a large set of longitudinal study data to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of early STEM experiences on career choices. The results of their work indicate a statistically significant relationship between early expressed interest in STEM and inclination to enter STEM-related career paths. While this relationship is one that has resided at the core of most STEM educators' work for many years, the quantitative evidence provided by Tai et al. underscores the need to pay closer attention to students' STEM interest levels, particularly during periods when such interest is in jeopardy of becoming eroded. Recent work at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science related to the development of STEM education models tailored to specifically meet the needs of students in disadvantaged Bay Area communities has resulted in the creation of the East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS). EBAYS has been designed to stimulate and sustain interest in STEM by engaging participants in a combination of community-based environmental science research and hands-on content learning activities presented in after school and summer program settings. Given that its programming occurs in an environment where time and academic content constraints are not critical factors, EBAYS is able to provide opportunities for participants to experience STEM in a highly interactive, in-depth manner that differs significantly from the more depersonalized approaches commonly associated with more traditional educational settings. Founded on the research-based premise that when young people are engaged in learning activities that they perceive as relevant, they are more likely to take more initiative, remain attentive
Alsup, Philip R.
Inspiring learners toward career options available in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is important not only for economic development but also for maintaining creative thinking and innovation. Limited amounts of research in STEM education have focused on the population of students enrolled in religious and parochial schools, and given the historic conflict between religion and science, this sector of American education is worthy of examination. The purpose of this quantitative study is to extend Gottfredson's (1981) Theory of Circumscription and Compromise as it relates to occupational aspirations. Bem's (1981) Gender Schema Theory is examined as it relates to the role of gender in career expectations, and Crenshaw's (1989) Intersectionality Theory is included as it pertains to religion as a group identifier. Six professionals in STEM career fields were video recorded while being interviewed about their skills and education as well as positive and negative aspects of their jobs. The interviews were compiled into a 25-minute video for the purpose of increasing understanding of STEM careers among middle school viewers. The research questions asked whether middle school students from conservative, Protestant Christian schools in a Midwest region increased in STEM-subject attitude and STEM-career interest as a result of viewing the video and whether gender interacted with exposure to the video. A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control groups, pretest/posttest factorial design was employed to evaluate data collected from the STEM Semantic Survey. A Two-Way ANCOVA revealed no significant differences in dependent variables from pretest to posttest. Implications of the findings are examined and recommendations for future research are made. Descriptors: STEM career interest, STEM attitude, STEM gender disparity, Occupational aspirations, Conservative Protestant education.
Diekman, Amanda B; Brown, Elizabeth R; Johnston, Amanda M; Clark, Emily K
2010-08-01
Although women have nearly attained equality with men in several formerly male-dominated fields, they remain underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We argue that one important reason for this discrepancy is that STEM careers are perceived as less likely than careers in other fields to fulfill communal goals (e.g., working with or helping other people). Such perceptions might disproportionately affect women's career decisions, because women tend to endorse communal goals more than men. As predicted, we found that STEM careers, relative to other careers, were perceived to impede communal goals. Moreover, communal-goal endorsement negatively predicted interest in STEM careers, even when controlling for past experience and self-efficacy in science and mathematics. Understanding how communal goals influence people's interest in STEM fields thus provides a new perspective on the issue of women's representation in STEM careers.
Chang, Jen-Mei; Kwon, Chuhee; Stevens, Lora; Buonora, Paul
2016-01-01
This article presents implementation details and findings of a National Science Foundation Scholarship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) consisting of many high-impact practices to recruit and retain students in the physical sciences and mathematics programs, particularly first-generation and underrepresented…
Mathematical simulation for compensation capacities area of pipeline routes in ship systems
Ngo, G. V.; Sakhno, K. N.
2018-05-01
In this paper, the authors considered the problem of manufacturability’s enhancement of ship systems pipeline at the designing stage. The analysis of arrangements and possibilities for compensation of deviations for pipeline routes has been carried out. The task was set to produce the “fit pipe” together with the rest of the pipes in the route. It was proposed to compensate for deviations by movement of the pipeline route during pipe installation and to calculate maximum values of these displacements in the analyzed path. Theoretical bases of deviation compensation for pipeline routes using rotations of parallel section pairs of pipes are assembled. Mathematical and graphical simulations of compensation area capacities of pipeline routes with various configurations are completed. Prerequisites have been created for creating an automated program that will allow one to determine values of the compensatory capacities area for pipeline routes and to assign quantities of necessary allowances.
Mavridis, Ioannis N
2017-12-11
The concept of stereotactically standard areas (SSAs) within human brain nuclei belongs to the knowledge of the modern field of stereotactic brain microanatomy. These are areas resisting the individual variability of the nuclear location in stereotactic space. This paper summarizes the current knowledge regarding SSAs. A mathematical formula of SSAs was recently invented, allowing for their robust, reproducible, and accurate application to laboratory studies and clinical practice. Thus, SSAs open new doors for the application of stereotactic microanatomy to highly accurate brain targeting, which is mainly useful for minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ioannis N. Mavridis
2017-12-01
Full Text Available The concept of stereotactically standard areas (SSAs within human brain nuclei belongs to the knowledge of the modern field of stereotactic brain microanatomy. These are areas resisting the individual variability of the nuclear location in stereotactic space. This paper summarizes the current knowledge regarding SSAs. A mathematical formula of SSAs was recently invented, allowing for their robust, reproducible, and accurate application to laboratory studies and clinical practice. Thus, SSAs open new doors for the application of stereotactic microanatomy to highly accurate brain targeting, which is mainly useful for minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation.
Perceptions of STEM-based outreach activities in secondary education
Vennix, J.; den Brok, P.J.; Taconis, R.
2017-01-01
We investigated and compared the learning environment perceptions of students, teachers and guides who participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based outreach activities in secondary education. In outreach activities, schools and teachers work together with companies
Teachers' Perception of African American Middle School Girls' Interest in Mathematics and Science
Best, Bonnie M.
Research into African American female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become an area of interest due to the fact that a majority of African American middle school females do not possess the high levels of mathematics and science knowledge because of social and cultural barriers both inside and outside school that challenge their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore teachers' shared, lived experiences of teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school girls. Delgado and Stefancic's critical race theory, Pratt-Clarke's critical race feminism, and Baker-Miller's relational-cultural theory were used to guide this study. Research questions focused on the perceptions and experiences of teachers' lived experiences teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school females. Criterion, purposive, and maximum variation sampling techniques were used to recruit 10 teachers who have 3 or more years' experience teaching African American middle school girls. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were the primary data collection source. First cycle and second cycle coding methods were used to support the analysis of this study. Findings suggest that there is a connection between a positive student-teacher relationship and academic success. The results of this study contribute to positive social change by providing empirical evidence policymakers and teachers can use to improve the mathematics and science instruction and practices that are needed to meet the needs of African American middle school females and reduce the underrepresentation and underachievement of African American females in mathematics and science.
Leddy, Mark H.
2010-01-01
Americans with disabilities are underemployed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at higher rates than their nondisabled peers. This article provides an overview of the National science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program, of technology use by students with disabilities (SWD) in STEM, and of…
2016-01-01
This book provides a thorough introduction to the challenge of applying mathematics in real-world scenarios. Modelling tasks rarely involve well-defined categories, and they often require multidisciplinary input from mathematics, physics, computer sciences, or engineering. In keeping with this spirit of modelling, the book includes a wealth of cross-references between the chapters and frequently points to the real-world context. The book combines classical approaches to modelling with novel areas such as soft computing methods, inverse problems, and model uncertainty. Attention is also paid to the interaction between models, data and the use of mathematical software. The reader will find a broad selection of theoretical tools for practicing industrial mathematics, including the analysis of continuum models, probabilistic and discrete phenomena, and asymptotic and sensitivity analysis.
Kjeldsen, Tinne Hoff; Lützen, Jesper
2015-07-01
In this paper, we discuss the history of the concept of function and emphasize in particular how problems in physics have led to essential changes in its definition and application in mathematical practices. Euler defined a function as an analytic expression, whereas Dirichlet defined it as a variable that depends in an arbitrary manner on another variable. The change was required when mathematicians discovered that analytic expressions were not sufficient to represent physical phenomena such as the vibration of a string (Euler) and heat conduction (Fourier and Dirichlet). The introduction of generalized functions or distributions is shown to stem partly from the development of new theories of physics such as electrical engineering and quantum mechanics that led to the use of improper functions such as the delta function that demanded a proper foundation. We argue that the development of student understanding of mathematics and its nature is enhanced by embedding mathematical concepts and theories, within an explicit-reflective framework, into a rich historical context emphasizing its interaction with other disciplines such as physics. Students recognize and become engaged with meta-discursive rules governing mathematics. Mathematics teachers can thereby teach inquiry in mathematics as it occurs in the sciences, as mathematical practice aimed at obtaining new mathematical knowledge. We illustrate such a historical teaching and learning of mathematics within an explicit and reflective framework by two examples of student-directed, problem-oriented project work following the Roskilde Model, in which the connection to physics is explicit and provides a learning space where the nature of mathematics and mathematical practices are linked to natural science.
Teaching STEM Effectively with the Learning Cycle Approach
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pradeep M. Dass
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The main challenges for teachers with regard to STEM-oriented instruction are: 1 How to integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics in such a way that students see the interconnectedness and interdependence between these disciplines; and 2 How to help students realize that solutions to real world problems or issues involve the combined use of knowledge, processes and practices from all of these disciplines. In order to teach STEM effectively, these two challenges must be met, but how? Teachers need pedagogical approaches or models that can address these challenges effectively. Given that the STEM definition adopted by IPST includes "the application of knowledge to real-life problem solving", it follows that effective STEM-oriented instruction must involve a pedagogy that is centered around real-life issues, concerns, problems or questions and offers students the opportunity to employ two or more of the STEM disciplines in an integrated manner to address the questions.
Increasing STEM Competence in Urban, High Poverty Elementary School Populations
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sueanne McKinney
2017-10-01
Full Text Available Enhancing STEM competence (e.g., interests, knowledge, skills, and dispositions among urban, high poverty, elementary school populations in the United States (U.S. is and remains a growing national concern, especially since Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM competence is and will continue to be a necessary requisite for gainful employment in the future, according to workforce development experts. In an attempt to address this gap, many urban elementary schools have begun to offer STEM-related programs to increase STEM learning at an early age. STEM competence (interest, knowledge, skills, and dispositions, however, remains low. This paper results in a matrix used to analyze children's fictional literary selections and a model that argues that elementary teachers, as the first point of contact with young students, can affect STEM competence. By adopting a more culturally responsive pedagogy that attends to the 21st Century Learning Skills and the Next Generation Science Standards, teachers can choose literature that serves to excite and reinforce STEM learning.
Formation and Assessment of a Tool to Evaluate STEM Literacy in Service-Learning Projects
Hayford, Barbara; Blomstrom, Sally; Mumpower, Lori
2015-01-01
The purpose of the authors' research was to create a tool to evaluate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) literacy in service-learning projects. The researchers posited that components of service-learning, which in this case included the deliverable and reflections, are examples of fundamental STEM literacy and thus can be…
2011-03-16
... participation in the core academic areas of English, mathematics, and science; (4) Involving business and... Mathematics (STEM) Education and the competitive preference priority are from the notice of final supplemental..., Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Projects that are designed to address the following...
African Journals Online: Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Items 1 - 36 of 36 ... African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences ... statistics, operational research, financial mathematics and about the annexes ... research work in all areas of mathematical sciences and application at all ...
The factors influencing Mathematics students to choose teaching as ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
South African Journal of Education, Volume 38, Number 2, May 2018. 1 ... Second, the global need for STEM-related skills in careers and everyday life is rising, ... an economic factor in developing countries, emerging economies, and in long ... mathematics to guide policy. .... security, time for family, job transferability); social.
Mathematics for computer graphics
Vince, John
2006-01-01
Helps you understand the mathematical ideas used in computer animation, virtual reality, CAD, and other areas of computer graphics. This work also helps you to rediscover the mathematical techniques required to solve problems and design computer programs for computer graphic applications
Engineering Design in the Primary School: Applying STEM Concepts to Build an Optical Instrument
King, Donna; English, Lyn D.
2016-01-01
Internationally there is a need for research that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education to equip students with the skills needed for a rapidly changing future. One way to do this is through designing engineering activities that reflect real-world problems and contextualise students' learning of STEM concepts.…
Nurturing Diversity in STEM Fields through Geography: The Past, the Present, and the Future
Oyana, Tonny J.; Garcia, Sonia J.; Haegele, Jennifer A.; Hawthorne, Timothy L.; Morgan, Joe; Young, Nekya Jenise
2015-01-01
To date, there has been a wealth of research on participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, but most research focuses on the implementation of programs and whether these programs work. Such research can be expanded and enhanced by considering geographic perspectives on participation in the STEM fields and by…
The Nature of Experiences Responsible for the Generation and Maintenance of Interest in STEM
Maltese, Adam V.; Melki, Christina S.; Wiebke, Heidi L.
2014-01-01
Previous research has established the importance of early interest in STEM as a key factor in persistence. Our current research builds on this foundation and extends it to add more detail to understanding the types of experiences that trigger and maintain interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Using survey data from…
Getting the measure of things: the physical biology of stem cells.
Lowell, Sally
2013-10-01
In July 2013, the diverse fields of biology, physics and mathematics converged to discuss 'The Physical Biology of Stem Cells', the subject of the third annual symposium of the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, UK. Two clear themes resonated throughout the meeting: the new insights gained from advances in the acquisition and interpretation of quantitative data; and the importance of 'thinking outside the nucleus' to consider physical influences on cell fate.
Mathematics++ selected topics beyond the basic courses
Kantor, Ida; Šámal, Robert
2015-01-01
Mathematics++ is a concise introduction to six selected areas of 20th century mathematics providing numerous modern mathematical tools used in contemporary research in computer science, engineering, and other fields. The areas are: measure theory, high-dimensional geometry, Fourier analysis, representations of groups, multivariate polynomials, and topology. For each of the areas, the authors introduce basic notions, examples, and results. The presentation is clear and accessible, stressing intuitive understanding, and it includes carefully selected exercises as an integral part. Theory is comp
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rodrigo Borges de Mattos
2010-08-01
Full Text Available The present work was developed to observe and quantify the possibility of stem gain in five native euxylophorous species [Angico (Parapiptadenia rigida, Canjerana (Cabralea canjerana, Cedro (Cedrela fissilis, Grápia (Apuleia leiocarpa, and Louro (Cordia trichotoma] in non managed native forests of São João do Polêsine municipality, state of RS. There were studied 17 temporary plots of 10 x 100 m. In the trees of the five elected species for this study, that presented diameter at breast height (dbh larger than 5 cm, the total height, the commercial height and the potential commercial height of the stems were measured. The stem gain was defined as the difference between the current and potential commercial height, in relation to current commercial height and was expressed in percentage. The average percentile of shaft gain for all the species was larger than 70%, while Louro showed a stem gain significantly smaller than the other species. By a regression analysis (stepwise procedure, mathematical models were selected to describe the stem gain of each species and all the species together. The results showed that there is a potenctial for value adding to the native forest formations of the area, not yet explored by silviculture practices.
At Hesitant Doors: The lived experience of women in STEM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Romina B. da Costa
2016-12-01
Full Text Available This phenomenological investigation aims to explore the lived experience of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM disciplines. As a minority group within a traditionally male-dominated space, women are still underrepresented in the upper echelons of science, even if the number of women in STEM is increasing. The author draws from her experiences as an “undesirable statistic,” a woman who entered college as a STEM student but ended up getting a degree in the social sciences. The author attempts to gain some new insights and understanding of the issue of women in STEM, engaging in two in-depth phenomenological conversations with a female engineering student in a large public university of US Mid-Atlantic region.
Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes.
Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Cribbs, Jennifer D; Godwin, Allison; Scott, Tyler D; Klotz, Leidy
2017-08-01
We report on a study of the effect of peers' interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students' STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students' experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students' STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students' intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance.
Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes
Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Cribbs, Jennifer D.; Godwin, Allison; Scott, Tyler D.; Klotz, Leidy
2017-01-01
We report on a study of the effect of peers’ interest in high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes on students’ STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)–related career intentions and course achievement. We define an interest quorum as a science class where students perceive a high level of interest for the subject matter from their classmates. We hypothesized that students who experience such an interest quorum are more likely to choose STEM careers. Using data from a national survey study of students‘ experiences in high school science, we compared the effect of five levels of peer interest reported in biology, chemistry, and physics courses on students‘ STEM career intentions. The results support our hypothesis, showing a strong, positive effect of an interest quorum even after controlling for differences between students that pose competing hypotheses such as previous STEM career interest, academic achievement, family support for mathematics and science, and gender. Smaller positive effects of interest quorums were observed for course performance in some cases, with no detrimental effects observed across the study. Last, significant effects persisted even after controlling for differences in teaching quality. This work emphasizes the likely importance of interest quorums for creating classroom environments that increase students’ intentions toward STEM careers while enhancing or maintaining course performance. PMID:28808678
Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana; Perry, Kristen H.; Presley, Jennifer B.
