Browsing by Subject "STEM"
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Item A Comparative Multi-Case Study of Agricultural Education Teachers in Reference to the Implementation of Academic Integration(2011-08-08) Gill, Bart EugeneMany agricultural educators fail to integrate core subject concepts into their classrooms. Current research addresses the perceptions of agricultural educators regarding core subject integration, but little research notes the barriers that are identified in the perception studies and the action of agricultural educators needed to overcome those barriers. The purpose of this study was to identify the path progressive agricultural educators, who are successful in integrating core subject concepts, particularly STEM, in their classroom followed. Additionally, to determine the tools and resources the progressive agricultural educators believe other agricultural educators need in order to follow a similar path. Overall the participants in the study all followed similar paths to become progressive in academic integration. All participants appeared to be highly self-motivated individuals because they seek out professional development opportunities in order to continuously improve the teaching in their classrooms and increase rigor within their curriculum. Collaboration between agricultural educators and core subject educators is crucial to increasing rigor in the agricultural education classroom (Myers & Thompson, 2008). Administrators at the participating schools were supportive of the idea of academic integration in the agricultural science classroom. According to the participants, longer professional development workshops are needed for teachers to successfully advance in the area of academic integration along with resource sharing opportunities between other agricultural educators and potentially core subject teachers. The participants all possess adequate facilities to conduct academic integration and believe available facilities and budgets affect the success of academic integration, because without proper facilities and supplies it is difficult for teachers to incorporate inquiry based instruction. According to the participants budgets also are a constraint for teachers when attempting to advance. If the teacher?s budget does not allow for extra purchases, then the teacher should take it upon themselves to seek out additional fiscal support to assist in classroom instruction, by writing grants or asking the local community for support.Item Academic and social influences of underrepresented adolescents' perceptions of opportunity and plans for the future(2016-08) Kyte, Sarah Blanchard; Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Callahan, Rebecca M; Crosnoe, Robert; Muller, Chandra; Raley, KellySociologists of education have long stressed the importance of students’ expectations for their subsequent success. Yet, an insufficient amount of previous work has considered how academic and social psychological factors guide when and how students develop their expectations for the future, particularly for the socioeconomically disadvantaged and minority students attending our cities’ schools. By using rich survey and administrative data from a large, urban district serving low income and predominantly Hispanic and African American students, this dissertation identifies how these students develop expectations related to higher education in general as well as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in particular at the start of high school. Chapter 2 examines whether Hispanic girls hold higher college expectations than Hispanic boys because they acquire a superior toolkit of academic resources including achievement, attitudes, and relationships, and/or whether girls are better able to leverage these resources. Further, it considers the potentially gendered role of nativity, language-minority, and socioeconomic status in shaping college expectations among Hispanic students. Chapter 3 analyzes how students’ perceptions of the relevance of science outside of school contribute to gender differences in expectations to major in specific areas of STEM, namely the biological and physical sciences as compared with computer science and engineering. Chapter 4 unpacks the extent to which minority students expecting to major in STEM anticipate that gender- or race-based discrimination may act as a barrier to their goals. Taken together, the findings of these studies underscore the importance of perceptions related to schools, society, and opportunity at the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity for guiding students’ expectations, an important precursor to subsequent behavior and success.Item An analysis of the prescribed and enacted curriculum of an engineering unit on helmet design(2011-08) Gustafson, Katherine Alessandra; Petrosino, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1961-; Allen, DavidUsing grounded theory, action research and ethnographic case study methodology this research explores the contrasting ways in which a prescribed curriculum is translated into an enacted curriculum. The current study looks at a 12 week secondary engineering unit (helmet design) which was designed with significant input from a university based team including content experts, learning scientists, master teachers, classroom teachers and school district administrators as part of a grant focused on the creation of a high school engineering course. The unit was enacted in a rural/suburban school by a group of average students by a teacher with high content knowledge in engineering. Five thrusts were identified for analysis including Assessment, Activities, Apparatus, Technology and Standards. Findings indicate much alignment with Apparatus, Standards and Technology thrusts and disparity within the Assessment and Activities thrusts.Item Assessing the construct validity of the situational test of emotional management.