Informed aspirations in science and engineering with upper elementary students after 1 year of a STEM intensive university-school district partnership |
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| Authors: | Carolyn Parker Jeffrey Grigg Stephanie D'Souza Charlie Mitchell Erica Smith |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Education, American University, Washington, DC, USA;2. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA;3. American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC, USA;4. Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore, MD, USA;5. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA |
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| Abstract: | This article reports findings from a study of an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education program on student interest and awareness in science and engineering. The analysis features grade 3–5 students from a high-poverty, urban school system in the Mid-Atlantic region. Through the quantitative analysis of closed ended survey responses and the qualitative analysis of an open-ended query, we describe how the adoption of an intensive STEM-focused partnership could influence students’ early interest in and awareness of science and engineering as disciplines and careers. The analysis of the student responses revealed that after 1 year of the project, the students enrolled in the program demonstrated developing interest in science and engineering and were better able to articulate a greater understanding of engineering as a discipline. These findings have implications for the effectiveness of an integrated STEM approach for upper elementary students participating and succeeding in the STEM fields. |
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| Keywords: | attitudes/beliefs equity learning processes science/science education students and learning |
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