2014-01-01
This article describes factors that influence the success of collaborations involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Education faculty at research-focused universities who work toward postsecondary STEM education improvement. We provide insight into how interdisciplinary faculty may successfully collaborate given…
Career Motivation of Secondary Students in STEM: A Cross-Cultural Study between Korea and Indonesia
Shin, Sein; Rachmatullah, Arif; Roshayanti, Fenny; Ha, Minsu; Lee, Jun-Ki
2018-01-01
The purpose of this study was to understand the career motivation of secondary students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by comparing Korean and Indonesian students. Effects of gender and educational level on students' STEM career motivation were also examined. To test for differences, we used Rasch analysis, 3-way…
Holmes, Kathryn; Gore, Jennifer; Smith, Max; Lloyd, Adam
2018-01-01
Declining enrolments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and a lack of interest in STEM careers are concerning at a time when society is becoming more reliant on complex technologies. We examine student aspirations for STEM careers by drawing on surveys conducted annually from 2012 to 2015. School students in…
Zuliana, Eka; Setyawan, Fariz; Veloo, Arsaythamby
2017-12-01
The aim of this study is developing the learning trajectory to construct students’ understanding of the concept of the area of square and rectangle by using Sarong Motive Chess. This research is a design research which is consists of three stages. The stages are preparing for the experiment, designing experiment, and making a retrospective analysis. The activities started by the activity of using sarong motive chess as the manipulative measurement unit. The Sarong motive chess helps students to understand the concept of area of square and rectangle. In the formal stage of cognitive level, students estimate the area of square and rectangle by determining the square unit at the surface area of sarong through many ways. The result of this study concludes that Sarong motive chess can be used for mathematics learning process. It helps the students to construct the concept of a square and rectangle’s area. This study produces learning trajectory to construct the concept of a square and rectangle’s area by using Sarong motive chess, especially for elementary school students.
The Constructed Objectivity of Mathematics and the Cognitive Subject
Longo, Giuseppe
Mathematics is engendered in conjunction with other forms of knowledge, physics in particular. It is a "genealogy of concepts" (Riemann), that stems from our active reconstruction of the world. Mathematics organizes space and time. It stabilizes notions and concepts as no other language, while isolating by them a few intelligible fragments of "reality" at the phenomenal level. Thus an epistemological analysis of mathematics is proposed, as a foundation that departs from and complements the logico-formal approaches: Mathematics is grounded in a formation of sense, of a congnitive and historical nature, which preceeds the explicit formulation of axioms and rules. The genesis of some conceptual invariants will be sketched (numbers, continua, infinity, proofs, etc.). From these, categories as structural invariants (objects) and "invariant preserving maps" (morphisms, functors) are derived, in a reflective equilibrium of theories that parallels our endeavour to gain knowledge of the physical world.
Nuclear medicine and mathematics
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Pedroso de Lima, J.J. [Dept. de Biofisica e Proc. de Imagem, IBILI - Faculdade de Medicina, Coimbra (Portugal)
1996-06-01
The purpose of this review is not to present a comprehensive description of all the mathematical tools used in nuclear medicine, but to emphasize the importance of the mathematical method in nuclear medicine and to elucidate some of the mathematical concepts currently used. We can distinguish three different areas in which mathematical support has been offered to nuclear medicine: Physiology, methodology and data processing. Nevertheless, the boundaries between these areas can be indistinct. It is impossible in a single article to give even an idea of the extent and complexity of the procedures currently usede in nuclear medicine, such as image processing, reconstruction from projections and artificial intelligence. These disciplines do not belong to nuclear medicine: They are already branches of engineering, and my interest will reside simply in revealing a little of the elegance and the fantastic potential of these new `allies` of nuclear medicine. In this review the mathematics of physiological interpretation and methodology are considered together in the same section. General aspects of data-processing methods, including image processing and artificial intelligence, are briefly analysed. The mathematical tools that are most often used to assist the interpretation of biological phenomena in nuclear medicine are considered; these include convolution and deconvolution methods, Fourier analysis, factorial analysis and neural networking. (orig.)
Nuclear medicine and mathematics
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pedroso de Lima, J.J.
1996-01-01
The purpose of this review is not to present a comprehensive description of all the mathematical tools used in nuclear medicine, but to emphasize the importance of the mathematical method in nuclear medicine and to elucidate some of the mathematical concepts currently used. We can distinguish three different areas in which mathematical support has been offered to nuclear medicine: Physiology, methodology and data processing. Nevertheless, the boundaries between these areas can be indistinct. It is impossible in a single article to give even an idea of the extent and complexity of the procedures currently usede in nuclear medicine, such as image processing, reconstruction from projections and artificial intelligence. These disciplines do not belong to nuclear medicine: They are already branches of engineering, and my interest will reside simply in revealing a little of the elegance and the fantastic potential of these new 'allies' of nuclear medicine. In this review the mathematics of physiological interpretation and methodology are considered together in the same section. General aspects of data-processing methods, including image processing and artificial intelligence, are briefly analysed. The mathematical tools that are most often used to assist the interpretation of biological phenomena in nuclear medicine are considered; these include convolution and deconvolution methods, Fourier analysis, factorial analysis and neural networking. (orig.)
Lego Robotics: STEM Sport of the Mind
Gura, Mark
2012-01-01
Lego robotics is engaging, hands-on, and encompasses every one of the NETS for Students. It also inspires a love of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and provides the experience students need to use digital age skills in the real world. In this article, the author discusses how schools get involved with Lego Robotics and…
Stem cell therapy for diabetes
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
K O Lee
2012-01-01
Full Text Available Stem cell therapy holds immense promise for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus. Research on the ability of human embryonic stem cells to differentiate into islet cells has defined the developmental stages and transcription factors involved in this process. However, the clinical applications of human embryonic stem cells are limited by ethical concerns, as well as the potential for teratoma formation. As a consequence, alternative forms of stem cell therapies, such as induced pluripotent stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, have become an area of intense study. Recent advances in stem cell therapy may turn this into a realistic treatment for diabetes in the near future.
Taiwanese Preservice Teachers' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teaching Intention
Lin, Kuen-Yi; Williams, P. John
2016-01-01
This study applies the theory of planned behavior as a basis for exploring the impact of knowledge, values, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and attitudes on the behavioral intention toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education among Taiwanese preservice science teachers. Questionnaires (N = 139)…
The persistence of women in STEM: A constructivist grounded theory study
Gamm, Ryan
Men and women have reached relative parity in most sectors of the United States workforce. Yet women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (AAUW, 2010). Underrepresentation persists despite several decades of research, legislation, and intervention focused on gender equality in STEM fields (Clewell, 2002). The underrepresentation or shortage of women in STEM fields is identifiable primarily in degree attainment, in workforce demographics, and in a gender wage gap. Situated in constructivist grounded theory, this study asks how do women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly those in established career positions, persist when encountering personal and institutional barriers, resistance, and hostility? I use an interpretive-constructivist lens to conduct a grounded theory study exploring the experiences of women who persist in STEM fields, their relation to extant literature on this topic, and the connections to K-12 education practices, specifically curriculum. To understand the connections to curriculum I employ Pinar's (2012) method of currere. Pinar (2012) contends currere "provides a strategy for students of curriculum to study the relations between academic knowledge and life history in the interests of self-understanding and social reconstruction" (p.44). This qualitative study explored nine female STEM workers stories of persistence as each respondent works in STEM fields were gender parity has yet to be established. This study presents a substantive theory: As women persist in STEM fields they reframe themselves to be situated in the overlapping intersection of the social processes that correspond to "engagement" and "persistence." This reframing is possible by interpreting one's present day circumstances by independently removing oneself from current circumstances to understand the cumulative effect of both past and present. The findings highlight the importance
Miller, Beverly A. King
This grounded theory case study examines the experiences of Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women and their membership in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) training and careers. The shortage of Science and Math teachers in 48 of 50 States heightens the need for those trained in STEM. Females of African phenotype have persistently been underrepresented in STEM. However, this trend does not appear to have held for Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women. The current study explores issues related to STEM participation for these women by addressing the overarching question: What key factors from the lived experiences of Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women in STEM careers can be used to inform work with females of African phenotype in their pursuit of STEM education and STEM careers? Five women were identified for inclusion in the study's purposive sample. The study draws upon assertions and implications about the relevance of self-identity and collective-identity for membership in STEM. Data for the study was gathered through qualitative interviews, surveys, and observations. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze emergent themes related to participants' responses to the research questions. Two models, the STEM Attainment Model (SAM) and the Ecological Model of Self-Confidence and Bi-Directional Effect, are proposed from evaluation of the identified information. Socio-cultural values and learned strategies were determined to influence self-confidence which is identified as important for persistence in STEM training and careers for females of African phenotype. Evidence supports that the influences of parents, country of origin, neighborhood communities, schools and teachers are factors for persistence. Through the voices of these women, recommendations are offered to the gatekeepers of STEM academic pathways and ultimately STEM careers.
International Mathematical Internet Olympiad
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alexander Domoshnitsky
2012-10-01
Full Text Available Modern Internet technologies open new possibilities in wide spectrum of traditional methods used in mathematical education. One of the areas, where these technologies can be efficiently used, is an organization of mathematical competitions. Contestants can stay at their schools or universities and try to solve as many mathematical problems as possible and then submit their solutions through Internet. Simple Internet technologies supply audio and video connection between participants and organizers.
Developing design-based STEM education learning activities to enhance students' creative thinking
Pinasa, Siwa; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai
2018-01-01
Creative thinking on applying science and mathematics knowledge is required by the future STEM career. The STEM education should be provided for the required skills of future STEM career. This paper aimed to clarify the developing STEM education learning activities to enhance students' creative thinking. The learning activities were developed for Grade 10 students who will study in the subject of independent study (IS) of Khon Kaen Wittayayon School, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The developing STEM education learning activities for enhancing students' creative thinking was developed regarding on 6 steps including (1) providing of understanding of fundamental STEM education concept, (2) generating creative thinking from prototype, (4) revised ideas, (5) engineering ability, and (6) presentation and discussion. The paper will clarify the 18 weeks activities that will be provided based these 6 steps of developing learning activities. Then, these STEM learning activities will be discussed to provide the chance of enhancing students' creative thinking. The paper may have implication for STEM education in school setting.
Estrada, Mica; Hernandez, Paul R.; Schultz, P. Wesley
2018-01-01
African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are historically underrepresented minorities (URMs) among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree earners. Viewed from a perspective of social influence, this pattern suggests that URMs do not integrate into the STEM academic community at the same rate as non-URM students.…
Sümen, Özlem Özçakir; Çalisici, Hamza
2016-01-01
This study aims to implement a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education approach in an environmental education course. The research involved the design and implementation of STEM activities by researchers, as part of the environmental education course taught in the second year of a Primary School Teaching undergraduate…
Exploring Student Persistence in STEM Programs: A Motivational Model
Simon, Rebecca A.; Aulls, Mark W.; Dedic, Helena; Hubbard, Kyle; Hall, Nathan C.
2015-01-01
To address continually decreasing enrollment and rising attrition in post-secondary STEM degree (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs, particularly for women, the present study examines the utility of motivation and emotion variables to account for persistence and achievement in science in male and female students…
Learning about the Weather through an Integrated STEM Approach
Serin, Gokhan
2014-01-01
Introducing concepts through an integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approach can promote interest and motivation (Bennett, Lubben and Hogarth, 2007; Bybee, 2010). However, implementing such an approach effectively in a classroom setting, with relevant links, is a challenging task. Some concepts lend themselves more…
Australian Enrolment Trends in Technology and Engineering: Putting the T and E Back into School STEM
Kennedy, JohnPaul; Quinn, Frances; Lyons, Terry
2018-01-01
There has been much political and educational focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Australian schools in recent years and while there has been significant research examining science and mathematics enrolments in senior high school, little is known about the corresponding trends in Technologies and engineering.…
Concise Review: Stem Cell Population Biology: Insights from Hematopoiesis.
MacLean, Adam L; Lo Celso, Cristina; Stumpf, Michael P H
2017-01-01
Stem cells are fundamental to human life and offer great therapeutic potential, yet their biology remains incompletely-or in cases even poorly-understood. The field of stem cell biology has grown substantially in recent years due to a combination of experimental and theoretical contributions: the experimental branch of this work provides data in an ever-increasing number of dimensions, while the theoretical branch seeks to determine suitable models of the fundamental stem cell processes that these data describe. The application of population dynamics to biology is amongst the oldest applications of mathematics to biology, and the population dynamics perspective continues to offer much today. Here we describe the impact that such a perspective has made in the field of stem cell biology. Using hematopoietic stem cells as our model system, we discuss the approaches that have been used to study their key properties, such as capacity for self-renewal, differentiation, and cell fate lineage choice. We will also discuss the relevance of population dynamics in models of stem cells and cancer, where competition naturally emerges as an influential factor on the temporal evolution of cell populations. Stem Cells 2017;35:80-88. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.
Strategies And Initiatives That Revitalize Wesley College STEM Programs.
D'Souza, Malcolm J; Kroen, William K; Stephens, Charlene B; Kashmar, Richard J
Church-related small private liberal arts baccalaureate minority-serving institutions like Wesley College have modest endowments, are heavily tuition-dependent, and have large numbers of financially-challenged students. In order to sustain the level of academic excellence and to continue to build student demographic diversity in its accessible robust Science and Mathematics (STEM) programs, the faculty sought federal and state funds to implement a coordinated program of curriculum enhancements and student support programs that will increase the number of students choosing STEM majors, increase their academic success, and improve retention.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ryan C. Svoboda
2016-08-01
Full Text Available High school students from lower–socioeconomic status (SES backgrounds are less likely to enroll in advanced mathematics and science courses compared to students from higher-SES backgrounds. The current longitudinal study draws on identity-based and expectancy-value theories of motivation to explain the SES and mathematics and science course-taking relationship. This was done by gathering reports from students and their parents about their expectations, values, and future identities for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM topics beginning in middle school through age 20. Results showed that parental education predicted mathematics and science course taking in high school and college, and this relationship was partially mediated by students’ and parents’ future identity and motivational beliefs concerning mathematics and science. These findings suggest that psychological interventions may be useful for reducing social class gaps in STEM course taking, which has critical implications for the types of opportunities and careers available to students.
Algorithmic Principles of Mathematical Programming
Faigle, Ulrich; Kern, Walter; Still, Georg
2002-01-01
Algorithmic Principles of Mathematical Programming investigates the mathematical structures and principles underlying the design of efficient algorithms for optimization problems. Recent advances in algorithmic theory have shown that the traditionally separate areas of discrete optimization, linear
Climate influences the leaf area/sapwood area ratio in Scots pine.
Mencuccini, M; Grace, J
1995-01-01
We tested the hypothesis that the leaf area/sapwood area ratio in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is influenced by site differences in water vapor pressure deficit of the air (D). Two stands of the same provenance were selected, one in western Scotland and one in eastern England, so that effects resulting from age, genetic variability, density and fertility were minimized. Compared with the Scots pine trees at the cooler and wetter site in Scotland, the trees at the warmer and drier site in England produced less leaf area per unit of conducting sapwood area both at a stem height of 1.3 m and at the base of the live crown, whereas stem permeability was similar at both sites. Also, trees at the drier site had less leaf area per unit branch cross-sectional area at the branch base than trees at the wetter site. For each site, the average values for leaf area, sapwood area and permeability were used, together with values of transpiration rates at different D, to calculate average stem water potential gradients. Changes in the leaf area/sapwood area ratio acted to maintain a similar water potential gradient in the stems of trees at both sites despite climatic differences between the sites.
Colloquy on Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Didion, Catherine; Fortenberry, Norman L.; Cady, Elizabeth
2012-01-01
On August 8-12, 2010 the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), convened the Colloquy on Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), following the release of several reports highlighting the educational challenges facing minority males. The NSF recognized the…
Using a Summer REU to Help Develop the Next Generation of Mathematical Ecologists.
Bennie, Barbara; Eager, Eric Alan; Peirce, James P; Sandland, Gregory J
2018-04-01
Understanding the complexities of environmental issues requires individuals to bring together ideas and data from different disciplines, including ecology and mathematics. With funding from the national science foundation (NSF), scientists from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the US geological survey held a research experience for undergraduates (REU) program in the summer of 2016. The goals of the program were to expose students to open problems in the area of mathematical ecology, motivate students to pursue STEM-related positions, and to prepare students for research within interdisciplinary, collaborative settings. Based on backgrounds and interests, eight students were selected to participate in one of two research projects: wind energy and wildlife conservation or the establishment and spread of waterfowl diseases. Each research program was overseen by a mathematician and a biologist. Regardless of the research focus, the program first began with formal lectures to provide students with foundational knowledge followed by student-driven research projects. Throughout this period, student teams worked in close association with their mentors to create, parameterize and evaluate ecological models to better understand their systems of interest. Students then disseminated their results at local, regional, and international meetings and through publications (one in press and one in progress). Direct and indirect measures of student development revealed that our REU program fostered a deep appreciation for and understanding of mathematical ecology. Finally, the program allowed students to gain experiences working with individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives. Taken together, this REU program allowed us to successfully excite, motivate and prepare students for future positions in the area of mathematical biology, and because of this it can be used as a model for interdisciplinary programs at other institutions.
REVIEW OF TRENDS, APPROACHES AND PERSPECTIVE PRACTICES OF STEM-EDUCATION FOR TRAINING CENTER OPENING
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nataliya Kushnir
2017-04-01
Full Text Available STEM is one of the most current educational trends, it provides young people training according to information society in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The leading ideas are interdisciplinary education by solving real practical problems, project work and cooperation. The state of STEM-education in the world and Ukraine is analyzed. Particular attention is paid robotics that enables to develop programming skills and design, and it is the integrator of all components of STEM. The range of services in robotics, constructors for learning is considered. The experience of STEM-center of Kherson State University is presented
Lectures on Applications-Oriented Mathematics
Friedman, Bernard
2011-01-01
Meets the need for a program of short courses involving the essentials of a number of mathematical topics taken by physics and engineering students. Basically applications-oriented, the courses do include selected topics of abstract mathematics. While several courses can be used as practical appendices to conventional mathematics, others serve as introductions, providing motivation for self-study in areas of conceptual math.