(2011-05-11T21:48:14Z) Hartman, Michael J.; Hartman, Michael James; Schell, Kraig; Stenmark, Cherly; Hester, Rosy; Mowrer, Robert; Angelo State University. Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work.The current study examined the construct validity of the Situational Test of Emotional Management (STEM), a newly developed measure of emotional intelligence. A logistic regression approach was utilized to assess the STEM, at the item-level, on two factors, gender and Extraversion. It was hypothesized a logistic model including gender and Extraversion would significantly predict classification of participants into two groups (correct response on STEM items and incorrect response on STEM items) beyond a simple intercept-only logistic regression. Data analysis revealed that the gender and Extraversion did not significantly enhance the classification rates of participants into the two groups, but gender was a significant univariate influence on four items. Explanations as to why the hypothesis was not fully supported are discussed, as well as avenues for future research.Item Behaviors associated with caring teachers : student perspectives and classroom observations(2013-08) McDaniel, Krystal Thiam; Marshall, Jill AnnThe intent of this study was to determine what students perceive as caring behaviors in teachers, whether those views match teachers’ perceptions, whether these vary depending on students’ academic track, and whether teachers are observed to exhibit the behaviors identified by their students as indicative of caring. Eighty-two majority Hispanic high school students and eight teachers completed a four-section survey about caring behavior. These teachers and students were also observed four times in the classroom. The survey contained Likert scale and open-ended questions about teachers’ caring behaviors. It also probed how the students’ own teachers interacted with them daily in the classroom and their personal open-ended opinion about how teachers show that they care or do not care about them. Two groups were studied, specifically Advanced Placement (AP) and Regular students, to find out whether academic placement caused students’ to categorize caring behaviors of teachers differently. Results of the study indicated a significant difference in AP and Regular students’ attitudes about how teachers treat them. Teachers’ perceptions were also compared to students’ perception and differences were found. Differences included how often teachers interact in one-on-one conversations about certain issues with students, such as the need to complete homework assignments. Within these conversations some issues were reported to occur more frequently by teachers than students. On other issues, like disrupting class, there was agreement, but only for specific teachers and subjects. In addition, STEM and non-STEM classes were investigated and it was discovered that these students responded differently about the frequency with which their teachers had conversations with them about specific issues. Differences included disrupting class, not completing assignments, interests and things that are important to students, and plans for college and work. Observations made by this researcher further support the idea that there is similarity in how students define caring behaviors, but what behaviors they experience, like assisting in homework or listening to personal needs, is different. Although trends observed in this study are suggestive, more research is required to support the idea that academic placement and subject make a difference in students’ experiences of caring behaviors in teachers.Item Beyond balance : examining work-family interface, role negotiation, and coping strategies for female caregivers in STEM(2016-08) Reilly, Erin Dawna; Awad, Germine H.; Rochlen, Aaron B.; Cokley, Kevin O; McCarthy, Christopher J; Walkow, Janet CThough the retention of female caregivers in STEM fields has become increasingly discussed, there is a lack of research investigating the major factors impacting their successful negotiation of work and family responsibilities and roles. This body of research examined the impact of societal roles, external support structures, and coping resources on work-family satisfaction and psychological well-being. In particular, this study investigated the following: (1) the relationships among work support, family support, coping, and satisfaction; (2) the relationship between family- and occupational-support, work-family conflict, and satisfaction; (3) coping resources as a mediator of the relationship between work-family conflict and work and family satisfaction, and; (4) the impact of internalizations of competing societal myths (i.e., the ideal worker myth and motherhood myth) as moderating the impact of work-family conflict on interpersonal guilt. Participants included 204 women in STEM fields who also reported caregiving responsibilities. The majority of the recruited sample identified as mothers, and reported approximately equal amounts of time spent on occupational responsibilities and caretaking work. Results indicate