Introduction The process of evaluating a program can be an arduous task requiring systematic and dedicated planning. It is describe as, the aspect of professional training aimed at helping to integrate research and best practices (Royce et al., 2015). The purpose of an evaluation is to assess a program’s value to the community it serves, it’s resources, and activities that enrich the learning of its members (Mondisa & McComb, 2015). Proponents of STEM on the national and local levels have invested tremendous resources to augment and grow programs that support the National Science Foundation’s three key policies regarding education evaluation. As pointed out by Katzenmeyer, C., & Lawrenz, these policies outline the needs which address key …show more content…
The purpose of this paper is to use a summative evaluation process to assess the benefits of the nCase inquiry- and design-based instruction (I&D) program. Evaluation Justification STEM education was designed to encourage student interest and to prepare for a career path in STEM, research suggests that STEM-related careers generate higher compensation and financial benefits. However, the design and composition of the STEM workforce is complex and is influenced and relies heavily on the delivery of each STEM program. Recognizing the importance of this, this proposed summative evaluation is geared to understand to what extent does the inquiry- and design-based model used by the nCase program activities yield expected changes and learning outcomes in participants. The evaluation will investigate components of the nCase program that are optimally performing and should be reproduced in future initiatives. Although the inquiry- and design-based instruction methodology can be traced back to John Dewey, an American philosopher of education reform, it has never been practiced on a wide scale in an American STEM classroom. The impact of the nCase program poses conditions for inquiry; therefore, the primary question being
STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematic) includes some of the most versatile and important careers in the modern world. Most new developments that are making the world a better place to live are from the influences of STEM fields. As the world becomes more technologically developed there is an increase demand for students well-trained in the STEM related fields. To keep pace with this rapidly expanding area of the economy requires an adequate number of P-12 teachers with the necessary content knowledge and skills to train the next generation. Currently, Texas is facing a critical shortage of teachers with strong backgrounds in STEM. This STEM teacher shortage is impacting student learning and if too many teachers pursue degrees
Michael S. Teitelbaum argues in his report, “ The Myth of the Science and Engineering Shortage” that while it may be true that there is an increase in STEM jobs in the US, the fact is for the majority of STEM jobs the wages have been stagnant or declining, indicating that there is no demand for STEM graduates. Teitelbaum continues by stating that it is very simple to claim there is a shortage in STEM by hand-picking specialized fields in STEM that may currently have a shortage due to location and specific years, as a result of changing technology, But to state that all STEM related occupations are experiencing a shortage because a few specialized fields are experiencing a shortage is dangerous as it paints a false a narrative of reality to pursuers’ of STEM degrees. In addition when comparing the unemployment rate of occupations such as registered nurses, physicians, dentists, and lawyers to occupations in STEM, that proponents of STEM have valiantly claimed are experiencing a massive shortage, the unemployment for STEM occupations is staggering. With recent graduates suffering the most with unemployment rates in engineering and computer science above seven percent, as well as an unemployment rate hovering slightly below twelve percent for graduates in information systems ( Teitelbaum). Teitelbaum states that while it may be true that the US is consistently scoring in the middle in international assessments, they are still producing a third of all high-performing students in science and fourteen percent of high-performing students in math. In addition, he states he is not against the push for science and math, as he believes all high school students should be adept in both, but that there is “a big disconnect between this broad educational imperative and
Different learning theories, empirical evidence, and the implication of using those theories in the context of STEM education.
As a part of the HBCU Alumni Alliance’s Higher Education initiative program; Alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are concerned about the inadequate representation of minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related professions. Consequently, DCHBCUAA STEM professionals have designed and organized an instructional hands-on STEM workshop for students in grades 10-12, to enlighten them on the different facets of professions available in the sciences. As a part of our community partnership with Kaiser Permanente, we have a workshop scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2017, from 800 am-5:00 pm, at 2101 Jefferson Street in Rockville, Maryland.