Mentoring in mathematics education
Hyde, Rosalyn
2013-01-01
Designed to support both teachers and university-based tutors in mentoring pre-service and newly qualified mathematics teachers at both primary and secondary levels, Mentoring Mathematics Teachers offers straightforward practical advice that is based on practice, underpinned by research, and geared specifically towards this challenging subject area.Developed by members of The Association of Mathematics Education Teachers, the authors draw upon the most up-to-date research and theory to provide evidence-based practical guidance. Themes covered include:
Number sense and mathematics: Which, when and how?
Tosto, Maria G; Petrill, Stephen A; Malykh, Sergey; Malki, Karim; Haworth, Claire M A; Mazzocco, Michele M M; Thompson, Lee; Opfer, John; Bogdanova, Olga Y; Kovas, Yulia
2017-10-01
Individual differences in number sense correlate with mathematical ability and performance, although the presence and strength of this relationship differs across studies. Inconsistencies in the literature may stem from heterogeneity of number sense and mathematical ability constructs. Sample characteristics may also play a role as changes in the relationship between number sense and mathematics may differ across development and cultural contexts. In this study, 4,984 16-year-old students were assessed on estimation ability, one aspect of number sense. Estimation was measured using 2 different tasks: number line and dot-comparison. Using cognitive and achievement data previously collected from these students at ages 7, 9, 10, 12, and 14, the study explored for which of the measures and when in development these links are observed, and how strong these links are and how much these links are moderated by other cognitive abilities. The 2 number sense measures correlated modestly with each other (r = .22), but moderately with mathematics at age 16. Both measures were also associated with earlier mathematics; but this association was uneven across development and was moderated by other cognitive abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
STEM and ICT Instructional Worlds: The 3D Experience, The impact on today’s students
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
William Edward Roberts
2013-02-01
Full Text Available In our project, 3D immersive virtual worlds have been implemented in middle schools for instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM. The learning and playing, as a curricular tool, has enormous potential for engaging children of all ages in deep learning (Lim, Nonis, & Hedberg 2006. STEM and ICT Instructional Worlds: The 3D Experience (STEM-ICT 3D is funded by the National Science Foundation Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST program. The project is intended to inspire middle school students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – particularly information and communication technology (ICT fields - as well as prepare students with the skills necessary to succeed in STEM education and careers. The project, based on research suggesting student gains in engagement, efficacy, and achievement (Barab, et al, 2005; Educause, 2006; Ketelhut, et al, 2006 proposes to translate the success of an earlier pilot toward a model that can be replicated in other middle schools over time.
Mills, Nadia Monrose
2015-01-01
The ability to succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers is contingent on a student's ability to engage in mathematical problem solving. As a result, there has been increased focus on students' ability to think critically by providing them more with problem solving experiences in the classroom. Much research has…
The Princeton companion to mathematics
Barrow-Green, June; Leader, Imre
2008-01-01
This is a one-of-a-kind reference for anyone with a serious interest in mathematics. Edited by Timothy Gowers, a recipient of the Fields Medal, it presents nearly two hundred entries, written especially for this book by some of the world's leading mathematicians, that introduce basic mathematical tools and vocabulary; trace the development of modern mathematics; explain essential terms and concepts; examine core ideas in major areas of mathematics; describe the achievements of scores of famous mathematicians; explore the impact of mathematics on other disciplines such as biology, finance, and music--and much, much more
The mathematical works of Bernard Bolzano
Russ, Steve
2004-01-01
Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848, Prague) was a remarkable thinker and reformer far ahead of his time in many areas, including philosophy, theology, ethics, politics, logic, and mathematics. Aimed at historians and philosophers of both mathematics and logic, and research students in those fields, this volume contains English translations, in most cases for the first time, of many of Bolzano's most significant mathematical writings. - ;Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848, Prague) was a remarkable thinker and reformer far ahead of his time in many areas, including philosophy, theology, ethics, politics, logic,
Improving University Students' Perception of Mathematics and Mathematics Ability
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shelly L. Wismath
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Although mathematical and quantitative reasoning skills are an essential part of adult life in our society, many students arrive at post-secondary education without such skills. Taking a standard mathematics course such as calculus may do little to improve those skills. Using a modification of the Tapia & Marsh questionnaire, we surveyed 62 students taking a broad quantitative reasoning course designed to develop quantitative skills, with respect to two broad attitudinal areas: students’ perception of their own ability, confidence and anxiety, and their perception of the value of mathematics in their studies and their lives. Pre- to post-course comparisons were done by both paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Our results showed a significant increase in confidence and decrease in anxiety, while perception of the value of mathematics was already high and changed little by the end of the course.
Boisvert, R F; Donahue, M J; Lozier, D W; McMichael, R; Rust, B W
2001-01-01
In this paper we describe the role that mathematics plays in measurement science at NIST. We first survey the history behind NIST's current work in this area, starting with the NBS Math Tables project of the 1930s. We then provide examples of more recent efforts in the application of mathematics to measurement science, including the solution of ill-posed inverse problems, characterization of the accuracy of software for micromagnetic modeling, and in the development and dissemination of mathematical reference data. Finally, we comment on emerging issues in measurement science to which mathematicians will devote their energies in coming years.
The ROOT and STEM of a Fruitful Business Education
Badua, Frank
2015-01-01
The author discusses the role of the liberal arts in a business curriculum for an increasingly science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-centered world. The author introduces the rhetoric, orthography, ontology, and teleology (ROOT) disciplines, and links them to the traditional liberal arts foundation of higher education. The…
Working with Families to Inspire Children's Persistence in STEM
Kumar, Rashmi
2016-01-01
Policymakers and educators emphasize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction as key to individuals' and nations' future economic prosperity. It can be considered to be of particular value to students in developing countries and for disadvantaged students in developed countries. As families play a critical role in a…
Canadian Mathematical Congress
1977-01-01
For two weeks in August, 1975 more than 140 mathematicians and other scientists gathered at the Universite de Sherbrooke. The occasion was the 15th Biennial Seminar of the Canadian Mathematical Congress, entitled Mathematics and the Life Sciences. Participants in this inter disciplinary gathering included researchers and graduate students in mathematics, seven different areas of biological science, physics, chemistry and medical science. Geographically, those present came from the United States and the United Kingdom as well as from academic departments and government agencies scattered across Canada. In choosing this particular interdisciplinary topic the programme committee had two chief objectives. These were to promote Canadian research in mathematical problems of the life sciences, and to encourage co-operation and exchanges between mathematical scientists" biologists and medical re searchers. To accomplish these objective the committee assembled a stim ulating programme of lectures and talks. Six ...
Kovarik, Dina N; Patterson, Davis G; Cohen, Carolyn; Sanders, Elizabeth A; Peterson, Karen A; Porter, Sandra G; Chowning, Jeanne Ting
2013-01-01
We investigated the effects of our Bio-ITEST teacher professional development model and bioinformatics curricula on cognitive traits (awareness, engagement, self-efficacy, and relevance) in high school teachers and students that are known to accompany a developing interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. The program included best practices in adult education and diverse resources to empower teachers to integrate STEM career information into their classrooms. The introductory unit, Using Bioinformatics: Genetic Testing, uses bioinformatics to teach basic concepts in genetics and molecular biology, and the advanced unit, Using Bioinformatics: Genetic Research, utilizes bioinformatics to study evolution and support student research with DNA barcoding. Pre-post surveys demonstrated significant growth (n = 24) among teachers in their preparation to teach the curricula and infuse career awareness into their classes, and these gains were sustained through the end of the academic year. Introductory unit students (n = 289) showed significant gains in awareness, relevance, and self-efficacy. While these students did not show significant gains in engagement, advanced unit students (n = 41) showed gains in all four cognitive areas. Lessons learned during Bio-ITEST are explored in the context of recommendations for other programs that wish to increase student interest in STEM careers.
Brain stem type neuro-Behcet's syndrome
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kataoka, Satoshi; Hirose, Genjiro; Kosoegawa, Hiroshi; Oda, Rokuhei; Yoshioka, Akira
1987-01-01
Two cases of brain stem type Neuro-Behcet's syndrome were evaluated by brain CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Super-conducting type, 0.5 tesla) to correlate with the neurological findings. In the acute phase, low density area with peripheral enhancement effect and mass effect were seen at the brain stem in brain CT. MRI revealed a extensive high intensity signal area mainly involving the corticospinal tract in the meso-diencephalon as well as pons by T 2 weighted images (spin echo, TR = 1, 600 msec, TE = 90 msec) and the value of T 1 , T 2 , at the brain stem lesion were prolonged moderately. After high dose steroid treatment, the low density area in brain CT and high signal area in MRI were gradually reduced in its size. Peripheral enhancement effect in brain CT disappeared within 10 months in case 1, one month in the other case. In the chronic stage, the reduction of low density area and atrophy of brain stem were noted in brain CT. The lesion in chronic stage had low intensity in T 1 , T 2 weighted images and the T 1 , T 2 values at the lesion were mildly prolonged in MRI. Sequentially CT with enhancement and MRI examinations with T 1 , T 2 weighted images were useful to detect the lesion and to evaluate the activity, evolution of brain stem type Neuro-Behcet's syndrome. (author)
Ahmed, Hanaa Ouda Khadri
2016-01-01
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education has been achieving growing international attention. As the world economy is becoming more diversified and dependent on innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills and expertise are progressively more needed for competition and development. Egyptian students…
One-to-one iPad technology in the middle school mathematics and science classrooms
Bixler, Sharon G.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become an emphasized component of PreK-12 education in the United States. The US is struggling to produce enough science, mathematics, and technology experts to meet its national and global needs, and the mean scores of science and mathematics students are not meeting the expected levels desired by our leaders (Hossain & Robinson, 2011). In an effort to improve achievement scores in mathematics and science, school districts must consider many components that can contribute to the development of a classroom where students are engaged and growing academically. Computer technology (CT) for student use is a popular avenue for school districts to pursue in their goal to attain higher achievement. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of iPads in a one-to-one setting, where every student has his own device 24/7, to determine the effects, if any, on academic achievement in the areas of mathematics and science. This comparison study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine three middle schools in a private school district. Two of the schools have implemented a one-to-one iPad program with their sixth through eighth grades and the third school uses computers on limited occasions in the classroom and in a computer lab setting. The questions addressed were what effect, if any, do the implementation of a one-to-one iPad program and a teacher's perception of his use of constructivist teaching strategies have on student academic achievement in the mathematics and science middle school classrooms. The research showed that although the program helped promote the use of constructivist activities through the use of technology, the one-to-one iPad initiative had no effect on academic achievement in the middle school mathematics and science classrooms.
Hsieh, Po-Fan; Wang, Yu-De; Huang, Chi-Ping; Wu, Hsi-Chin; Yang, Che-Rei; Chen, Guang-Heng; Chang, Chao-Hsiang
2016-07-01
We proposed a mathematical formula to calculate contact surface area between a tumor and renal parenchyma. We examined the applicability of using contact surface area to predict renal function after partial nephrectomy. We performed this retrospective study in patients who underwent partial nephrectomy between January 2012 and December 2014. Based on abdominopelvic computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, we calculated the contact surface area using the formula (2*π*radius*depth) developed by integral calculus. We then evaluated the correlation between contact surface area and perioperative parameters, and compared contact surface area and R.E.N.A.L. (Radius/Exophytic/endophytic/Nearness to collecting system/Anterior/Location) score in predicting a reduction in renal function. Overall 35, 26 and 45 patients underwent partial nephrectomy with open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches, respectively. Mean ± SD contact surface area was 30.7±26.1 cm(2) and median (IQR) R.E.N.A.L. score was 7 (2.25). Spearman correlation analysis showed that contact surface area was significantly associated with estimated blood loss (p=0.04), operative time (p=0.04) and percent change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (p contact surface area and R.E.N.A.L. score independently affected percent change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (p contact surface area was a better independent predictor of a greater than 10% change in estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to R.E.N.A.L. score (AUC 0.86 vs 0.69). Using this simple mathematical method, contact surface area was associated with surgical outcomes. Compared to R.E.N.A.L. score, contact surface area was a better predictor of functional change after partial nephrectomy. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Hiriart-Urruty, Jean-Baptiste
This book contains a collection of exercises (called “tapas”) at undergraduate level, mainly from the fields of real analysis, calculus, matrices, convexity, and optimization. Most of the problems presented here are non-standard and some require broad knowledge of different mathematical subjects in order to be solved. The author provides some hints and (partial) answers and also puts these carefully chosen exercises into context, presents information on their origins, and comments on possible extensions. With stars marking the levels of difficulty, these tapas show or prove something interesting, challenge the reader to solve and learn, and may have surprising results. This first volume of Mathematical Tapas will appeal to mathematicians, motivated undergraduate students from science-based areas, and those generally interested in mathematics.
Would Increasing Engineering Literacies Enable Untapped Opportunities for STEM Education?
Redman, Christine
2017-01-01
The main focus here is to examine the benefits of defining and developing an engineering curriculum for elementary schools. Like many other international educational systems, Australian educational settings have been seeking to effectively implement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. However, current assumptions…
STEM Faculty and Indirect Costs: What Administrators Need to Know
Gossman, Susan
2016-01-01
The focus of this single site, qualitative case study was on public research university STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) faculty and their perspectives on, and behavior towards, indirect cost recovery. The explanatory scheme was derived from anthropological theory and incorporated organizational culture, resource dependency…
Fuson, Karen C.
2009-01-01
This article provides an overview of some perspectives about special issues in classroom mathematical teaching and learning that have stemmed from the huge explosion of research in children's mathematical thinking stimulated by Piaget. It concentrates on issues that are particularly important for less-advanced learners and for those who might be…
Social Equity and Access to a Philippine STEM School
Talaue, Frederick Toralballa
2014-01-01
Like most developing countries in the world, there is a huge gap in opportunities to access quality science education between students from the high- and low-socioeconomic strata of Philippine society. In establishing its own science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) high school, despite limited public funding in 1964, the…
Wong, Sissy S.; Firestone, Jonah B.; Ronduen, Lionnel G.; Bang, EunJin
2016-01-01
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has become one of the main priorities in the United States. Science education communities and researchers advocate for integration of STEM disciplines throughout the teaching curriculum. This requires teacher knowledge in STEM disciplines, as well as competence in scientific…
Preparing STEM Teachers for Integration of NGSS: A Summer Workshop Development
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gonca Altuger-Genc
2015-11-01
Full Text Available The increasing emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM education in United States and across the world created the demand for STEM education to start as early as elementary school. Especially in the past decade, the demand for middle schools and high schools to increase the involvement of the STEM components in their curriculum has been on the rise. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS(http://www.nextgenscience.org/ are testimonial to this demand and need. With the fast-pace the NGSS are being adopted by different states, the expectations from science, engineering, and technology teachers to develop and design their courses to reflect the new standards and meet the updated goals increased. To support teachers with the necessary resources and training, a Summer STEM training program and a set of STEM training modules have been developed by a 4-year accredited State College. This paper provides an overview of the STEM initiatives and a step-by-step approach of the design and development of the STEM modules to train K-12 teachers.
Hoepner, Cynthia Colon
2010-01-01
President Obama has recently raised awareness on the need for our nation to grow a larger pool of students with knowledge in science mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM). Currently, while the number of women pursuing college degrees continues to rise, there remains an under-representation of women in STEM majors across the country.…
Spatial Processing in Infancy Predicts Both Spatial and Mathematical Aptitude in Childhood.
Lauer, Jillian E; Lourenco, Stella F
2016-10-01
Despite considerable interest in the role of spatial intelligence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) achievement, little is known about the ontogenetic origins of individual differences in spatial aptitude or their relation to later accomplishments in STEM disciplines. The current study provides evidence that spatial processes present in infancy predict interindividual variation in both spatial and mathematical competence later in development. Using a longitudinal design, we found that children's performance on a brief visuospatial change-detection task administered between 6 and 13 months of age was related to their spatial aptitude (i.e., mental-transformation skill) and mastery of symbolic-math concepts at 4 years of age, even when we controlled for general cognitive abilities and spatial memory. These results suggest that nascent spatial processes present in the first year of life not only act as precursors to later spatial intelligence but also predict math achievement during childhood.