that women who reported higher levels of family support and occupational support tended to have higher levels work and family satisfaction, as well as greater perceived internal coping resources. In addition, women with greater perceived abilities to identify, predict, and plan for demands and possible stressors tended to have greater levels of family and work satisfaction. In terms of modeling work-family interface, women who reported higher levels of familial and career-climate support tended to also report greater perceived coping resources and abilities. However, the hypothesis that work-to-family and family-to-work conflict would significantly predict lower work satisfaction and family satisfaction was not supported when modeled alongside other variables (external support and coping). On the other hand, the hypothesis that the relationship between family-to-work conflict and work satisfaction was mediated by perceived coping resources was supported. Finally, results suggest that greater internalization of the motherhood myth, the ideal worker myth, and the presence of work-to-family conflict are associated with higher levels of guilt for female caregivers in STEM fields. Limitations, future research areas, and practical implications of these findings are discussed.Item Communicative strategies for organizational survival : an analysis of stereotype threat of women in petroleum engineering(2012-05) Heller, Abigail A.; Stephens, Keri K.; McGlone, Matthew; Ballard, Dawna; Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Berkelaar, BrendaThis study investigated stereotype threat of women in petroleum engineering, a traditionally male-dominated industry. There were two main purposes to understanding communicative aspects of stereotype threat: 1) the creation of a typology of stereotype threats received and 2) the elaboration of coping strategies used to mitigate threats. This research examined contextual factors that influence women’s coping, including socialization, psychological inoculations, and memorable messages. This work is a contribution to communication research as it examines these components through the lens of scripts, which considers stereotype threat from a new perspective that suggests people are active participants in mitigating threats. To complete this study, I performed 61 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with current or former female petroleum engineers. Through constant comparison (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) I analyzed the data and produced an initial set of 13 different stereotype threats and 11 distinct coping strategies. Upon further comparison, the threats and coping strategies were each consolidated further to five core categories. This typology aligns threats on a spectrum that runs from passive actions to overt actions, and threats closely adhere to the underperformance benchmarks of previous stereotype threat research (Aronson & McGlone, 2009). The coping strategies address specific actions women take to mitigate threats, and the strategies align with the long-term responses to stereotype threat proposed by Block, Koch, Liberman, Merriweather, and Roberson (2011). In addition, the coping strategies execute problem- and emotion-based coping (Folkman and Lazarus, 1980). A distinctive feature of coping is dualistic subversions, which is when women use a subverted stereotype threat to mitigate it. Finally, this study suggests that stereotype threats and coping strategies result from childhood socialization practices, a process that writes scripts workers rely upon throughout their careers. This study is a contribution to organizational communication in how it examines ways messages are communicated in male-dominated careers and how women can use communication to mitigate negative expectations that arise in those environments. In addition, it looks at communication events that encourage women to enter male-dominated careers. Finally, it adds to communication theory because it uncovers additional ways that people use scripts to mitigate stereotyping.Item DIFFERENCES IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PERFORMANCE BY ECONOMIC STATUS, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY/RACE: A MULTIYEAR TEXAS STATEWIDE STUDY(2016-11-03) Anderson, Pamela Bennett; Moore, George W; Martinez-Garcia, Cynthia; Slate, JohnPurpose The purpose of the first study was to ascertain the extent to which differences were present in the STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores by Grade 5 and Grade 8 student economic status. The purpose of the second study was to examine differences in Grade 5 STAAR Mathematics and Science test performance by gender and by ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White). Finally, with respect to the third study in this journal-ready dissertation, the purpose was to investigate the STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores of Grade 8 students by gender and by ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White). Method For this journal-ready dissertation, a non-experimental, causal-comparative research design (Creswell, 2009) was used in all three studies. Grade 5 and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics and Science test data were analyzed for the 2011-2012 through the 2014-2015 school years. The dependent variables were the STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores for Grade 5 and Grade 8. The independent variables analyzed in these studies were