Since the 1990’s however, there has been a 33% increase in the number of Hispanic Students enrolling in STEM programs. This does not mean that they necessary complete their degree, as Hispanics more likely to drop out of the program or university than their white counterparts. It used to be that one required a formal collegiate education in order to enter the STEM field, but more and more STEM students are entering the field through the completion of IT technical programs, or certificate programs. Hispanics have been taking advantage of this easier pathway into STEM careers, as 24 % of all STEM technical certificates were earned by Hispanics in the 2009-2010 school year. Unfortunately, the percentage of STEM degrees earned by Hispanics experienced
The reauthorization of ESEA, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) renewed the nation’s commitment to equal opportunity for all students. The revision in ESSA included STEM education and professional development, but not to the extent originally proposed in the ECAA. The ESSA required the integration of engineering design skills and practices into the states’ science assessments (§1201). States were expected to carry out programs that provided alternative routes for State certification, “especially for teachers of… science, technology, engineering, mathematics” (§2101). The ESSA made states and local agencies responsible for developing and providing professional development for teachers in order to promote high-quality instruction in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (§2101, §2103). The ESSA used the acronym STEM in two separate sections of the policy. A “STEM Master Teacher” referred to “a State-led effort to elevate the status of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching profession” (§2245). The second usage of the acronym described
As a SETA member I have participated twice as a workshop presenter for the annual STEM Workshop Conferences, “Expanding Your Horizons,” and the “Latino Youth Leadership Academy.” These conferences entitle grade school students to expose themselves to science workshops; raising awareness of higher education in the STEM field, which is an important advocacy I
In America, the state of education has always been a pressing concern, perhaps now more than ever. Improving education has been proven to strengthen the nation time and time again, specifically with regard to science, mathematics and technology. Ten years after the start of the Cold War on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first ever man-made satellite, Sputnik-1. This action by the Soviets caused immediate concern for the educational system in the United States because this launch proved that the Soviet Union had superior technological capabilities (SOURCE 1). America’s first action was to improve education, and this was done through the National Defense Education Act, which provided large amounts of funding to American schools, and supported American students who showed particular skill in math, sciences or foreign languages (SOURCE 2). During the Cold War, supporting education was used to support the nation as a whole. Today the United States faces a similar problem, mainly due to the declining focus on science and math in schools. Students have been losing interest in these subjects, and as a result, America has been falling behind in the global education ranks. This decline has been hurting America’s ability to continue to be a successful global competitor. Now the government is working to reverse this trend by supporting STEM programs. STEM is an acronym for the academics concentrations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The purpose of
In a speech in February 2013 President Barak Obama said, “One of the things that I really strongly believe in is that we need to have more girls interested in math, science, and engineering. We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent…not being encouraged the way they need to.” It been three years since President Obama has made that statement and the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and math as known as STEM majors is still a big problem today. The STEM workforce is crucial to Americas global competitiveness and groundbreaking capability. The people who work in the STEM field make up nearly half of the United
STEM integration within America’s schools is a necessary requirement to adequately prepare students to compete in our future society. Although growth in STEM related jobs is quite apparent, knowledge of STEM capacities is necessary to function in the 21st century.
be observed by STEM professionals evaluating our school. We had to think about our approach
This program provides resources and financial incentives to encourage students to pursue degrees in the STEM field.
All students admitted in the GWC Summer Immersion Program (SIP) were encouraged to participate in the study. Surveys were used to collect the data for the study, which included 7 published scales measuring STEM identity, self-efficacy, motivation, engagement, and STEM career interests. Thus far, only pre-test has been conducted, and 31 female students between the grades of 10 and 12 participated. The demographic profile of the participants included 26% White, 19% Asian, 35% Black, and 26% Latino. Furthermore, the participants were consisted of 52% of 10-11th graders and 48% of 12th graders.
A STEM education is a necessity in the United States because the country is lacking knowledgeable people in such fields. However, one is better equipped for multiple job and career positions with the addition of a liberal arts education. It is nearly impossible to transition to different careers with only vocational training. In 2003, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development studied math and science literacy among fifteen year olds. The United States was ranked number twenty-four in math literacy (Drew 27). They are behind countries such as Finland, Slovak Republic, and Hungary. Likewise, the United States was ranked number nineteen in science literacy (Drew 27). It is obvious that the country is behind. STEM education needs to be reformed at the secondary and post-secondary levels of schooling. Katrina Trinko, a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors, agrees that more emphasis should be placed on STEM education; however, this emphasis should not be at the sacrifice of a good liberal arts education. She writes, “Even technology wizards can become more innovative with a solid background in liberal arts” (Trinko 6). A liberal arts education is beneficial to people in all career fields.
The second text that was evaluated for this paper is entitled, “Teaching STEM: 21st Century Skills”, written by Virginia Jones. This article spends a lot of time talking about how 21st Century Skills can make schooling better for our children. This is done by going through and presenting each aspect of these skills with a brief explanation of what implementing them would do to positively influence the education of our students. It talks about how this change must begin in elementary school and challenges facing teachers that should start integrating these skills into their current teaching plans. The author also provides the readers with example projects that directly relate to a couple of these skills. One of these examples is using chocolate chip cookies to represent coal mines to show students that not all coal minds produce the same amount of material and that such material is in limited supply. The article also offers other examples to help educators integrate these skills into their current teachings. It draws attention to the idea that these will teach students lifelong skills such as creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and many more while giving more example lessons that could be used by the educator to start this process. The article then gives a description of what exactly 21st Century Skills are and what they strive to do if implemented correctly. An example of this is how the author spends a good deal of time looking at the different skills that would