Persistence of undergraduate women in STEM fields
Pedone, Maggie Helene
The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a complex problem that continues to persist at the postsecondary level, particularly in computer science and engineering fields. This dissertation explored the pre-college and college level factors that influenced undergraduate women's persistence in STEM. This study also examined and compared the characteristics of undergraduate women who entered STEM fields and non-STEM fields in 2003-2004. The nationally representative Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) data set was used for analysis. BPS:04/09 study respondents were surveyed three times (NPSAS:04, BPS:04/06, BPS:04/09) over a six-year period, which enabled me to explore factors related to long-term persistence. Astin's Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) model was used as the framework to examine student inputs and college environmental factors that predict female student persistence (output) in STEM. Chi-square tests revealed significant differences between undergraduate women who entered STEM and non-STEM fields in 2003-2004. Differences in student demographics, prior academic achievement, high school course-taking patterns, and student involvement in college such as participation in study groups and school clubs were found. Notably, inferential statistics showed that a significantly higher proportion of female minority students entered STEM fields than non-STEM fields. These findings challenge the myth that underrepresented female minorities are less inclined to enter STEM fields. Logistic regression analyses revealed thirteen significant predictors of persistence for undergraduate women in STEM. Findings showed that undergraduate women who were younger, more academically prepared, and academically and socially involved in college (e.g., lived on campus, interacted with faculty, participated in study groups, fine arts activities, and school sports) were more likely to persist in STEM
Mathematical model of small water-plane area twin-hull and application in marine simulator
Zhang, Xiufeng; Lyu, Zhenwang; Yin, Yong; Jin, Yicheng
2013-09-01
Small water-plane area twin-hull (SWATH) has drawn the attention of many researchers due to its good sea-keeping ability. In this paper, MMG's idea of separation was used to perform SWATH movement modeling and simulation; respectively the forces and moment of SWATH were divided into bare hull, propeller, rudder at the fluid hydrodynamics, etc. Wake coefficient at the propellers which reduces thrust coefficient, and rudder mutual interference forces among the hull and propeller, for the calculation of SWATH, were all considered. The fourth-order Runge-Kutta method of integration was used by solving differential equations, in order to get SWATH's movement states. As an example, a turning test at full speed and full starboard rudder of `Seagull' craft is shown. The simulation results show the SWATH's regular pattern and trend of motion. It verifies the correctness of the mathematical model of the turning movement. The SWATH's mathematical model is applied to marine simulator in order to train the pilots or seamen, or safety assessment for ocean engineering project. Lastly, the full mission navigation simulating system (FMNSS) was determined to be a successful virtual reality technology application sample in the field of navigation simulation.
Strategic Self-Presentation of Women in STEM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alexandra Garr-Schultz
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Despite a plethora of initiatives and a surge of research activity, women remain under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM disciplines (National Science Foundation 2017. While much research has focused on ways to recruit women into these disciplines, less work has explored the strategies women use to navigate these contexts once they have entered. In a set of two experimental studies, we investigate women’s potential response strategies to the well-documented tension between female and STEM attributes in terms of individual self-presentation. In Study 1 (N = 240, we examine whether female STEM professionals have different impression goals when introducing themselves to professional peers versus a group of other women. In Study 2 (N = 169, we extend our inquiry to include self-presentation behavior as well as intentions. Across studies, we find that female STEM professionals hold different impression goals based on the audience with whom and context in which they expect to interact. These intentions align with actual self-introduction behavior, as observed in written self-introductions. Tuning one’s self-presentation, however, leads participants to feel less authentic. This work highlights one way women in male-dominated STEM contexts may navigate and strategically communicate their female and STEM identities to others, as well as the personal implications of doing so.
Estrada, Mica; Eroy-Reveles, Alegra; Matsui, John
2018-01-01
The United States’ inability to achieve equitable workforce development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career pathways is well-recognized and has been attributed to the poor retention of a diverse stream of students in academia. Social science theory and research provide evidence that social contextual variables—specifically kindness cues affirming social inclusion—influence chronic underrepresentation of some groups within STEM career pathways. Review of the literature suggests that the current STEM academic context does not consistently provide cues that affirm social inclusion to all members of the academic population, and that policies that address this disparity are essential to broadening STEM workforce development in the United States. PMID:29657577
Merrill, Cathy A.
2016-01-01
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education concepts are naturally contextualized in the study of food and nutrition. In 2014 a pilot group of Utah high school Career and Technical Education Family and Consumer Sciences teachers rewrote the Food and Nutrition Sciences curriculum to add and enhance the STEM-related content. This study is an online needs assessment by Utah Food and Nutrition 1 teachers on the implementation of the STEM-enhanced curriculum after its first y...
Future Primary Teachers’ Beliefs, Understandings and Intentions to Teach STEM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Premnadh M. Kurup
2017-08-01
Full Text Available The development of integrated skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM are necessary in order to deal with challenging complex situations and should be developed from primary school. It is expected that early experiences can influence and foster a deep and ongoing interest in STEM. In order to provide these early experiences in their future classrooms, preservice teachers need subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and expertise to innovate and deal with STEM in their own future classrooms This research focused on the beliefs and understandings preservice primary teachers (n=119 have about teaching and to what extent they are prepared to teach STEM subjects in primary schools. A questionnaire based on the position paper on STEM issued by the Australian Office of the Chief Scientist (Prinsley & Johnston, 2015 and guided by the theory of reasoned action was used as the basis of this study. The data was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The results suggest the preservice teachers in this study believed there should be STEM in the curriculum, but they were not confident in their ability to teach STEM without more professional preparation and development.
Mathematical Practices and Arts Integration in an Activity-Based Projective Geometry Course
Ernest, Jessica Brooke
It is a general assumption that the mathematical activity of students in school should, at least to some degree, parallel the practices of professional mathematicians (Brown, Collins, Duguid, 1989; Moschkovich, 2013). This assumption is reflected in the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI, 2010) and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) standards documents. However, the practices included in these standards documents, while developed to reflect the practices of professional mathematicians, may be idealized versions of what mathematicians actually do (Moschkovich, 2013). This might lead us to question then: "What is it that mathematicians do, and what practices are not being represented in the standards documents?" In general, the creative work of mathematicians is absent from the standards and, in turn, from school mathematics curricula, much to the dismay of some mathematicians and researchers (Lockhart, 2009; Rogers, 1999). As a result, creativity is not typically being fostered in mathematics students. As a response to this lack of focus on fostering creativity (in each of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines--the STEM disciplines), a movement to integrate the arts emerged. This movement, called the STEAM movement--introducing the letter A into the acronym STEM to signify incorporating the arts--has been gaining momentum, yet limited research has been carried out on the efficacy of integrating the arts into mathematics courses. My experiences as the co-instructor for an activity-based course focused on projective geometry led me to consider the course as a setting for investigating both mathematical practices and arts integration. In this work, I explored the mathematical practices in which students engaged while working to develop an understanding of projective geometry through group activities. Furthermore, I explored the way in which students' learning experiences were enriched through artistic engagement in the
Challenging gender roles through STEM education in Nepal
Wallenius, Todd J.
Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education programs are currently being introduced and expanded across "developing" nations. STEM programs often conflict with hegemonic gender norms, for example by targeting girls and women in male dominated societies. However, given the cultural complexity of STEM for girls, implementing educators are rarely asked their point of view on programs from abroad. This study explored the perceptions of educators in Nepal who participated in the Girls Get STEM Skills (GGSS) program, a program funded through the U.S. Department of State for 2015/2016. The 8-month program reached 254 girls across three government schools and included the donation of 30 laptops. In August, 2016, the researcher conducted one-on-one interviews and focus groups with 18 participants at GGSS school sites in Pokhara, Nepal. Qualitative data was gathered on educators' perceptions of teacher roles, Nepal as a developing nation, gender imbalance in STEM, and the GGSS curriculum. The study argues that educators viewed educational topics through the lens of bikas, the Nepali word for development. This suggests that the principal impact of STEM programs--as part of larger development initiatives--may be the creation and reinforcement of new social meanings rather than the tangible impacts of the projects themselves.
Catapano, Michael
2013-01-01
Strong mathematical abilities are important for the continuation of a successful society. Mathematics is required and involved in all aspects of daily life: banking, communications, business, education, and travel are just a few examples. More specifically the areas of finance, engineering, architecture, and technology require individuals with…
Mathematical Creativity: Psychology, Progress and Caveats
Sriraman, Bharath
2017-01-01
The aim of this paper is to provide a concise survey of advances in the study of the psychology of creativity, with an emphasis on literature that is typically not cited in mathematics education. In spite of claims that mathematical creativity is an ill-defined area of inquiry in mathematics education, the literature from psychology can serve as…
Garibay, Juan C.
2018-01-01
Despite the importance of preparing socially responsible graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to address the current state of poverty and inequality, very few studies in higher education have examined the development of STEM students' outcomes critical to promoting a more equitable society, typically focusing on…
STEM learning activity among home-educating families
Bachman, Jennifer
2011-12-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning was studied among families in a group of home-educators in the Pacific Northwest. Ethnographic methods recorded learning activity (video, audio, fieldnotes, and artifacts) which was analyzed using a unique combination of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Mediated Action (MA), enabling analysis of activity at multiple levels. Findings indicate that STEM learning activity is family-led, guided by parents' values and goals for learning, and negotiated with children to account for learner interests and differences, and available resources. Families' STEM education practice is dynamic, evolves, and influenced by larger societal STEM learning activity. Parents actively seek support and resources for STEM learning within their home-school community, working individually and collectively to share their funds of knowledge. Home-schoolers also access a wide variety of free-choice learning resources: web-based materials, museums, libraries, and community education opportunities (e.g. afterschool, weekend and summer programs, science clubs and classes, etc.). A lesson-heuristic, grounded in Mediated Action, represents and analyzes home STEM learning activity in terms of tensions between parental goals, roles, and lesson structure. One tension observed was between 'academic' goals or school-like activity and 'lifelong' goals or everyday learning activity. Theoretical and experiential learning was found in both activity, though parents with academic goals tended to focus more on theoretical learning and those with lifelong learning goals tended to be more experiential. Examples of the National Research Council's science learning strands (NRC, 2009) were observed in the STEM practices of all these families. Findings contribute to the small but growing body of empirical CHAT research in science education, specifically to the empirical base of family STEM learning practices at home. It also fills a
Banagl, Markus
2011-01-01
The present volume grew out of the Heidelberg Knot Theory Semester, organized by the editors in winter 2008/09 at Heidelberg University. The contributed papers bring the reader up to date on the currently most actively pursued areas of mathematical knot theory and its applications in mathematical physics and cell biology. Both original research and survey articles are presented; numerous illustrations support the text. The book will be of great interest to researchers in topology, geometry, and mathematical physics, graduate students specializing in knot theory, and cell biologists interested
Alexander, Serena; Poggo, Tammy
2014-01-01
Features the complete set of answers to the exercises in Mathematics Year 5, to save you time marking work and enable you to identify areas requiring further attention. The book includes diagrams and workings where necessary, to ensure pupils understand how to present their answers. Also available from Galore Park www.galorepark.co.uk :. - Mathematics Year 5. - Mathematics Year 6. - 11+ Maths Practice Exercises. - 11+ Maths Revision Guide. - 10-Minute Maths Tests Workbook Age 8-10. - 10-Minute Maths Tests Workbook Age 9-11. - Mental Arithmetic Workbook Age 8-10. - Mental Arithmetic Workbook Ag
Relational Reasoning in STEM Domains: A Foundation for Academic Development
Alexander, Patricia A.
2017-01-01
What is relational reasoning? Why is it critical to consider the role of relational reasoning in students learning and development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Moreover, how do the particular contributions populating this special issue address the pressing societal needs and offer guidance to researchers and…
Promising Practices for Strengthening the Regional STEM Workforce Development Ecosystem
National Academies Press, 2016
2016-01-01
U.S. strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has formed the basis of innovations, technologies, and industries that have spurred the nation's economic growth throughout the last 150 years. Universities are essential to the creation and transfer of new knowledge that drives innovation. This knowledge moves…
Computational Literacy and "The Big Picture" Concerning Computers in Mathematics Education
diSessa, Andrea A.
2018-01-01
This article develops some ideas concerning the "big picture" of how using computers might fundamentally change learning, with an emphasis on mathematics (and, more generally, STEM education). I develop the big-picture model of "computation as a new literacy" in some detail and with concrete examples of sixth grade students…
An Exploration of Stem, Entrepreneurship, and Impact on Girls in an Independent Day School
Kelly, Ryan P.
The 21st century has seen a pervasive theme in STEM continue from the 20th century: women do not pursue and persist in STEM careers at anywhere near the rate of men. Furthermore, STEM education has fallen short in preparing its students to enter the workforce as entrepreneurial knowledge workers prepared to innovate. As STEM and entrepreneurship receive unprecedented attention in scholarly circles, the first purpose of this mixed methods study at an independent day school was to examine the impact of a predominately female STEEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship and mathematics) teaching staff on girls' perceptions of STEEM. The second purpose of this study was to examine the impact of adding entrepreneurship to a STEM curriculum. The ultimate goals of this study were to inform local policy and practice. Through teacher interviews, student focus groups, and a student survey, this study investigated the impact of female teachers and a recently established entrepreneurship-infused curriculum. The theory of action guiding this school is that female STEEM teachers and the inclusion of entrepreneurship skills and projects can improve girls' perceptions of the STEM classroom, helping them to view STEM as less gender-oriented (i.e., male-oriented), and thereby make these classes feel more welcoming to girls. This is aimed at increasing their adoption of STEM majors in college and STEM careers after they graduate. This study has four major findings. First, the predominantly female STEEM faculty appeared to build girls' confidence in their STEEM classes. Second, the STEEM teachers use active learning and critical thinking to engage the girls in their classes. Third, the introduction of entrepreneurship appears to have helped increase girls' interest in STEM. Last, even while discussing their efforts to increase girls' engagement with STEM, many teachers celebrate gender blindness. These findings raised a number issues that should be important
One Usage of Geogebra in Enhancing Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Content Knowledge
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Karmelita Pjanic
2015-04-01
Full Text Available A wide range of mathematical ideas could be used to develop and justify a formula for calculating the area of trapezoid. Those ideas lead to different strategies for finding out area of trapezoid that we classify in three groups: decomposing, enclosing and transforming strategies. Those strategies should be part of mathematics content knowledge for teaching. In this study we trace a change in structure of mathematics content knowledge of nine pre-service mathematics teachers as a result of using GeoGebra applets that visualize different approaches in finding out the area of trapezoid. We argue that engaging pre-service mathematics teachers to develop and justify formula for calculating the area of trapezoid using GeoGebra applets is a worth task that enhances pre-service mathematics teachers’ content knowledge for teaching. Our experiment confirmed that the use of Geogebra encourage pre-service mathematics teachers to uncover new ideas that lead them towards clearer justifications and easier way of proving formula for area of trapezoid. Keywords: Area of trapezoid, GeoGebra, content knowledge for teaching
Rising against a gathering storm: a biopolitical analysis of citizenship in STEM policy
Hoeg, Darren; Bencze, Larry
2017-12-01
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a form of education seen by many governments and educators as a preparation of the types of students needed for the future. STEM education is being developed in many countries without the support of official policy, such as is the case in Canada. In the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and a private non-profit organisation, Achieve Inc.™, have been enlisted to develop policy to guide the development on STEM nationally. Due to its influence in global politics and economy, many countries, including Canada, are interested in how the United States is preparing its citizens for the future through STEM education. In this paper we present a critical discourse analysis on STEM policy from the United States as a basis to discuss: biopolitics in science education; notions of citizenship in contemporary school education and science education; and citizenship and STEM education.
Project Kaleidoscope: Advancing What Works in Undergraduate STEM Education
Elrod, S.
2011-12-01
In 1989, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) published its first report, What Works: Building Natural Science Communities, on reforming undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. Since then, PKAL has grown into a national organization comprised of a diverse group of over 6500 STEM educators who are committed to advancing "what works." The PKAL mission is to be a national leader in catalyzing the efforts of people, institutions, organizations and networks to move from analysis to action in significantly improving undergraduate student learning and achievement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Specifically, PKAL's strategic goals are to: 1) Promote the development and wider use of evidence-based teaching, learning and assessment approaches, 2) Build individual and organizational capacity to lead change in STEM education, and 3) Engage the broader community of external stakeholders - professional and disciplinary societies, business and industry groups, accreditation organizations, educational associations, governmental agencies, philanthropic organizations - in achieving our mission. PKAL achieves these goals by serving as the nexus of an interconnected and multidisciplinary web of people, ideas, strategies, evidence and resources focused on systemic change in undergraduate STEM education. PKAL also provides resources on critical issues, such as teaching using pedagogies of engagement, and engages interested faculty, campuses and professional societies in national projects and programs focused on cutting edge issues in STEM education. One of these projects - Mobilizing Disciplinary Societies for a Sustainable Future - is engaging eleven disciplinary societies, including the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, in defining specific resources, faculty development programs and goals focused on promoting undergraduate STEM courses that: 1) provide more knowledge about real-world issues; 2) connect these real
Lopez, Carlos
background characteristics, community college experiences, university experiences, and the overall adjustment and cumulative GPA of transfer students from STEM non-engineering and engineering majors. In addition, students reported how their early experiences in science and mathematics inspired them to pursue a career in STEM. Even though students chose to go into STEM areas at the community college and university level due to prior interest, the role of academic advisors and faculty were crucial to the adjustment process. Thus, it is vital for academic advisors and faculty to assist students in researching the transfer process to four-year institutions because students need to understand why this is essential to their academic and social adjustment process. The results indicate that it is important to encourage students to interact inside and outside the classroom with other students and instructors. Also, students should become more involved in academic and social groups since these are important factors in enhancing their academic and social adjustment.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dunja Meštrović
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Service quality, students' satisfaction and their behavioural intentions are recognised as rather important aspects in higher education institution's strategy in a competitive higher education marketplace, which enable them to attract and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM and information-communication (IC study areas. This research aimed to study the relationship between service quality, students' satisfaction and behavioural intentions of STEM and IC students of the University of Rijeka Departments. Partial least squares structural equation modelling using SmartPLS 3.0 software was performed on student survey data, confirming a direct, positive and significant relationship between higher education service quality and students' satisfaction and between students' satisfaction and their behavioural intentions. According to indirect effects analysis, perceived higher education service quality has an an indirect, positive and significant impact on students' behavioural intentions through students' satisfaction. The results indicate that higher education service quality is an imperative for higher education sector. Based on the findings of this study, useful to policy makers in the services industry in general and in higher education sector in particular, improvements can be planned all service quality dimensions as a key factor to attract, educate and retain STEM and IC students in Croatia.