student economic status, gender, and ethnicity/race. Findings Regarding the first study, statistically significant differences were present in Grade 5 and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores by student economic status for each year. Moderate effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were present for each year of the study for the Grade 5 STAAR Mathematics and Science exams, Grade 8 Science exams, and the 2014-2015 Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics exam. However, a small effect size was present for the 2011-2012 through 2013-2014 Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics exam. Regarding the second and third study, statistically significant differences were revealed for Grade 5 and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores based on gender, with trivial effect sizes. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were present in these test scores by ethnicity/race, with moderate effects for each year of the study. With regard to each year for both studies, Asian students had the highest average test scores, followed by White, Hispanic, and Black students, respectively. Thus, a stairstep achievement gap (Carpenter, Ramirez, & Severn, 2006) was present.Item Engaging elementary students in active learning through engineering : methods, observations and outcomes(2014-08) Pearce, Logan Anthony; Petrosino, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1961-; Barufaldi, JamesEngineering as a pedagogical tool for teaching content and driving student intellectual development is often confined to secondary school grades – middle and high school students. The goal of this work is to explore the feasibility of incorporating engineering, in the form of engineering design challenges, into elementary grade levels. The hypothesis is that engineering design challenges can be made to be age appropriate for elementary students, specifically 1st grade students, without sacrificing elements which make them effective pedagogical tools. This hypothesis was tested through the designing of an engineering design challenge for 1st grade students, which was then taught to a group of elementary students, whose responses were analyzed for desired outcomes indicating effectiveness. The design challenge was demonstrated to be engaging, effective, and feasible for the group of elementary students participating in the research. Students were observed to display engineering habits of mind, an understanding of cause and effect, systems thinking, and a basic understanding of science content through participation in the design challenge. Aspects of the design challenge which were not effective or age appropriate are discussed in this work, and recommendations for further modification of the design challenge to better accommodate elementary students is given.Item Engineering design process : creating and 3D printing a mechanical toy(2016-05) Garcia, Carmen Matilde; Crawford, Richard H.; Marshall, Jill Ann; Petrosino, AnthonyThis report describes an activity that explores the Engineering Design Process through a research-based module intended to be implemented in a grade 9-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classroom. Moreover, this study serves as a demonstration of the module’s effectiveness in guiding end users through the Engineering Design Process using computer aided design (CAD) software, to design and fabricate a fully working 3D printed mechanical toy. The hypothesis of the research is that usage of the module makes an impact on students’ proficiency with and understanding of the Engineering Design Process. Of the students enrolled in the Engineering Design and Presentation class (n=38) at the Brownsville Early College High School, a random sample (n=12) was selected for data collection purposes. Results showed that using the module increases students’ understanding of and proficiency with the Engineering Design Process and Autodesk Inventor. Finally, this paper provides insights on future modifications of the module that could lead to a better learning tool for STEM education.Item Examining the power of performance : an investigation into STEM persistence across field of study and gender(2012-05) King, Barbara Anne; Riegle-Crumb, CatherineAre students in the physical sciences/engineering (PS/E) similar, in terms of academic performance and degree persistence, to students majoring in other fields? Previous research tends to focus exclusively on students within STEM; conversely, this dissertation uses a nationally representative sample to examine persistence rates among students whose initial major is in PS/E, life science, business, social science, education, health, or humanities. Students in PS/E majors are sometimes more and sometimes less likely than students in other fields to earn a degree in their initial field of study versus another field. Additionally, students in PS/E are the most academically prepared for college, as measured by high school mathematics and English performance. Despite these high levels of preparation, PS/E students earn lower college grades within their intended field of study than students in other fields. The results show that the gap in college grades, net of background and preparation, explains (in part) why students in business, education, and humanities have higher persistence rates than students in PS/E. Moreover, the association between within-field college grades and persistence is strongest for PS/E students. Taken together, these