JoinResearch & Teaching
From Science in the Art Gallery to Art in the Science Classroom
Using Arts-Integrated Professional Development to Enhance Environmental Education
Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 6)
By Lauren Madden, Carolina Blatt, Louise Ammentorp, Eileen Heddy, Dana Kneis, and Nicole Stanton
In this study, 26 teachers for kindergarten through Grade 8 in six schools participated in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary professional development (PD) effort focused on integrating environmental education across the curriculum. One focus of the PD was to encourage the teachers to use arts-integration strategies for environmental education. Using a qualitative approach to analyze the degree to which teachers shifted instruction to include arts integration or planned to make shifts in the future, we found that participants engaged in arts-based activities for four purposes: communication, creative expression, content explanation, and community building. Data sources included post-PD surveys, site visits and observations, and email communication with teachers. We found that arts-based strategies were well received by teachers, and, following the PD, the teachers applied the art-based strategies to their science teaching through the four purposes listed.
In this study, 26 teachers for kindergarten through Grade 8 in six schools participated in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary professional development (PD) effort focused on integrating environmental education across the curriculum. One focus of the PD was to encourage the teachers to use arts-integration strategies for environmental education.
In this study, 26 teachers for kindergarten through Grade 8 in six schools participated in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary professional development (PD) effort focused on integrating environmental education across the curriculum. One focus of the PD was to encourage the teachers to use arts-integration strategies for environmental education.
Feature
The STEM Faculty Experience at West Point
Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 6)
By Carolann Koleci, Eileen M. Kowalski, and Kenneth J. McDonald
At conferences or meetings, West Point faculty are often asked, “What’s it like to teach at West Point?” Previously, we reported on this question within the context of the cadet’s West Point experience and how STEM courses and opportunities are integrated. Now we turn our focus to the West Point faculty and their unique position of both educating cadets in a traditional sense and helping with the cadets’ character development. In this article, we discuss who the West Point faculty are; what is expected of each faculty member; and how faculty members within chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering educate and develop future leaders of character for the U.S. Army.
At conferences or meetings, West Point faculty are often asked, “What’s it like to teach at West Point?” Previously, we reported on this question within the context of the cadet’s West Point experience and how STEM courses and opportunities are integrated. Now we turn our focus to the West Point faculty and their unique position of both educating cadets in a traditional sense and helping with the cadets’ character development.
At conferences or meetings, West Point faculty are often asked, “What’s it like to teach at West Point?” Previously, we reported on this question within the context of the cadet’s West Point experience and how STEM courses and opportunities are integrated. Now we turn our focus to the West Point faculty and their unique position of both educating cadets in a traditional sense and helping with the cadets’ character development.
feature
A Human-Centered Design Tool Kit for STEM-Based Capstone Courses
General Design and Implementation in a Food Science Curriculum
Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 6)
By Lucas O’Bryan, Dawn Bohn, and Saadeddine Shehab
In fall 2019, a food science instructor partnered with the design center at a large Midwestern university to create a student activity tool kit for integrating the Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach into a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)–based undergraduate capstone experience. This article shows how HCD can provide a student-centered approach to a capstone course and offers practical preparation, implementation, and evaluation materials for lectures, discussions, and laboratory sessions, all of which were used to guide instructors as they integrated HCD into a STEM capstone course. While a food product development course served as the model for other STEM capstone courses, the HCD approach is not discipline-specific; the activities and assessments conducted in this course can be applied across departments, from food science to bioengineering to chemistry and beyond.
In fall 2019, a food science instructor partnered with the design center at a large Midwestern university to create a student activity tool kit for integrating the Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach into a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)–based undergraduate capstone experience.
In fall 2019, a food science instructor partnered with the design center at a large Midwestern university to create a student activity tool kit for integrating the Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach into a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)–based undergraduate capstone experience.
feature
Science, Society, and Self
An Undergraduate Course for Imparting Social Context to STEM
Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 6)
By Marcus Aldredge, Sunghee Lee, and Josh Klein
A formal pedagogical push emerged and later blossomed in designing integrated curriculum between STEM and non-STEM areas in secondary and higher education. A growing cadre of research identifies positive learning outcomes for students participating in an integrated curriculum who apply basic STEM knowledge to investigate social problems and justice issues within social contexts. Research indicates STEM students demonstrate fewer concerns with social issues, often placing a greater interest in the value of individualism. This article outlines a new integrative course, Science, Society and Self, which was supported by a National Science Foundation grant to Iona College in the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. The Development of Excellence in Science through Intervention, Resilience, and Enrichment (DESIRE) program seeks to increase retention and graduation rates for economically disadvantaged and high-aptitude STEM majors. Skills important for success in STEM courses are reviewed, as are service-learning and policy applications. We also explore the intersections between nature of science (NOS) and sociological concepts. This culminates in distinguishing public science issues by connecting the intersections of human biographies, history, and societal structures through the sociological imagination, as conceived by C. Wright Mills.