The influence of instructional materials on mathematics achievement ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The influence of instructional materials on mathematics achievement of senior secondary students in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, ... the ten public secondary schools in Akamkpa Local Government Area by stratified random technique, and two (2) Mathematics teachers per school for the study.
Wang, Ming-Te; Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Kenny, Sarah
2013-05-01
The pattern of gender differences in math and verbal ability may result in females having a wider choice of careers, in both science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM fields, compared with males. The current study tested whether individuals with high math and high verbal ability in 12th grade were more or less likely to choose STEM occupations than those with high math and moderate verbal ability. The 1,490 subjects participated in two waves of a national longitudinal study; one wave was when the subjects were in 12th grade, and the other was when they were 33 years old. Results revealed that mathematically capable individuals who also had high verbal skills were less likely to pursue STEM careers than were individuals who had high math skills but moderate verbal skills. One notable finding was that the group with high math and high verbal ability included more females than males.
Discrete mathematics using a computer
Hall, Cordelia
2000-01-01
Several areas of mathematics find application throughout computer science, and all students of computer science need a practical working understanding of them. These core subjects are centred on logic, sets, recursion, induction, relations and functions. The material is often called discrete mathematics, to distinguish it from the traditional topics of continuous mathematics such as integration and differential equations. The central theme of this book is the connection between computing and discrete mathematics. This connection is useful in both directions: • Mathematics is used in many branches of computer science, in applica tions including program specification, datastructures,design and analysis of algorithms, database systems, hardware design, reasoning about the correctness of implementations, and much more; • Computers can help to make the mathematics easier to learn and use, by making mathematical terms executable, making abstract concepts more concrete, and through the use of software tools su...
Mathematics teachers' knowledge of the subject content and ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This paper discusses the need of the mathematics teacher to be equipped adequately in the content areas in mathematics, vis-a-vis the recent concerns about the poor performance of students in the pre-tertiary schools, and the competence of mathematics teachers in the field. The low performance in mathematics at the ...
Examination of factors predicting secondary students' interest in tertiary STEM education
Chachashvili-Bolotin, Svetlana; Milner-Bolotin, Marina; Lissitsa, Sabina
2016-02-01
Based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the study aims to investigate factors that predict students' interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in tertiary education both in general and in relation to their gender and socio-economic background. The results of the analysis of survey responses of 2458 secondary public school students in the fifth-largest Israeli city indicate that STEM learning experience positively associates with students' interest in pursuing STEM fields in tertiary education as opposed to non-STEM fields. Moreover, studying advanced science courses at the secondary school level decreases (but does not eliminate) the gender gap and eliminates the effect of family background on students' interest in pursuing STEM fields in the future. Findings regarding outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs only partially support the SCCT model. Outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs positively correlate with students' entering tertiary education but did not differentiate between their interests in the fields of study.
Mathematical theories of distributed sensor networks
Iyengar, Sitharama S; Balakrishnan, N
2014-01-01
Mathematical Theory of Distributed Sensor Networks demonstrates how mathematical theories can be used to provide distributed sensor modeling and to solve important problems such as coverage hole detection and repair. The book introduces the mathematical and computational structure by discussing what they are, their applications and how they differ from traditional systems. The text also explains how mathematics are utilized to provide efficient techniques implementing effective coverage, deployment, transmission, data processing, signal processing, and data protection within distributed sensor networks. Finally, the authors discuss some important challenges facing mathematics to get more incite to the multidisciplinary area of distributed sensor networks.
Tools for collaboration across STEM fields
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James A. Ejiwale
2012-08-01
Full Text Available
Supporting learners at different stages of learning is essential to achieve positive learning, critical thinking, technical and problem solving skills, and gainful employment upon graduation. Collaboration is critical to providing strong foundational educational support to all learners as they advance to higher level of learning. More important is the need to promote collaboration among educators and other professionals across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM fields who educate the learners throughout their academic pursuit in their respective institutions of learning. To reap the value in diverse teams, the promotion of emergent interdependence fosters seamless collaborative activities across STEM disciplines. For industrial technology programs to prepare students with skills necessary to supervise and manage the future workforce of any organization successfully, necessary tools must be utilized for the success of the collaborative effort. This paper addresses leadership and knowledge sharing among collaborators, the educational aspects of research facilities and research clusters as some of the tools necessary to develop program through collaboration in STEM fields.
Tools for collaboration across STEM fields
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James A. Ejiwale
2012-08-01
Full Text Available Supporting learners at different stages of learning is essential to achieve positive learning, critical thinking, technical and problem solving skills, and gainful employment upon graduation. Collaboration is critical to providing strong foundational educational support to all learners as they advance to higher level of learning. More important is the need to promote collaboration among educators and other professionals across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM fields who educate the learners throughout their academic pursuit in their respective institutions of learning. To reap the value in diverse teams, the promotion of emergent interdependence fosters seamless collaborative activities across STEM disciplines. For industrial technology programs to prepare students with skills necessary to supervise and manage the future workforce of any organization successfully, necessary tools must be utilized for the success of the collaborative effort. This paper addresses leadership and knowledge sharing among collaborators, the educational aspects of research facilities and research clusters as some of the tools necessary to develop program through collaboration in STEM fields.
Continuum mechanics the birthplace of mathematical models
Allen, Myron B
2015-01-01
Continuum mechanics is a standard course in many graduate programs in engineering and applied mathematics as it provides the foundations for the various differential equations and mathematical models that are encountered in fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, and heat transfer. This book successfully makes the topic more accessible to advanced undergraduate mathematics majors by aligning the mathematical notation and language with related courses in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations; making connections with other areas of applied mathematics where parial differe
Ahlqvist, Sheana; London, Bonita; Rosenthal, Lisa
2013-09-01
Although the perceived compatibility between one's gender and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identities (gender-STEM compatibility) has been linked to women's success in STEM fields, no work to date has examined how the stability of identity over time contributes to subjective and objective STEM success. In the present study, 146 undergraduate female STEM majors rated their gender-STEM compatibility weekly during their freshman spring semester. STEM women higher in gender rejection sensitivity, or gender RS, a social-cognitive measure assessing the tendency to perceive social-identity threat, experienced larger fluctuations in gender-STEM compatibility across their second semester of college. Fluctuations in compatibility predicted impaired outcomes the following school year, including lower STEM engagement and lower academic performance in STEM (but not non-STEM) classes, and significantly mediated the relationship between gender RS and STEM engagement and achievement in the 2nd year of college. The week-to-week changes in gender-STEM compatibility occurred in response to negative academic (but not social) experiences.
Incorporating Engineering Design Challenges into STEM Courses
Householder, Daniel L.; Hailey, Christine E.
2012-01-01
Successful strategies for incorporating engineering design challenges into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in American high schools are presented in this paper. The developers have taken the position that engineering design experiences should be an important component of the high school education of all American youth. In most instances, these experiences in engineering design are infused into instruction programs in standards-based courses in science, technol...
Math Path: Encouraging Female Students in Mathematics through Project-Based Learning
Evans, Riley; Friedman, Jane; McGrath, Lynn; Myers, Perla; Ruiz, Amanda
2018-01-01
Although the number of bachelor's degrees in the U.S. awarded to women has gone up, engagement of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continues to be low. This paper presents a project-based learning program, informed by education research best practices, designed to provide research experiences to female students…
Unraveling the Double Bind: Women of Color in STEM
Harvard Educational Review, 2011
2011-01-01
In 1976, the challenges faced by women of color who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were first brought to national attention by Shirley M. Malcom, Paula Hall, and Janet Brown in a report titled "The Double Bind: The Price of Being a Minority Woman in Science." In commemoration of the 35th…
Han, Turgay
2015-01-01
This study aims at providing an insightful evaluation of the EFL strategies used by first-year STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students, and their perceptions of their own use of strategies. The 147 participants were undergraduate level, first-year engineering students at a state university in Turkey. Their ages ranged…
Using Implicit Bias Training to Improve Attitudes toward Women in STEM
Jackson, Sarah M.; Hillard, Amy L.; Schneider, Tamera R.
2014-01-01
Implicit biases can foster negative attitudes and lead to damaging stereotypical behaviors. Stereotypes can negatively affect the education, hiring, promotion, and retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study evaluated the impact of diversity training on university faculty (N=234) by assessing changes…
Applied geometry and discrete mathematics
Sturm; Gritzmann, Peter; Sturmfels, Bernd
1991-01-01
This volume, published jointly with the Association for Computing Machinery, comprises a collection of research articles celebrating the occasion of Victor Klee's sixty-fifth birthday in September 1990. During his long career, Klee has made contributions to a wide variety of areas, such as discrete and computational geometry, convexity, combinatorics, graph theory, functional analysis, mathematical programming and optimization, and theoretical computer science. In addition, Klee made important contributions to mathematics education, mathematical methods in economics and the decision sciences, applications of discrete mathematics in the biological and social sciences, and the transfer of knowledge from applied mathematics to industry. In honor of Klee's achievements, this volume presents more than forty papers on topics related to Klee's research. While the majority of the papers are research articles, a number of survey articles are also included. Mirroring the breadth of Klee's mathematical contributions, th...
Modern problems in insurance mathematics
Martin-Löf, Anders
2014-01-01
This book is a compilation of 21 papers presented at the International Cramér Symposium on Insurance Mathematics (ICSIM) held at Stockholm University in June, 2013. The book comprises selected contributions from several large research communities in modern insurance mathematics and its applications. The main topics represented in the book are modern risk theory and its applications, stochastic modelling of insurance business, new mathematical problems in life and non-life insurance, and related topics in applied and financial mathematics. The book is an original and useful source of inspiration and essential reference for a broad spectrum of theoretical and applied researchers, research students and experts from the insurance business. In this way, Modern Problems in Insurance Mathematics will contribute to the development of research and academy–industry co-operation in the area of insurance mathematics and its applications.
Reduced hematopoietic stem cell frequency predicts outcome in acute myeloid leukemia
Wang, Wenwen; Stiehl, Thomas; Raffel, Simon; Hoang, Van T.; Hoffmann, Isabel; Poisa-Beiro, Laura; Saeed, Borhan R.; Blume, Rachel; Manta, Linda; Eckstein, Volker; Bochtler, Tilmann; Wuchter, Patrick; Essers, Marieke; Jauch, Anna; Trumpp, Andreas; Marciniak-Czochra, Anna; Ho, Anthony D.; Lutz, Christoph
2017-01-01
In patients with acute myeloid leukemia and low percentages of aldehyde-dehydrogenase-positive cells, non-leukemic hematopoietic stem cells can be separated from leukemic cells. By relating hematopoietic stem cell frequencies to outcome we detected poor overall- and disease-free survival of patients with low hematopoietic stem cell frequencies. Serial analysis of matched diagnostic and follow-up samples further demonstrated that hematopoietic stem cells increased after chemotherapy in patients who achieved durable remissions. However, in patients who eventually relapsed, hematopoietic stem cell numbers decreased dramatically at the time of molecular relapse demonstrating that hematopoietic stem cell levels represent an indirect marker of minimal residual disease, which heralds leukemic relapse. Upon transplantation in immune-deficient mice cases with low percentages of hematopoietic stem cells of our cohort gave rise to leukemic or no engraftment, whereas cases with normal hematopoietic stem cell levels mostly resulted in multi-lineage engraftment. Based on our experimental data, we propose that leukemic stem cells have increased niche affinity in cases with low percentages of hematopoietic stem cells. To validate this hypothesis, we developed new mathematical models describing the dynamics of healthy and leukemic cells under different regulatory scenarios. These models suggest that the mechanism leading to decreases in hematopoietic stem cell frequencies before leukemic relapse must be based on expansion of leukemic stem cells with high niche affinity and the ability to dislodge hematopoietic stem cells. Thus, our data suggest that decreasing numbers of hematopoietic stem cells indicate leukemic stem cell persistence and the emergence of leukemic relapse. PMID:28550184
Reduced hematopoietic stem cell frequency predicts outcome in acute myeloid leukemia.
Wang, Wenwen; Stiehl, Thomas; Raffel, Simon; Hoang, Van T; Hoffmann, Isabel; Poisa-Beiro, Laura; Saeed, Borhan R; Blume, Rachel; Manta, Linda; Eckstein, Volker; Bochtler, Tilmann; Wuchter, Patrick; Essers, Marieke; Jauch, Anna; Trumpp, Andreas; Marciniak-Czochra, Anna; Ho, Anthony D; Lutz, Christoph
2017-09-01
In patients with acute myeloid leukemia and low percentages of aldehyde-dehydrogenase-positive cells, non-leukemic hematopoietic stem cells can be separated from leukemic cells. By relating hematopoietic stem cell frequencies to outcome we detected poor overall- and disease-free survival of patients with low hematopoietic stem cell frequencies. Serial analysis of matched diagnostic and follow-up samples further demonstrated that hematopoietic stem cells increased after chemotherapy in patients who achieved durable remissions. However, in patients who eventually relapsed, hematopoietic stem cell numbers decreased dramatically at the time of molecular relapse demonstrating that hematopoietic stem cell levels represent an indirect marker of minimal residual disease, which heralds leukemic relapse. Upon transplantation in immune-deficient mice cases with low percentages of hematopoietic stem cells of our cohort gave rise to leukemic or no engraftment, whereas cases with normal hematopoietic stem cell levels mostly resulted in multi-lineage engraftment. Based on our experimental data, we propose that leukemic stem cells have increased niche affinity in cases with low percentages of hematopoietic stem cells. To validate this hypothesis, we developed new mathematical models describing the dynamics of healthy and leukemic cells under different regulatory scenarios. These models suggest that the mechanism leading to decreases in hematopoietic stem cell frequencies before leukemic relapse must be based on expansion of leukemic stem cells with high niche affinity and the ability to dislodge hematopoietic stem cells. Thus, our data suggest that decreasing numbers of hematopoietic stem cells indicate leukemic stem cell persistence and the emergence of leukemic relapse. Copyright© 2017 Ferrata Storti Foundation.
Operator Semigroups meet Complex Analysis, Harmonic Analysis and Mathematical Physics
Chill, Ralph; Tomilov, Yuri
2015-01-01
This proceedings volume originates from a conference held in Herrnhut in June 2013. It provides unique insights into the power of abstract methods and techniques in dealing successfully with numerous applications stemming from classical analysis and mathematical physics. The book features diverse topics in the area of operator semigroups, including partial differential equations, martingale and Hilbert transforms, Banach and von Neumann algebras, Schrödinger operators, maximal regularity and Fourier multipliers, interpolation, operator-theoretical problems (concerning generation, perturbation and dilation, for example), and various qualitative and quantitative Tauberian theorems with a focus on transfinite induction and magics of Cantor. The last fifteen years have seen the dawn of a new era for semigroup theory with the emphasis on applications of abstract results, often unexpected and far removed from traditional ones. The aim of the conference was to bring together prominent experts in the field of modern...
A Model of Factors Contributing to STEM Learning and Career Orientation
Nugent, Gwen; Barker, Bradley; Welch, Greg; Grandgenett, Neal; Wu, ChaoRong; Nelson, Carl
2015-05-01
The purpose of this research was to develop and test a model of factors contributing to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and career orientation, examining the complex paths and relationships among social, motivational, and instructional factors underlying these outcomes for middle school youth. Social cognitive career theory provided the foundation for the research because of its emphasis on explaining mechanisms which influence both career orientations and academic performance. Key constructs investigated were youth STEM interest, self-efficacy, and career outcome expectancy (consequences of particular actions). The study also investigated the effects of prior knowledge, use of problem-solving learning strategies, and the support and influence of informal educators, family members, and peers. A structural equation model was developed, and structural equation modeling procedures were used to test proposed relationships between these constructs. Results showed that educators, peers, and family-influenced youth STEM interest, which in turn predicted their STEM self-efficacy and career outcome expectancy. STEM career orientation was fostered by youth-expected outcomes for such careers. Results suggest that students' pathways to STEM careers and learning can be largely explained by these constructs, and underscore the importance of youth STEM interest.
A First Course in Applied Mathematics
Rebaza, Jorge
2012-01-01
Explore real-world applications of selected mathematical theory, concepts, and methods Exploring related methods that can be utilized in various fields of practice from science and engineering to business, A First Course in Applied Mathematics details how applied mathematics involves predictions, interpretations, analysis, and mathematical modeling to solve real-world problems. Written at a level that is accessible to readers from a wide range of scientific and engineering fields, the book masterfully blends standard topics with modern areas of application and provides the needed foundation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
De Necochea-Campion Rosalia
2010-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract The medical use of low level laser (LLL irradiation has been occurring for decades, primarily in the area of tissue healing and inflammatory conditions. Despite little mechanistic knowledge, the concept of a non-invasive, non-thermal intervention that has the potential to modulate regenerative processes is worthy of attention when searching for novel methods of augmenting stem cell-based therapies. Here we discuss the use of LLL irradiation as a "photoceutical" for enhancing production of stem cell growth/chemoattractant factors, stimulation of angiogenesis, and directly augmenting proliferation of stem cells. The combination of LLL together with allogeneic and autologous stem cells, as well as post-mobilization directing of stem cells will be discussed.