results demonstrate that students who enter PS/E are indeed unique in terms of academic performance, persistence, and the relationship between the two. Further, among PS/E students, females are more likely than males to earn a degree in fields outside of PS/E compared to within PS/E. Using college transcript data, I investigate the commonly used argument that gender gaps in PS/E persistence can be explained by female underachievement during the college years. Regardless of whether performance is measured using students' PS/E GPA, the proportion of low grades earned, or the difference between PS/E and non-PS/E GPA, there is no evidence that differences in performance explain the gender gap in persistence. This result is not surprising given there is no significant gender gap in PS/E grades. Lastly, I find that the relationship between PS/E GPA and persistence is similar across gender. These results build on the growing body of literature suggesting that gender differences in academic performance are ineffective at explaining gender inequality in PS/E.Item Expanding Digital Reference to the Biology Field Lab(2017-05-25) Lopez, Erica R.; Stephen F. Austin State UniversityHave you ever seen a preserved newt in a jar? You will be shown a library guide that supports STEM education by providing true-to-life visual identification aids for species that students might never encounter in the field during the course of a semester. The guide includes easily accessible and easily navigable photo galleries that correspond with the presentation and organization of course materials. It offers greater exposure to the digital collections hosted by the East Texas Research Center and serves as an example for how digital image collections of flora and fauna may support a life sciences curriculum.Item Hearing the Voices of Alternatively Certified Teachers in Texas: Narratives of Teaching English Language Learners in Urban Secondary Mainstream Classrooms(2012-11-21) Zannou, YetundeIn Texas, nearly half of all new teachers are alternatively certified (AC) whilst English language learners (ELL) are over one-third of the public school population in some districts. As this trend continues, the likelihood that AC teachers will teach ELLs increases and alters what Texas teachers must know upon entering the classroom. This research explores teacher knowledge and beliefs about teaching ELLs through constructivist and narrative lenses. Four AC science teachers in two diverse school districts participated in in-depth interviews and reflective interviews following classroom observations to answer the research questions: (1) how do AC teachers describe and interpret their acts of teaching ELLs in mainstream classrooms; and (2) how do AC teachers describe and interpret their learning to teach ELLs in mainstream classrooms. Data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic narrative methods. This study found that participants saw ELL instruction as: (1) "just good teaching" strategies, (2) consisting primarily of cultural awareness and consideration for student comfort, and (3) less necessary in science where all students must learn the language. The most experienced teacher was the only participant to reference specific linguistic knowledge in describing ELL instruction. Many of the teachers described their work with ELL students as giving them an opportunity to improve their lives, which was consistent with their overall teaching philosophy and reason for entering the profession. Participant narratives about learning to teach ELLs described personal experience and person-to-person discussions as primary resources of knowledge. District support was generally described as unhelpful or incomplete. Participants portrayed their AC program as helpful in preparing them to work with ELL students, but everyone desired more relevant information from the program and more grade-appropriate strategies from the district. Participant narratives reveal AC teachers needed a pragmatic and less theoretical understanding of diversity during pre-service training. Participant tendency to draw upon "common sense", affective, and practical strategies in teaching ELL students in lieu of the state-mandated English language proficiency standards (ELPS) suggests AC programs should have teachers articulate and discuss their beliefs about ELL instruction in order to provide training targeted towards misconceptions about language development, particularly in science.Item Identification of Stem Concepts Associated with Junior Livestock Projects: A Delphi Study(2012-08-31) Wooten, Kate 1988-Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is intended to provide students with a cross-subject, contextual learning experience. In order to more fully prepare our nation's students for entering the globally competitive workforce, STEM integration allows students to make connections between the abstract concepts learned in core subject classrooms and real-world situations. FFA and 4-H programs, by nature, are intended to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities where abstract core subject principles can be applied and more fully understood. Junior livestock projects through FFA and 4-H can provide rich connections for students between what they learn in school and how it is applied in the real world through their livestock project. Using a modified Delphi technique, this study identified STEM concepts associated with junior livestock projects. The study also examined whether STEM concepts should