Measuring Student Perceptions of Engineering Classroom Activities and the Use of Such Measures by STEM Faculty: The Development of the Student Class Activity and Engagement Instrument (original) (raw)
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Introductory courses in the sciences have been criticized for their lack of engaging pedagogy and their encouragement of passive learning techniques. Critics have cited these features as primary reasons why students decide to leave the sciences shortly after enrolling in college, as students report feeling un-engaged in learning and confused about course content. Using a sequential, explanatory mixed methods approach, this study provides an in-depth look at the relationship between student learning strategies, faculty pedagogical techniques, and student engagement in introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Quantitative survey data are drawn from 2,873 students within 73 introductory STEM courses across 15 colleges and universities while qualitative data were collected from 41 student focus groups at eight institutions. Findings indicate that freshmen and pre-med students report higher levels of engagement. Additionally, students who feel comfor...
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He also serves as an Extension Services Consultant for the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). His past experiences include having been a middle school science teacher, Director of Academic and Instructional Support for the Arizona Department of Education, a research scientist for the Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (CRESMET), and an evaluator for several NSF projects. His first research strand concentrates on the relationship between educational policy and STEM education. His second research strand focuses on studying STEM classroom interactions and subsequent effects on student understanding. He is a codeveloper of the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) and his work has been cited more than 1800 times and his publications have been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals such as Science Education and the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
The lack of academic engagement in introductory science courses is considered by some to be a primary reason why students switch out of science majors. This study employed a sequential, explanatory mixed methods approach to provide a richer understanding of the relationship between student engagement and introductory science instruction. Quantitative survey data were drawn from 2,873 students within 73 introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses across 15 colleges and universities, and qualitative data were collected from 41 student focus groups at eight of these institutions. The findings indicate that students tended to be more engaged in courses where the instructor consistently signaled an openness to student questions and recognizes her/his role in helping students succeed. Likewise, students who reported feeling comfortable asking questions in class, seeking out tutoring, attending supplemental instruction sessions, and collaborating with other students in the course were also more likely to be engaged. Instructional implications for improving students’ levels of academic engagement are discussed.
Research in Higher Education, 2011
The lack of academic engagement in introductory science courses is considered by some to be a primary reason why students switch out of science majors. This study employed a sequential, explanatory mixed methods approach to provide a richer understanding of the relationship between student engagement and introductory science instruction. Quantitative survey data were drawn from 2,873 students within 73 introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses across 15 colleges and universities, and qualitative data were collected from 41 student focus groups at eight of these institutions. The findings indicate that students tended to be more engaged in courses where the instructor consistently signaled an openness to student questions and recognizes her/his role in helping students succeed. Likewise, students who reported feeling comfortable asking questions in class, seeking out tutoring, attending supplemental instruction sessions, and collaborating with other students in the course were also more likely to be engaged. Instructional implications for improving students' levels of academic engagement are discussed.
Exploring Student Engagement in STEM Education through the Engineering Design Process
Jurnal Penelitian dan Pembelajaran IPA, 2021
While the engineering is expected to be a catalyst for integrated STEM education, engineering is also problematic, especially in countries with a fixed and centralized curriculum such as Japan. Therefore, translating the framework of integrated STEM into practice and exploring students’ engagement are essential. This study explored students’ engagement in STEM activities through the Engineering Design Process (EDP) in an elective science class. Our participants were sixteen students (aged 14–15) in a Japanese junior high school (JHS) that chose to participate for one semester. Through a single case study, we analyzed the students’ engagement with the activities from the individual and group perspectives. Data from self-assessments, worksheets, presentations, and videos of lessons were collected and analyzed. The results showed that the students’ level of engagement was very high. Exploration with co-occurrence network analysis showed that students’ engagement was associated with the...
2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings
He also serves as an Extension Services Consultant for the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). His past experiences include having been a middle school science teacher, Director of Academic and Instructional Support for the Arizona Department of Education, a research scientist for the Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (CRESMET), and an evaluator for several NSF projects. His first research strand concentrates on the relationship between educational policy and STEM education. His second research strand focuses on studying STEM classroom interactions and subsequent effects on student understanding. He is a codeveloper of the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) and his work has been cited more than 2200 times and he has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals such as Science Education and the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.