Personalised learning spaces and federated online labs for STEM Education at School
Gillet, Dennis; de Jong, Anthonius J.M.; Sotirou, Sofoklis; Salzmann, Christophe
2013-01-01
The European Commission is funding a large-scale research project on federated online laboratories (Labs) for education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at School. The main educational focus is on inquiry learning and the main technological one is on personalized learning
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Morten Andersen
Full Text Available The chronic Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs are acquired stem cell neoplasms which ultimately may transform to acute myelogenous leukemia. Most recently, chronic inflammation has been described as an important factor for the development and progression of MPNs in the biological continuum from early cancer stage to the advanced myelofibrosis stage, the MPNs being described as "A Human Inflammation Model for Cancer Development". This novel concept has been built upon clinical, experimental, genomic, immunological and not least epidemiological studies. Only a few studies have described the development of MPNs by mathematical models, and none have addressed the role of inflammation for clonal evolution and disease progression. Herein, we aim at using mathematical modelling to substantiate the concept of chronic inflammation as an important trigger and driver of MPNs.The basics of the model describe the proliferation from stem cells to mature cells including mutations of healthy stem cells to become malignant stem cells. We include a simple inflammatory coupling coping with cell death and affecting the basic model beneath. First, we describe the system without feedbacks or regulatory interactions. Next, we introduce inflammatory feedback into the system. Finally, we include other feedbacks and regulatory interactions forming the inflammatory-MPN model. Using mathematical modeling, we add further proof to the concept that chronic inflammation may be both a trigger of clonal evolution and an important driving force for MPN disease progression. Our findings support intervention at the earliest stage of cancer development to target the malignant clone and dampen concomitant inflammation.
A mathematics sampler topics for the liberal arts
Berlinghoff, William P; Skrien, Dale
2001-01-01
Now in its fifth edition, A Mathematics Sampler presents mathematics as both science and art, focusing on the historical role of mathematics in our culture. It uses selected topics from modern mathematics-including computers, perfect numbers, and four-dimensional geometry-to exemplify the distinctive features of mathematics as an intellectual endeavor, a problem-solving tool, and a way of thinking about the rapidly changing world in which we live. A Mathematics Sampler also includes unique LINK sections throughout the book, each of which connects mathematical concepts with areas of interest th
Who Decides Higher Education Policy? MPS, VCS, STEM and HASS
Tight, Malcolm
2012-01-01
In the UK, and in many other countries, policy makers and funding bodies emphasise the importance of the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), as opposed to the HASS disciplines (humanities, arts and social sciences), in higher education. Yet an examination of the biographies of UK members of parliament (MPs)…
Ray, Tiffany Monique
of compensation in fields, religious leaders, precollege coursework in mathematics, confidence in mathematics ability, confidence in ability to be successful in mathematics in college, confidence in science ability, and confidence in ability to be successful in science in college. Non-African American females were more influenced than African American females by the precollege coursework in technology and the precollege STEM experience factors. Four themes emerged regarding the items that most influenced success in STEM for African American females: high level of compensation in the field, parents/legal guardians and family members, specific interest in the subject, and confidence in science and math ability. One theme emerged regarding the items that least influenced success in STEM majors for African American females: personal interactions with individuals excluding family members.
Mathematics of students’ culture: A goal of localized ethnomathematics
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lawrence Shirley
2015-07-01
Full Text Available Ethnomathematics is the mathematics of cultural groups, but often those cultural groups are “others” and “elsewhere”. However, it is also valuable to look inward to see the interaction of mathematics and one’s own culture. An assignment in a graduate course offers this opportunity to students. The assignment is to find an area of the student’s personal “culture” (sometimes defined rather broadly and find its use of mathematics. Students are asked to write about (a the cultural area; (b how they are personally tied to it; and (c how and where it uses mathematics. In addition to the paper, students make an oral presentation. Thus, all students learn (often surprising aspects of their classmates’ non-professional life, and the presenter digs into areas of family and heritage that may not have been reviewed before. Since all students are classroom mathematics teachers, finding their own cultural mathematics is not only enlightening for themselves, but also offers opportunities to include new mathematics applications in their teaching. This paper includes much personal background that led to this assignment and is a report on more than a decade of using it, including brief student examples.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Petr Čermák
2005-01-01
Full Text Available In the LHC Obrova noha management-plan area (Municipal Forests Prostějov, peeling and browsing damage to spruce (Picea abies caused by red deer was monitored. In total, 20 plots of an area of 25 × 25 m were monitored in stands aged 26–65 years. On the whole, 56% of 1561 trees were damaged by peeling and browsing, 82% of the damaged trees were attacked by Stereum sanguinolentum (Alb. et Schw.: Fr. Fr. Trees in the 3rd age class affected by rot show the highest proportion, viz 92% trees damaged by peeling. In the plots, in total 90 sample trees with the presence of rot were cut down. Peeling damage happened 6 to 41 years ago. The rot affected 10 to 94% of the sample tree stem volume (on average 39%. The volume of devalued wood is in positive correlation with a time elapsed after peeling damage (r = 0.683. The rot spread vertically through the tree stem by an average speed of 10.5 cm.year– 1 (from 1.3 to 28.1 cm.year–1. The progress rate negatively correlated with a period elapsed after the stem damage (r = –0.723.
Do Biology Majors Really Differ from Non–STEM Majors?
Cotner, Sehoya; Thompson, Seth; Wright, Robin
2017-01-01
Recent calls to action urge sweeping reform in science education, advocating for improved learning for all students—including those majoring in fields beyond the sciences. However, little work has been done to characterize the differences—if any exist—between students planning a career in science and those studying other disciplines. We describe an attempt to clarify, in broad terms, how non–STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors differ from life sciences majors, and how they are similar. Using survey responses and institutional data, we find that non–STEM majors are not unilaterally science averse; non–STEM majors are more likely than biology majors to hold misconceptions about the nature of science, yet they are not completely ignorant of how science works; non–STEM majors are less likely than biology majors to see science as personally relevant; and non–STEM majors populations are likely to be more diverse—with respect to incoming knowledge, perceptions, backgrounds, and skills—than a biology majors population. We encourage science educators to consider these characteristics when designing curricula for future scientists or simply for a well-informed citizenry. PMID:28798210
International Conference on Advances in Applied Mathematics
Hammami, Mohamed; Masmoudi, Afif
2015-01-01
This contributed volume presents some recent theoretical advances in mathematics and its applications in various areas of science and technology. Written by internationally recognized scientists and researchers, the chapters in this book are based on talks given at the International Conference on Advances in Applied Mathematics (ICAAM), which took place December 16-19, 2013, in Hammamet, Tunisia. Topics discussed at the conference included spectral theory, operator theory, optimization, numerical analysis, ordinary and partial differential equations, dynamical systems, control theory, probability, and statistics. These proceedings aim to foster and develop further growth in all areas of applied mathematics.
Understanding Mathematics: Some Key Factors
Ali, Asma Amanat; Reid, Norman
2012-01-01
Mathematics is well known as a subject area where there can be problems in terms of understanding as well as retaining positive attitudes. In a large study involving 813 school students (ages approximately 10-12) drawn from two different school systems in Pakistan, the effect of limited working memory capacity on performance in mathematics was…
Integrated STEM: Focus on Informal Education and Community Collaboration through Engineering
Burrows, Andrea; Lockwood, Meghan; Borowczak, Mike; Janak, Edward; Barber, Brian
2018-01-01
This article showcases STEM as an interdisciplinary field in which the disciplines strengthen and support each other (not as separate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines). The authors focus on an open-ended, complex problem--water quality--as the primary teaching and learning task. The participants, middle school female…
Latino Faculty in STEM Disciplines: Motivation to Engage in Research Activities
Lechuga, Vicente M.
2012-01-01
The scarcity of underrepresented faculty members in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is an issue of great concern to education researchers and scholars alike. Despite their low representation, many minority faculty are able to remain motivated, even when facing barriers due to their ethnicity. I present…
Sapwood area as an estimator of leaf area and foliar weight in cherrybark oak and green ash
James S. Meadows; John D. Hodges
2002-01-01
The relationships between foliar weight/leaf area and four stem dimensions (d.b.h., total stem cross-sectional area, total sapwood area, and current sapwood area at breast height) were investigated in two important bottomland tree species of the Southern United States, cherrybark oak (Quercus falcata var. pagodifolia ...
Women's Self-Efficacy Perceptions in Mathematics and Science: Investigating USC-MESA Students
Hong, Rebecca C.; Jun, Alexander
2012-01-01
Higher education institutions have struggled with the underrepresentation of female students in the STEM majors. The authors investigate the USC-MESA program and the role of women's self-efficacy perceptions in mathematics and science. It is crucial to understand the theory of self-efficacy in examining historically underrepresented populations in…
What Motivates Females and Males to Pursue Careers in Mathematics and Science?
Eccles, Jacquelynne S.; Wang, Ming-Te
2016-01-01
Drawing on Eccles' expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices, we examined the personal aptitudes and motivational beliefs at 12th grade that move individuals toward or away from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations at age 29. In the first set of analyses, occupational and lifestyle values, math ability…
Pathways to Excellence Scholarship Program for women in STEM fields
di Rienzi, Joseph
2013-03-01
Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) has an NSF S-STEM grant, Pathways to Excellence, that gives 10 scholarships annually to academically talented women undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing degrees in mathematics, physics, computer information systems, or engineering. NDMU has been cited (Whitten, et al. (2007)) as providing a female friendly environment for the study of physics. In this program we are using a tri-part mentoring system involving a faculty member in the student's discipline, a peer mentor from the program and an external alumnae mentor. The program also has a thematic seminar course for the scholars. Each student in the program is tasked to construct a career development plan in assistance with her faculty mentor and set measured annual goals. In addition, all scholarship students are requested to have an experiential experience. As a result, NDMU aims to strengthen its role in increasing the numbers of well-educated and skilled women employees from diverse backgrounds, including mostly first-generation college students, in technical and scientific areas. Early assessment of the success of the program will be presented as well as modifications that resulted from the formative evaluation. This program is funded by a National Science Foundation S-STEM grant which is not responsible for its content.
Systems Biology and Stem Cell Pluripotency
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mashayekhi, Kaveh; Hall, Vanessa Jane; Freude, Kristine
2016-01-01
Recent breakthroughs in stem cell biology have accelerated research in the area of regenerative medicine. Over the past years, it has become possible to derive patient-specific stem cells which can be used to generate different cell populations for potential cell therapy. Systems biological...... modeling of stem cell pluripotency and differentiation have largely been based on prior knowledge of signaling pathways, gene regulatory networks, and epigenetic factors. However, there is a great need to extend the complexity of the modeling and to integrate different types of data, which would further...... improve systems biology and its uses in the field. In this chapter, we first give a general background on stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Stem cell potency is introduced together with the hierarchy of stem cells ranging from pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem...
Canuto, Claudio
2015-01-01
The purpose of the volume is to provide a support textbook for a second lecture course on Mathematical Analysis. The contents are organised to suit, in particular, students of Engineering, Computer Science and Physics, all areas in which mathematical tools play a crucial role. The basic notions and methods concerning integral and differential calculus for multivariable functions, series of functions and ordinary differential equations are presented in a manner that elicits critical reading and prompts a hands-on approach to concrete applications. The pedagogical layout echoes the one used in the companion text Mathematical Analysis I. The book’s structure has a specifically-designed modular nature, which allows for great flexibility in the preparation of a lecture course on Mathematical Analysis. The style privileges clarity in the exposition and a linear progression through the theory. The material is organised on two levels. The first, reflected in this book, allows students to grasp the essential ideas, ...
Alexander Nealy, Yolande Kristine
This study examined factors that contribute to the success of African American professionals in STEM careers. Data were collected through a survey from 40 participants and in-depth interviews with eight of them. The survey was used to explore the participants' educational experiences from elementary school through college and on their STEM-related careers, whereas the individual interviews were used to gain insights into their perspectives as STEM professionals. The results of this study indicate that most of these African American STEM professionals attributed their choice of a STEM career to early exposure to and positive experiences in science and mathematics mediated by teachers and/or parents. Furthermore, the positive experiences and success in science and mathematics continued in high school and college, further solidifying their choice of a STEM career. However, for almost half of the participants, attending a HBCU seems to have played an important role in their enjoyment of and success in a STEM major. HBCUs provided them with role models and the necessary support and encouragement to succeed in their pursuit of a STEM degree. The results of this study illustrate the various factors that play a role in preventing leakage in the minority STEM pipeline: K-12 experiences mediated by parents and teachers; support systems in college and the workplace mediated by counselors, professors, peers, and administrators; and policies that facilitate integration and the development of such support systems. This study contributes to the current body of knowledge on minorities in STEM by focusing on what works, instead of focusing on the deficit model and what does not work. It is hoped that these results help validate the efforts of those who work towards a more equitable representation of the STEM fields.
Attracting STEM talent: do STEM students prefer traditional or work/life-interaction labs?
DeFraine, William C; Williams, Wendy M; Ceci, Stephen J
2014-01-01
The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view - lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM
Environmental Print Activities for Teaching Mathematics and Content Areas.
Rule, Audrey C., Ed.; McIntyre, Sandra, Ed.; Ranous, Meg, Ed.
Twenty-three mathematics activities that use environmental print materials are presented, along with two activities that focus on music education, one that highlights history concepts, and five science activities. The environmental print materials are words and images cut from food or other product packaging and mounted on mat board cards.…
O'Brien, Laurie T.; Garcia, Donna M.; Adams, Glenn; Villalobos, J. Guillermo; Hammer, Elliott; Gilbert, Patricia
2015-01-01
Social identity threat has negative consequences for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The present study examined whether legitimacy beliefs--beliefs that status differences between men and women in STEM fields are fair--put women at risk for experiencing social identity threat and poorer performance on a…
Using Inquiry-Based Strategies for Enhancing Students' STEM Education Learning
Lai, Ching-San
2018-01-01
The major purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the inquiry-based method is effective in improving students' learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A total of 73 college students studying Information Technology (IT) were chosen as…
The functions of mathematical physics
Hochstadt, Harry
2012-01-01
A modern classic, this clearly written, incisive textbook provides a comprehensive, detailed survey of the functions of mathematical physics, a field of study straddling the somewhat artificial boundary between pure and applied mathematics.In the 18th and 19th centuries, the theorists who devoted themselves to this field - pioneers such as Gauss, Euler, Fourier, Legendre, and Bessel - were searching for mathematical solutions to physical problems. Today, although most of the functions have practical applications, in areas ranging from the quantum-theoretical model of the atom to the vibrating
Problem solving through recreational mathematics
Averbach, Bonnie
1999-01-01
Historically, many of the most important mathematical concepts arose from problems that were recreational in origin. This book takes advantage of that fact, using recreational mathematics - problems, puzzles and games - to teach students how to think critically. Encouraging active participation rather than just observation, the book focuses less on mathematical results than on how these results can be applied to thinking about problems and solving them. Each chapter contains a diverse array of problems in such areas as logic, number and graph theory, two-player games of strategy, solitaire ga
Conditions for the Effectiveness of Multiple Visual Representations in Enhancing STEM Learning
Rau, Martina A.
2017-01-01
Visual representations play a critical role in enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. Educational psychology research shows that adding visual representations to text can enhance students' learning of content knowledge, compared to text-only. But should students learn with a single type of visual…
Examining Department Climate for Women in Engineering: The Role of STEM Interventions
Rincón, Blanca E.; George-Jackson, Casey E.
2016-01-01
Women comprise over half of the total undergraduate population in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2014), yet remain underrepresented in a number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (National Science Foundation [NSF], 2014). Although women have steadily increased their representation in…
The Burden of Being "Model": Racialized Experiences of Asian STEM College Students
McGee, Ebony O.; Thakore, Bhoomi K.; LaBlance, Sandra S.
2017-01-01
This qualitative study used narrative methodology to investigate what becoming a scientist or engineer entails for Asian and Asian American college students stereotyped as "model minorities." We present the narratives of 23 high-achieving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college students who self-identified as…
STEM Education Policies and Their Impact on the Labour Market in Latvia
Kiselova, Rita; Gravite, Aija
2017-01-01
This paper explores the results of implementing the state education policy aimed at satisfying the labour market demand for engineering and medicine specialists via strengthening STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education both in schools and higher education. [For the complete Volume 15 proceedings, see ED574185.
Smyrnova-Trybulska, Eugenia; Morze, Nataliia; Kommers, Piet; Zuziak, Wojciech; Gladun, Mariia
2017-01-01
Purpose: This paper aims to discuss issues related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. It is emphasized that the need to prepare students with twenty-first-century skills through STEM-related teaching is strong, especially at the elementary level. The authors present selected previous experiences, publications,…
Wang, Hui-Hui
Quality STEM education is the key in helping the United States maintain its lead in global competitiveness and in preparing for new economic and security challenges in the future. Policymakers and professional societies emphasize STEM education by legislating the addition of engineering standards to the existing science standards. On the other hand, the nature of the work of most STEM professionals requires people to actively apply STEM knowledge to make critical decisions. Therefore, using an integrated approach to teaching STEM in K-12 is expected. However, science teachers encounter numerous difficulties in adapting the new STEM integration reforms into their classrooms because of a lack of knowledge and experience. Therefore, high quality STEM integration professional development programs are an urgent necessity. In order to provide these high quality programs, it is important to understand teachers' perceptions and classroom practices regarding STEM integration. A multiple-case study was conducted with five secondary school science teachers in order to gain a better understanding of teachers' perceptions and classroom practices in using STEM integration. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) What are secondary school science teachers' practices of STEM integration? 2) What are secondary science teachers' overall perceptions of STEM integration? and 3) What is the connection between secondary science teachers' perceptions and understanding of STEM integration with their classroom practices? This research aims to explore teachers' perceptions and classroom practices in order to set up the baseline for STEM integration and also to determine STEM integration professional development best practices in science education. Findings from the study provide critical data for making informed decision about the direction for STEM integration in science education in K-12.