be integrated into the supervision of junior livestock projects and identified barriers which would prevent the incorporation of STEM concepts into local 4-H and FFA programming and instruction. The experts identified several (13 of 19) STEM concepts associated with junior livestock projects, four reasons local 4-H and FFA leaders/advisors should incorporate STEM concepts into their programming and instruction, and no barriers which would prevent local 4-H and FFA leaders/advisors from incorporating STEM concepts into their programming and instruction. This paper explores rationale regarding why STEM integration is important and makes recommendations for the integration of STEM concepts into the supervision of junior livestock projects.Item Impacts of graduate student content specialists serving in middle school classrooms on teachers and graduate students(2009-05-15) Mowen, Diana L.Improving student achievement is a major concern across the United States. One strategy being implemented to help students achieve in math and science is the partnering of teachers with professionals in math and science careers. One such program is the Fellows Integrate Math/Science in Rural Middle Schools program, from which this research stems. The intent of the program was to match middle school teachers with graduate students preparing for careers in science, technology, mathematics, or engineering fields. The graduate students spent ten hours a week in classrooms, interacting with teachers and students. Improved student performance in math and science, improved teacher content knowledge, and improved graduate student communication skills were expected program outcomes. This research assessed the impact of program participation on the teachers and graduate students involved. Data were collected from 33 middle school teachers and 33 graduate students over the course of two years of program participation. Questionnaires included a pre post measurement of knowledge, experience, and comfort level with education related groups and issues and summative program evaluations. Major findings of the research included: 1. Teacher knowledge, experience, and comfort levels with education related groups and issues did not change significantly because of participation in the program. 2. Graduate students experienced a decrease in knowledge, experience, and comfort level with several education related groups and issues from the beginning of the school year to the end. Knowledge decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. High school students b. Teaching college students c. Theories of learning d. Planning a project e. Following through on project tasks Experience level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Science education reform b. Current issues in K-12 education c. Teaching college students d. Theories of learning e. Assessing student learning Comfort level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Elementary school students b. University faculty engaged in K-12 education c. Science education reform d. Teaching college students e. Theories of learning f. Evaluating educational activities 3. Graduate student gender, race, and age were not found to be predictors of success in this partnership program.Item Influence of high school biology and mathematic courses on the introductory college biology course success at Angelo State University, TX(2013-08-23) Smiley, Amanda; Smiley, Amanda Patterson; Russell, Connie; Wilke, Russell; Guardiola, Amaris R.; Phelps, James; Angelo State University. Department of Biology.For students to be adequately informed and prepared to succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, it is important to understand the influence of the number of science and mathematics courses taken in high school on success in introductory biology courses. This study examined the significance between the number of mathematics and science courses taken by high school students and success in the Principles of Biology (Bio 1480) introductory college biology course offered at Angelo State University (ASU) in San Angelo, TX. This study utilized questionnaires and multiple binomial general linear regressions to determine the likelihood of success that existed between the number of high school science and mathematics courses taken and success in the Bio 1480 course sections in the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters. It was determined that, overall, the number of mathematics and science courses taken by a student in high school does affect success in Bio 1480; however, the extent of the effect varied between the fall and spring terms. In the fall term, it was determined that an increased number of mathematics and science courses taken always decreased a student’s likelihood of being unsuccessful. In the spring, the results varied in which the number of mathematics and biology courses did have an effect while the number of science courses did not. The differences in a significant effect between the semesters were also present when examining the number of all science courses with lab time taken in high school. The number of biology courses with lab time taken in high school had a significant effect in both the fall and spring semester. This trend was also evident when the number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses taken in high school was examined. Having taken AP Calculus had a significant effect on success in the introductory college biology course as well as having taken AP Biology, but