Some Applications of Mathematics for the Biology Classroom
Horton, Robert M.; Leonard, William H.
2013-01-01
Biology and mathematics are inextricably linked. In this article, we show a few of the many areas in which this linkage might be made explicit. By doing so, teachers can deepen students' understanding and appreciation of both subjects. In this article, we explore some of these areas, providing brief explanations of the mathematics and some of the…
Hartimo, Mirja
2010-01-01
During Edmund Husserl,s lifetime, modern logic and mathematics rapidly developed toward their current outlook and Husserl,s writings can be fruitfully compared and contrasted with both 19th century figures (Boole, Schroder, Weierstrass) as well as the 20th century characters (Heyting, Zermelo, Godel). Besides the more historical studies, the internal ones on Husserl alone and the external ones attempting to clarify his role in the more general context of the developing mathematics and logic, Husserl,s phenomenology offers also a systematically rich but little researched area of investigation.
Outcomes for engineering students delivering a STEM education and outreach programme
Fitzallen, Noleine; Brown, Natalie Ruth
2017-11-01
University science outreach programmes are used to encourage more school students to select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in further education and pursue science-related careers. The benefits of science outreach programmes are often espoused from the perspective of programme participants. Little attention, however, is given to what university students delivering the programmes gain from the experience. This paper seeks to illustrate the benefits of engineering students delivering STEM outreach programmes in schools. It reports on a qualitative case study of the experiences of two STEM Education and Outreach team members from a regional university in Australia. Content analysis of interview data highlighted not only the participants' motivations and perceived benefits of being involved in the STEM programme but also revealed the skills and attributes honed throughout the experience. Involvement in the STEM outreach programme resulted in the development of social and personal responsibility generic graduate attribute skills, evidenced through their motivations to be involved, the demonstration of understanding of teaching and learning, and application of science communication skills. This study demonstrates that designing and delivering STEM outreach programmes assists in the development of skills that will be beneficial when pursuing careers in engineering in the future.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mario Castillo-Sánchez
2016-01-01
Full Text Available This article describes the academic performance of students from urban and distant areas in the national mathematics test corresponding to the completion of secondary education, considering the specific test and according to the different types of schools: daytime (daytime scientific, daytime humanistic, nighttime, technical or integrated centers for education of young people and adults (CINDEA, in its Spanish acronym. The main objective is to describe the students academic performance in the national mathematics test issued to complete high-school level, for the year 2013 and according to the country educational areas. For the analysis of such information, the main source used was the High-School Education National Report, issued by the Ministry of Public Education for 2013 standardized tests. One of the conclusions from this study is the need to carry out a historical analysis of the performance of educational institutions which have recently obtained the highest and lowest average grades in the high-school diploma tests, in order to be able to delve into the causes of those performances.
Tillman, Daniel
The purpose of this three-paper manuscript dissertation was to study digital fabrication as an instructional technology for supporting elementary and middle school science and mathematics education. Article one analyzed the effects of digital fabrication activities that were designed to contextualize mathematics education at a summer mathematics enrichment program for upper elementary and middle school students. The primary dependent variables studied were the participants' knowledge of mathematics and science content, attitudes towards STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and STEM-related careers. Based upon the data collected, three results were presented as having justifiable supporting empirical evidence: (1) The digital fabrication activities, combined with the other mathematics activities at the enrichment program, resulted in non-significant overall gains in students' mathematics test scores and attitudes towards STEM. (2) The digital fabrication activities, combined with the other mathematics activities at the enrichment program, resulted in noteworthy gains on the "Probability & Statistics" questions. (3) Some students who did poorly on the scored paper test on mathematics and science content were nonetheless nominated by their teachers as demonstrating meritorious distinction during the digital fabrication activities (termed "Great Thinkers" by the 5th-grade teachers). Article two focused on how an instructional technology course featuring digital fabrication activities impacted (1) preservice elementary teachers' efficacy beliefs about teaching science, and (2) their attitudes and understanding of how to include instructional technology and digital fabrication activities into teaching science. The research design compared two sections of a teaching with technology course featuring digital fabrication activities to another section of the same course that utilized a media cycle framework (Bull & Bell, 2005) that did not feature digital
Bone regeneration and stem cells
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Arvidson, K; Abdallah, B M; Applegate, L A
2011-01-01
cells, use of platelet rich plasma for tissue repair, osteogenesis and its molecular markers. A variety of cells in addition to stem cells, as well as advances in materials science to meet specific requirements for bone and soft tissue regeneration by addition of bioactive molecules, are discussed.......This invited review covers research areas of central importance for orthopedic and maxillofacial bone tissue repair, including normal fracture healing and healing problems, biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering, mesenchymal and fetal stem cells, effects of sex steroids on mesenchymal stem...
Scott, George A.
2012-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs help to enhance the nation's global competitiveness. Many federal agencies have been involved in administering these programs. Concerns have been raised about the overall effectiveness and efficiency of STEM education programs. GAO examined (1) the number of federal…
Investigating students' view on STEM in learning about electrical current through STS approach
Tupsai, Jiraporn; Yuenyong, Chokchai
2018-01-01
This study aims to investigate Grade 11 students' views on Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) with the integration of learning about electrical current based on Science Technology Society (STS) approach [8]. The participants were 60 Grade 11 students in Demonstration Secondary School, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. The methodology is in the respect of interpretive paradigm. The teaching and learning about Electrical Current through STS approach carried out over 6 weeks. The Electrical Current unit through STS approach was developed based on framework[8] that consists of five stages including (1) identification of social issues, (2) identification of potential solutions, (3) need for knowledge, (4) decision making, and (5) socialization stage. To start with, the question "what if this world is lack of electricity" was challenged in the class in order to move students to find the problem of how to design Electricity Generation from Clean Energy. Students were expected to apply scientific and other knowledge to design of Electricity Generation. Students' views on STEM were collected during their learning by participant' observation and students' tasks. Their views on STEM were categorized when they applied their knowledge for designing the Electricity Generation. The findings indicated that students cooperatively work to solve the problem when applying knowledge about the content of Science and Mathematics and processing skill of Technology and Engineering. It showed that students held the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to design their possible solutions in learning about Electrical Current. The paper also discusses implications for science teaching and learning through STS in Thailand.
2014-05-01
towards cloud computing technologies and capabilities demand needs for developing new tools that work in ensemble to handle security challenges. A...programs with the schools and/or hire from their pool of students. Therefore, no real STEM standards exist at the tertiary and beyond levels of education ...successful in cyber operations and network security related jobs much early on into the new STEM education model pipeline. Subjects such as computer
Engaging Girls in STEM: A Discussion of Foundational and Current Research on What Works
Peterson, K.; Jesse, J.; Migus, L. H.
2012-08-01
Diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers occupies center stage in national discussions on U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century. Women constitute roughly half the total workforce in the U.S., but they hold just 25% of mathematical and science jobs and 11% of engineering jobs. Women earn nearly 60% of all bachelors and masters degrees, except in physics, computer science, and engineering, where the percentages are 20-25%. This disparity is even more pronounced at the doctoral level, where women earn fewer than 20% of awarded Ph.D.'s in physics or engineering. However, at the high school level, there is far less gender disparity: both female and male students take comparable advanced physical science and math courses. What, then, accounts for the lack of gender diversity in STEM advanced education and career paths? In fact, there is no consensus even among experts. So, what information and strategies do the EPO community need to know and include as part of designing and implementing programs to encourage more girls and women to engage in STEM for the long term? The panelists will discuss foundational and current research on pressing questions on why these trends exist and what can be done to change them. They will highlight research and evaluation results from programs that are successfully engaging girls in STEM.
Mathematical models in marketing a collection of abstracts
Funke, Ursula H
1976-01-01
Mathematical models can be classified in a number of ways, e.g., static and dynamic; deterministic and stochastic; linear and nonlinear; individual and aggregate; descriptive, predictive, and normative; according to the mathematical technique applied or according to the problem area in which they are used. In marketing, the level of sophistication of the mathe matical models varies considerably, so that a nurnber of models will be meaningful to a marketing specialist without an extensive mathematical background. To make it easier for the nontechnical user we have chosen to classify the models included in this collection according to the major marketing problem areas in which they are applied. Since the emphasis lies on mathematical models, we shall not as a rule present statistical models, flow chart models, computer models, or the empirical testing aspects of these theories. We have also excluded competitive bidding, inventory and transportation models since these areas do not form the core of ·the market...
Special Educators and Mathematics Phobia: An Initial Qualitative Investigation
Humphrey, Michael; Hourcade, Jack J.
2010-01-01
Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, because students in their caseloads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits…
Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum, 2012
2012-01-01
In 2009-10 a series of Workshops was organized to focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning design for young students and adolescents. The objective was to provide visionary leadership to the education community by: (a) identifying and analyzing the needs and opportunities for future STEM curriculum development and…
Professional Development for the Integration of Engineering in High School STEM Classrooms
Singer, Jonathan E.; Ross, Julia M.; Jackson-Lee, Yvette
2016-01-01
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. is in transition. The recently published "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" as well as the "Next Generation Science Standards" are responsive to this call and clearly articulate a vision that…
Evaluation in STEM Online Graduate Degree Programs in Agricultural Sciences and Engineering
Downs, Holly A.
2014-01-01
Demands for online graduate degrees have increased pressure on universities to launch web degrees quickly and, at times, without attending to their quality. Scarce research exists identifying what evaluation activities are being done by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) online graduate degree programs that are accustomed to…
Psychology of Working Narratives of STEM Career Exploration for Non-Dominant Youth
Mark, Sheron L.
2016-01-01
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a domain of knowledge, skills, and practices that is pervasive and of critical importance in our highly technological, rapidly advancing, and increasingly connected world; however, non-dominant youth, namely from non-White, lower-income, non-English-speaking, and immigrant backgrounds,…
Gender Equity Issues in CTE and STEM Education: Economic and Social Implications
Toglia, Thomas V.
2013-01-01
Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 has significant implications for gender equity in career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs--and the relatively low number of women and girls pursuing nontraditional careers has significant economic and social implications. From an…
Multi-Role Project (MRP): A New Project-Based Learning Method for STEM
Warin, Bruno; Talbi, Omar; Kolski, Christophe; Hoogstoel, Frédéric
2016-01-01
This paper presents the "Multi-Role Project" method (MRP), a broadly applicable project-based learning method, and describes its implementation and evaluation in the context of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) course. The MRP method is designed around a meta-principle that considers the project learning activity…
Stem Cell Niches in Glioblastoma: A Neuropathological View
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Davide Schiffer
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Glioblastoma (GBM stem cells (GSCs, responsible for tumor growth, recurrence, and resistance to therapies, are considered the real therapeutic target, if they had no molecular mechanisms of resistance, in comparison with the mass of more differentiated cells which are insensitive to therapies just because of being differentiated and nonproliferating. GSCs occur in tumor niches where both stemness status and angiogenesis are conditioned by the microenvironment. In both perivascular and perinecrotic niches, hypoxia plays a fundamental role. Fifteen glioblastomas have been studied by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence for stemness and differentiation antigens. It has been found that circumscribed necroses develop inside hyperproliferating areas that are characterized by high expression of stemness antigens. Necrosis developed inside them because of the imbalance between the proliferation of tumor cells and endothelial cells; it reduces the number of GSCs to a thin ring around the former hyperproliferating area. The perinecrotic GSCs are nothing else that the survivors remnants of those populating hyperproliferating areas. In the tumor, GSCs coincide with malignant areas so that the need to detect where they are located is not so urgent.
Mathematical omnibus thirty lectures on classic mathematics
Fuchs, Dmitry; Fuchs, Dmitry
2007-01-01
The book consists of thirty lectures on diverse topics, covering much of the mathematical landscape rather than focusing on one area. The reader will learn numerous results that often belong to neither the standard undergraduate nor graduate curriculum and will discover connections between classical and contemporary ideas in algebra, combinatorics, geometry, and topology. The reader's effort will be rewarded in seeing the harmony of each subject. The common thread in the selected subjects is their illustration of the unity and beauty of mathematics. Most lectures contain exercises, and solutions or answers are given to selected exercises. A special feature of the book is an abundance of drawings (more than four hundred), artwork by an accomplished artist, and about a hundred portraits of mathematicians. Almost every lecture contains surprises for even the seasoned researcher.
Development of a Multidisciplinary Middle School Mathematics Infusion Model
Russo, Maria; Hecht, Deborah; Burghardt, M. David; Hacker, Michael; Saxman, Laura
2011-01-01
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project "Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership" (MSTP) developed a multidisciplinary instructional model for connecting mathematics to science, technology and engineering content areas at the middle school level. Specifically, the model infused mathematics into middle school curriculum…
Exploration of student's creativity by integrating STEM knowledge into creative products
Mayasari, Tantri; Kadarohman, Asep; Rusdiana, Dadi; Kaniawati, Ida
2016-02-01
Creativity is an important capability that should be held to competitive standards in the 21st century in entering the era of information and knowledge. It requires a creative generation that is able to innovate to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex future. This study examines the student's creativity level by integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) knowledge to make creative products in renewable energy (solar energy). Total respondents in this study were 29 students who take applied science course. This research used qualitative and quantitative method (mixed methods), and used "4P" dimension of creativity to assess student's creativity level. The result showed a creative product is influenced by STEM knowledge that can support student's creativity while collaborating an application of knowledge, skills, and ability to solve daily problems associated with STEM.
Kovarik, Dina N.; Patterson, Davis G.; Cohen, Carolyn; Sanders, Elizabeth A.; Peterson, Karen A.; Porter, Sandra G.; Chowning, Jeanne Ting
2013-01-01
We investigated the effects of our Bio-ITEST teacher professional development model and bioinformatics curricula on cognitive traits (awareness, engagement, self-efficacy, and relevance) in high school teachers and students that are known to accompany a developing interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. The…
Chun, Katie; Harris, Erin
2011-01-01
Increasing interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has become part of education reform efforts in recent years in order to prepare students for the challenges of the twenty-first century global economy. Out-of-school time (OST) programs that focus on girls' involvement in STEM can play an essential role in improving…
Mumcu, Hayal Yavuz
2016-01-01
The purpose of this theoretical study is to explore the relationships between the concepts of using mathematics in the daily life, mathematical applications, mathematical modelling, and mathematical literacy. As these concepts are generally taken as independent concepts in the related literature, they are confused with each other and it becomes…
Hayward, Jacob B.
This qualitative study investigated teachers' understanding of their definition of I-STEM (Integrated STEM education), how those understandings manifested into lessons and associated lesson artifacts, how they assessed students in such lessons, and what factors or rationales supported their ability to conduct or not conduct I-STEM lessons. A survey was sent to the members of four professional organizations representing I-STEM disciplines to solicit their participation in this project. Ten teachers ranging from grades 9-12 participated in this study. Of those who responded, six teachers identified with National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), three teachers selected International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA), and one teacher claimed International STEM Education Association (ISEA). No teachers identified with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In addition to surveys, data were collected using interviews, email responses, and a review of lesson artifacts. Three distinct factors emerged from this study. First, there was a lack of consistency among I-STEM disciplines, then, assessments of students was predominately focused on soft-skills, and finally, several participants shared three characteristics that seemed to define experiences for conducting what they believed were I-STEM lessons. Additionally teachers emphasized factors effecting implementation of I-STEM describing rationales enabling participants' to implement I-STEM lessons. Responses provided insight and revealed how teachers understood I-STEM definition, how they interpreted integration of the disciplines, and "why" they conducted I-STEM lessons. The majority of participants implemented I-STEM in the absence of an official school/district definition. Assessments provided interesting results in this study. The majority of participants identified expected outcomes or products based on their I-STEM definition and in their responses. However, the rubrics submitted
Research trends in mathematics teacher education
Lo, Jane-Jane; Zoest, Laura RVan
2014-01-01
Research on the preparation and continued development of mathematics teachers is becoming an increasingly important subset of mathematics education research. Such research explores the attributes, knowledge, skills and beliefs of mathematics teachers as well as methods for assessing and developing these critical aspects of teachers and influences on teaching.Research Trends in Mathematics Teacher Education focuses on three major themes in current mathematics teacher education research: mathematical knowledge for teaching, teacher beliefs and identities, and tools and techniques to support teacher learning. Through careful reports of individual research studies and cross-study syntheses of the state of research in these areas, the book provides insights into teachers' learning processes and how these processes can be harnessed to develop effective teachers. Chapters investigate bedrock skills needed for working with primary and secondary learners (writing relevant problems, planning lessons, being attentive to...
Handbook of mathematical methods in imaging
2015-01-01
The Handbook of Mathematical Methods in Imaging provides a comprehensive treatment of the mathematical techniques used in imaging science. The material is grouped into two central themes, namely, Inverse Problems (Algorithmic Reconstruction) and Signal and Image Processing. Each section within the themes covers applications (modeling), mathematics, numerical methods (using a case example) and open questions. Written by experts in the area, the presentation is mathematically rigorous. This expanded and revised second edition contains updates to existing chapters and 16 additional entries on important mathematical methods such as graph cuts, morphology, discrete geometry, PDEs, conformal methods, to name a few. The entries are cross-referenced for easy navigation through connected topics. Available in both print and electronic forms, the handbook is enhanced by more than 200 illustrations and an extended bibliography. It will benefit students, scientists and researchers in applied mathematics. Engineers and com...
Snead-McDaniel, Kimberly
An expanding ethnicity gap exists in the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in the United States. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering revealed that the number of minorities pursuing STEM degrees and careers has declined over the past few years. The specific origins of this trend are not quite evident; one variable to consider is that undergraduate minority students are failing in STEM disciplines at various levels of education from elementary to postsecondary. The failure of female and minority students to enter STEM disciplines in higher education have led various initiatives to establish programs to promote STEM disciplines among these groups. Additional funding for minority STEM programs have led to a increase in undergraduate minority students entering STEM disciplines, but the minority students' graduation rate in STEM disciplines is approximately 7% lower than the graduation of nonminority students in STEM disciplines. This phenomenological qualitative research study explores the lived experiences of underrepresented minority undergraduate college students participating in an undergraduate minority-mentoring program. The following nine themes emerged from the study: (a) competitiveness, (b) public perception, (c) dedication, (d) self-perception, (e) program activities, (f) time management, (g) exposure to career and graduate opportunities, (h) rigor in the curriculum, and (i) peer mentoring. The themes provided answers and outcomes to better support a stronger minority representation in STEM disciplines.
Mathematical Footprints Discovering Mathematics Everywhere
Pappas, Theoni
1999-01-01
MATHEMATICAL FOOTPRINTS takes a creative look at the role mathematics has played since prehistoric times, and will play in the future, and uncovers mathematics where you least expect to find it from its many uses in medicine, the sciences, and its appearance in art to its patterns in nature and its central role in the development of computers. Pappas presents mathematical ideas in a readable non-threatening manner. MATHEMATICAL FOOTPRINTS is another gem by the creator of THE MATHEMATICS CALENDAR and author of THE JOY OF MATHEMATICS. "Pappas's books have been gold mines of mathematical ent
Bone regeneration and stem cells
Arvidson, K; Abdallah, B M; Applegate, L A; Baldini, N; Cenni, E; Gomez-Barrena, E; Granchi, D; Kassem, M; Konttinen, Y T; Mustafa, K; Pioletti, D P; Sillat, T; Finne-Wistrand, A
2011-01-01
Abstract This invited review covers research areas of central importance for orthopaedic and maxillofacial bone tissue repair, including normal fracture healing and healing problems, biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering, mesenchymal and foetal stem cells, effects of sex steroids on mesenchymal stem cells, use of platelet-rich plasma for tissue repair, osteogenesis and its molecular markers. A variety of cells in addition to stem cells, as well as advances in materials science to meet specific requirements for bone and soft tissue regeneration by addition of bioactive molecules, are discussed. PMID:21129153
Investigating Declining Enrolments in Secondary Mathematics
Hine, Gregory
2016-01-01
This research paper examines the perspective of the Heads of Learning Area: Mathematics (HOLAMs) within all Western Australian secondary schools as to why they felt capable students were not enrolling in the two higher-level mathematics courses of study. All HOLAMs were invited to participate in a single, anonymous online survey comprising…
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gruzdev, G P; Monichev, A Ya
1975-01-01
A mathematical model of regulation of the rate of multiplication of the stem cells of the bone marrow has been constructed and investigated. Two possible variants of regulation of the proliferative activity of the irradiated stem cells are compared: at the level of tissue and subtissue units. Comparison of the results of modeling with the results of experimental investigations supports the latter mechanism of regulation of the proliferation of the stem cells.
Noncommutative mathematics for quantum systems
Franz, Uwe
2016-01-01
Noncommutative mathematics is a significant new trend of mathematics. Initially motivated by the development of quantum physics, the idea of 'making theory noncommutative' has been extended to many areas of pure and applied mathematics. This book is divided into two parts. The first part provides an introduction to quantum probability, focusing on the notion of independence in quantum probability and on the theory of quantum stochastic processes with independent and stationary increments. The second part provides an introduction to quantum dynamical systems, discussing analogies with fundamental problems studied in classical dynamics. The desire to build an extension of the classical theory provides new, original ways to understand well-known 'commutative' results. On the other hand the richness of the quantum mathematical world presents completely novel phenomena, never encountered in the classical setting. This book will be useful to students and researchers in noncommutative probability, mathematical physi...
Bayer Corporation
2012-06-01
Diversity and the underrepresentation of women, African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians in the nation's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are the subjects of the XV: A View from the Gatekeepers—STEM Department Chairs at America's Top 200 Research Universities on Female and Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate STEM Students. Annual public opinion research project commissioned by Bayer Corporation, the Bayer Facts surveys examine science education and science literacy issues. The 15th in the series and the fifth to explore diversity and underrepresentation, this research is a direct outgrowth of last year's results which found 40 percent of the country's female and underrepresented minority (URM) chemists and chemical engineers working today were discouraged from pursuing their STEM career at some point in their lives. US colleges were cited as places where this discouragement most often happened and college professors as the individuals most likely responsible. Does such discouragement still occur in American colleges today? To answer this and other questions about the undergraduate environment in which today's students make their career decisions, the survey polls 413 STEM department chairs at the nation's 200 top research universities and those that produce the highest proportion of female and URM STEM graduates. The survey also asks the chairs about their institutions track record recruiting and retaining female and URM STEM undergraduates, preparedness of these students to study STEM, the impact of traditional introductory STEM courses on female and URM students and barriers these students face pursuing their STEM degrees.
Triple Nexus: Improving STEM Teaching through a Research-Public Engagement-Teaching Nexus
Stevenson, E.; McArthur, J.
2015-01-01
In this Reflection on Practice we propose a triple nexus of research, public engagement and teaching that could provide a new pathway for academic developers to enable greater engagement in learning and teaching issues from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academics. We argue that the public engagement activities demanded…
Fornari, Chiara; Balbo, Gianfranco; Halawani, Sami M; Ba-Rukab, Omar; Ahmad, Ab Rahman; Calogero, Raffaele A; Cordero, Francesca; Beccuti, Marco
2015-01-01
Nowadays multidisciplinary approaches combining mathematical models with experimental assays are becoming relevant for the study of biological systems. Indeed, in cancer research multidisciplinary approaches are successfully used to understand the crucial aspects implicated in tumor growth. In particular, the Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) biology represents an area particularly suited to be studied through multidisciplinary approaches, and modeling has significantly contributed to pinpoint the crucial aspects implicated in this theory. More generally, to acquire new insights on a biological system it is necessary to have an accurate description of the phenomenon, such that making accurate predictions on its future behaviors becomes more likely. In this context, the identification of the parameters influencing model dynamics can be advantageous to increase model accuracy and to provide hints in designing wet experiments. Different techniques, ranging from statistical methods to analytical studies, have been developed. Their applications depend on case-specific aspects, such as the availability and quality of experimental data, and the dimension of the parameter space. The study of a new model on the CSC-based tumor progression has been the motivation to design a new work-flow that helps to characterize possible system dynamics and to identify those parameters influencing such behaviors. In detail, we extended our recent model on CSC-dynamics creating a new system capable of describing tumor growth during the different stages of cancer progression. Indeed, tumor cells appear to progress through lineage stages like those of normal tissues, being their division auto-regulated by internal feedback mechanisms. These new features have introduced some non-linearities in the model, making it more difficult to be studied by solely analytical techniques. Our new work-flow, based on statistical methods, was used to identify the parameters which influence the tumor growth. The
Index Theory with Applications to Mathematics and Physics
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Booss-Bavnbek, Bernhelm; Bleecker, David
Index Theory with Applications to Mathematics and Physics describes, explains, and explores the Index Theorem of Atiyah and Singer, one of the truly great accomplishments of twentieth-century mathematics whose influence continues to grow, fifty years after its discovery. The Index Theorem has giv...... birth to many mathematical research areas and exposed profound connections between analysis, geometry, topology, algebra, and mathematical physics. Hardly any topic of modern mathematics stands independent of its influence.......Index Theory with Applications to Mathematics and Physics describes, explains, and explores the Index Theorem of Atiyah and Singer, one of the truly great accomplishments of twentieth-century mathematics whose influence continues to grow, fifty years after its discovery. The Index Theorem has given...
Stramel, Janet K.
2010-01-01
While there has been much quantitative research done in the area of attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs, this study sought hear the voices of the middle school child. Therefore, this qualitative study investigated the attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students in one middle school in western…
Stereotype Threat in Mathematics: Female High School Students in All-Girl and Coeducation Schools
Cruz-Duran, Emma
2009-01-01
Although great strides have been made in the number of women who are now employed, there are still many professions that continue to experience a dearth of female employees (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001; Steele, 2003). Science, technology, engineering, and applied mathematic domains (commonly referred to as STEM) have…
Mathematical and numerical modelling of fluids at Nano-metric scales
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Joubaud, R.
2012-01-01
This work presents some contributions to the mathematical and numerical modelling of fluids at Nano-metric scales. We are interested in two levels of modelling. The first level consists in an atomic description. We consider the problem of computing the shear viscosity of a fluid from a microscopic description. More precisely, we study the mathematical properties of the nonequilibrium Langevin dynamics allowing to compute the shear viscosity. The second level of description is a continuous description, and we consider a class of continuous models for equilibrium electrolytes, which incorporate on the one hand a confinement by charged solid objects and on the other hand non-ideality effects stemming from electrostatic correlations and steric exclusion phenomena due to the excluded volume effects. First, we perform the mathematical analysis of the case where the free energy is a convex function (mild non-ideality). Second, we consider numerically the case where the free energy is a non convex function (strong non-ideality) leading in particular to phase separation. (author)
Early gene regulation of osteogenesis in embryonic stem cells
Kirkham, Glen R.
2012-01-01
The early gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that mediate stem cell differentiation are complex, and the underlying regulatory associations can be difficult to map accurately. In this study, the expression profiles of the genes Dlx5, Msx2 and Runx2 in mouse embryonic stem cells were monitored over a 48 hour period after exposure to the growth factors BMP2 and TGFβ1. Candidate GRNs of early osteogenesis were constructed based on published experimental findings and simulation results of Boolean and ordinary differential equation models were compared with our experimental data in order to test the validity of these models. Three gene regulatory networks were found to be consistent with the data, one of these networks exhibited sustained oscillation, a behaviour which is consistent with the general view of embryonic stem cell plasticity. The work cycle presented in this paper illustrates how mathematical modelling can be used to elucidate from gene expression profiles GRNs that are consistent with experimental data. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rudolf Larenz
2017-09-01
Full Text Available The article aims at proposing a way of solution to the problem why mathematics is efficient in physics. Its strategy consists in, first, identifying servere reductionisms performed on physical processes in order to have them correspond to mathematics. As this makes it impossible to understand the real relationship between matter and mathematics, a necessary step on the way to an understanding is to abandon the reductionisms from the very outset. Consequently, one is faced with the need of searching for mathematical elements in nature, as if there never had been any successful mathematics in physics. And for this search, one has to rely on experience alone. To this end, the article takes its inspiration from two pillars of Aristotelian philosophy of nature, the notions of ‘substance’ and ‘dynamics’, together with a careful examination of the treasure of accumulated experience in physics. Upon this basis, the hylomorphic structure of elementary particles, which are considered to be at the basis of all material substances, is the source for the most common features of the dynamical order of material things in general. This dynamical order, in turn, is quite likely to be reflected in mathematical terms. This is a novel approach because, at present, the most common framework for dealing with the question of mathematics in physics is Scientific Realism. It addresses the question why the existent physico-mathematical theories are successful. In order to find an answer, it starts from these theories and some methodological considerations, but does not address the question of where these theories stem from. In particular, it does not consider the possibility that these theories might, at least in part, stem from the material things they are referring to. The latter approach is what is suggested here. It is that of Natural Realism, of which Aristotle is an eminent representative.
Shoemaker, Sarah E.; Thomas, Christopher; Roberts, Todd; Boltz, Robin
2016-01-01
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) offers students a wide variety of real-world opportunities to develop skills and talent critical for students to gain the essential professional and personal skills that lead to success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. One of the key avenues available…
STEM contents in pre-service teacher curriculum: Case study at physics faculty
Linh, Nguyen Quang; Suong, Huynh Thi Hong; Khoa, Cao Tien
2018-01-01
STEM education; the encompassment of the four fields including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; is introduced to provide students with chances to confront and solve real world problems and situations. Literature has evidence that this approach has positive impacts on students' learning motivation, learning engagement, learning achievements, and participation in STEM subjects and careers. This further lead to assurance of enough qualified STEM staffs for cross economic and mixed cultural working environment of the 21st century world. Our paper explores STEM factors underneath what is considered as traditional ways of teaching in a specific subject in pre-service teacher curriculum at Physics Faculty, Thai Nguyen University of Education, Vietnam. Data of the research were collected from a variety of sources including field notes, observation notes, analyzing of the course syllabus and students' final products. Data were analyzed based on the STS approach and SWOT analysis. The research reveals different kinds of STEM factors and manifestations that has been organized and introduced to the students. The research implications propose further research and directions to take the available advantages to benefit and ease the integration of STEM programs into specific educational context in Vietnam.
The nature and power of mathematics
Davis, Donald M
2004-01-01
This captivating book explains some of mathematics' most fascinating ideas to nonspecialists. It explores items of philosophical and historical interest, discusses the often-surprising applicability of mathematics, and reveals the subject's intrinsic beauty. Author Donald M. Davis focuses on three main areas: non-Euclidean geometry, a basis for relativity theory; number theory, a major component of cryptography; and fractals, the key elements of computer-generated art. He also discusses related topics, such as the relevance of Greek mathematics to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, and the th
Andersen, Lori; Ward, Thomas J.
2014-01-01
Group differences in the effects of the expectancies and values that high-ability students have for science and mathematics on plans to persist in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) were investigated. A nationally representative sample of ninth-grade students, the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS: 2009; n =…
Mathematics University Teachers' Perception of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)
Khakbaz, Azimehsadat
2016-01-01
Teaching mathematics in university levels is one of the most important fields of research in the area of mathematics education. Nevertheless, there is little information about teaching knowledge of mathematics university teachers. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) provides a suitable framework to study knowledge of teachers. The purpose of this…
Analysis of a STEM Education Professional Development Conference for Pre-Service Educators
Hardrict-Ewing, Gloria
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are attracting increased attention in education. The iSTEM 2017 conference was a professional development program designed to acquaint pre-service teachers with interdisciplinary, research-based STEM instructional strategies that can transform traditional classroom instruction into dynamic learning environments. The STEM Education Scholars (STEMES) is a Learning Community of Practice, housed in the College of Education, at a mid-sized mid-western public research university. The program of study focused on designing a professional development program for future Pre-K12 teachers. The iSTEM 2017 conference presented by the STEMES Community of Practice sought to inform pre-service teachers of STEM pedagogy, and focused on innovative classroom resources, hands-on learning and increasing content confidence when incorporating STEM into classroom instruction. iSTEM 2017 was held in February, 2017, and offered twenty refereed presentations and workshop sessions, a keynote address, and a closing session to over 200 pre-service teachers. Conference participants chose sessions, participated in game-like experiences and shared their learning with each other as well as with conference organizers. Results from participant self-reported surveys were analyzed to measure the impact of the conference on improving participants' confidence in teaching STEM topics, and their attitudes about the instructional methods. These results were added to the conference proceedings, which also contain documentation of each iSTEM 2017 session. Findings suggest that the iSTEM 2017 conference had an overall positive impact on participants' familiarity with STEM education, their belief in the importance of STEM education, and their confidence to integrate STEM education into future instructional practices.
Franco, M. Suzanne; Patel, Nimisha H.
2017-01-01
High school students' perceptions and experiences regarding student engagement were investigated using 32 focus group sessions across 4 different types of STEM education settings in 2 metropolitan areas in the Midwest. Students' understandings and experiences related to student engagement were reflected via 5 categories: students' thinking of…
Stevens, Sally; Andrade, Rosi; Page, Melissa
2016-12-01
Data indicate that females and ethnic/race minority groups are underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce calling for innovative strategies to engage and retain them in science education and careers. This study reports on the development, delivery, and outcomes of a culturally driven science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) program, iSTEM, aimed at increasing engagement in STEM learning among Native American 3rd-8th grade students. A culturally relevant theoretical framework, Funds of Knowledge, informs the iSTEM program, a program based on the contention that the synergistic effect of a hybrid program combining two strategic approaches (1) in-school mentoring and (2) out-of-school informal science education experiences would foster engagement and interest in STEM learning. Students are paired with one of three types of mentors: Native American community members, university students, and STEM professionals. The iSTEM program is theme based with all program activities specifically relevant to Native people living in southern Arizona. Student mentees and mentors complete interactive flash STEM activities at lunch hour and attend approximately six field trips per year. Data from the iSTEM program indicate that the program has been successful in engaging Native American students in iSTEM as well as increasing their interest in STEM and their science beliefs.
Mathematical Modeling of Diverse Phenomena
Howard, J. C.
1979-01-01
Tensor calculus is applied to the formulation of mathematical models of diverse phenomena. Aeronautics, fluid dynamics, and cosmology are among the areas of application. The feasibility of combining tensor methods and computer capability to formulate problems is demonstrated. The techniques described are an attempt to simplify the formulation of mathematical models by reducing the modeling process to a series of routine operations, which can be performed either manually or by computer.