when examining the total number of AP science courses taken in high school a significant effect was evident in the fall but not in the spring semester.Item Integration of nanotechnology in a STEM based high school curriculum through the investigation of wetting properties of nano-imprinted and silanized surfaces(2014-08) Negley, Maria Blanco; Sreenivasan, S. V.; Crawford, Richard H.Nanotechnology is an emerging field of engineering. Awareness needs to be fostered in the K-12 education system in order to sustain its expansion. As a current Algebra 1 teacher, I participated in the NASCENT research program to further my education in nanotechnology and find ways to integrate this content and practices in my Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) based Algebra 1 curriculum. During the research, I learned about surface tension of solids and liquids and its effects on materials' wetting properties. After completing the research program, I created a 2-week long project where students will replicate my experiences during this research. The purpose of this report is to investigate the need for the integration of nanotechnology in STEM classes and find ways to turn my research experience into real-world learning opportunities for my students.Item Las mujeres in the STEM pipeline : how Latina college students who persist in STEM majors develop and sustain their science identities(2015-05) Rodriguez, Sarah Lynette; Saenz, Victor B.; Reddick, Richard; Somers, Patricia; Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Ovando, MarthaOver the past decade, an extensive amount of scholarship and media attention have been devoted to understanding the unique educational experiences and challenges of STEM students, however, few studies have explored the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender, especially in terms of science identity development. Given the significant growth of the Latina/o community, understanding Latina STEM college experiences, specifically, will be critical to enhancing educational experiences for the Latina/o STEM community. Existing literature suggests that developing a strong science identity during college may improve persistence for women of color in STEM. This research study uses qualitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of how Latina college students at a public tier-one, predominantly white, research university make develop and meaning of and develop their science identities. The study found that Latinas develop their STEM identities primarily around aspects of building competence, recognition from self and outside sources, and performance of STEM behaviors. Their STEM identity development was influenced in terms of intersectionality, primarily by their gender and racial identities. This study is uniquely positioned to advance new knowledge regarding Latina students’ persistence in STEM fields, which may inform local, state, and federal STEM policies.Item Latino college students' decisions regarding academic support services : a case study(2014-05) Flores, Monica, active 21st century; Marshall, Jill Ann; Salinas, CinthiaThis study focused on Latino undergraduate students majoring in science, and their decisions to access academic support programs. The purposes were to understand (1) factors that influence Latino students' career-related choices; choosing a science major and accessing resources in support of their academic careers; and (2) what role socializers play in those decisions. The informants were four Latino college students who chose science majors when admitted to a research university. Using a case-study interview approach, they were interviewed longitudinally over two years to understand the influences on their decisions. Data codes and themes were generated through interpretive analysis of interview transcripts, and results were evaluated against the Eccles' et al. (1983) expectancy-value model of career choices. Three categories were identified: decisions made prior to matriculation, decisions made in adjusting to the university environment, and continuing decisions to persist in the sciences. First, initial decisions as high school students were made within a web environment, through self-dialogue. Participants relied on web information in a non-interactive way to make decisions on their own. Parents, teachers, and peers merely validated decisions. Second, the process by which these students adjusted in their first year of college revealed differences among the participating students. Unlike the two male computer science majors, two female biology majors had a more difficult time participating in classes, being active about seeking help and contacting socializers, and managing their personal lives. This contrast continued on to their second year. Finally, the study yielded an iterative notion of decision-making about persistence in science. The two female biology majors having a hard time in their classes constantly revisited their initial choice of a science major. They accessed the web to get information necessary to find a solution and relay that to new socializers, such as advisers, mentoring program staff, and peers in college. Drawing from these findings, this study yielded a framework for discussing Latino science students' academic decision making. The importance of the web in initial decisions has digital equity implications, and indicates the importance of Internet outreach. Further, differences in the decision process imply a need for personalized support structures.