A formal pedagogical push emerged and later blossomed in designing integrated curriculum between STEM and non-STEM areas in secondary and higher education. A growing cadre of research identifies positive learning outcomes for students participating in an integrated curriculum who apply basic STEM knowledge to investigate social problems and justice issues within social contexts. Research indicates STEM students demonstrate fewer concerns with social issues, often placing a greater interest in the value of individualism.
A formal pedagogical push emerged and later blossomed in designing integrated curriculum between STEM and non-STEM areas in secondary and higher education. A growing cadre of research identifies positive learning outcomes for students participating in an integrated curriculum who apply basic STEM knowledge to investigate social problems and justice issues within social contexts. Research indicates STEM students demonstrate fewer concerns with social issues, often placing a greater interest in the value of individualism.
Special Feature
The Impact of Online STEM Teaching and Learning During COVID-19 on Underrepresented Students’ Self-Efficacy and Motivation
Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 6)
By Sami Kahn, Janet Vertesi, Sigrid Adriaenssens, Julia Byeon, Mona Fixdal, Kelly Godfrey, Jérémie Lumbroso, and Kasey Wagoner
Female students, students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students face considerable barriers in access to STEM education, leading to their underrepresentation in STEM fields. Ensuring that these students develop strong self-efficacy and motivation in STEM during the college years is key to addressing the “leaky” STEM pipeline. To determine whether the rapid shift to online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated or mitigated inequities for college-level STEM students, we examined correlations between demographic and sociocultural factors and students’ self-assessments on indicators of self-efficacy and motivation. Our findings suggest that students from underrepresented groups were differentially negatively impacted by the shift to online teaching and learning, particularly with regard to access to study spaces, the internet, and peers. However, we found that the loss of traditional laboratories was not particularly impactful on any students’ motivation or self-efficacy, regardless of a course’s levels of dependence on such labs, as students were generally more impacted by concerns about family members’ health and loss of social and structural supports than academic experiences. We discuss these results in light of psychosocial theory and suggest pedagogical and structural changes that can support more equitable outcomes in online and in-person college-level STEM education.
Female students, students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students face considerable barriers in access to STEM education, leading to their underrepresentation in STEM fields. Ensuring that these students develop strong self-efficacy and motivation in STEM during the college years is key to addressing the “leaky” STEM pipeline.
Female students, students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students face considerable barriers in access to STEM education, leading to their underrepresentation in STEM fields. Ensuring that these students develop strong self-efficacy and motivation in STEM during the college years is key to addressing the “leaky” STEM pipeline.
Point of View
Operationalizing the Duty of Care Through Rubrics
Journal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 6)
By Emily Faulconer
Laboratory experiments are a key aspect of science education. However, they do have risks, and accidents do happen. Science educators have a duty of care, which includes duty of instruction. One tool that can be leveraged for duty of instruction is course rubrics. Including clear safety criteria in the rubric operationalizes the duty of care and allows students to clearly understand safety expectations and competencies. Specifically, the use of organizing schemes such as RAMP (recognize hazards, assess risks, minimize risks, prepare for emergencies) in rubrics can provide clear communication to students.
Laboratory experiments are a key aspect of science education. However, they do have risks, and accidents do happen. Science educators have a duty of care, which includes duty of instruction. One tool that can be leveraged for duty of instruction is course rubrics. Including clear safety criteria in the rubric operationalizes the duty of care and allows students to clearly understand safety expectations and competencies.
Laboratory experiments are a key aspect of science education. However, they do have risks, and accidents do happen. Science educators have a duty of care, which includes duty of instruction. One tool that can be leveraged for duty of instruction is course rubrics. Including clear safety criteria in the rubric operationalizes the duty of care and allows students to clearly understand safety expectations and competencies.
Volume 51, Number 6
This issue of JCST Research and Teaching column includes: an interesting interdisciplinary look at using arts-integrated professional development to enhance environmental education; a study showing that computer-based exams do not disadvantage students; how to use an argumentative writing prompt to support non-science majors
Volume 51, Number 6
This issue of JCST Research and Teaching column includes: an interesting interdisciplinary look at using arts-integrated professional development to enhance environmental education; a study showing that computer-based exams do not disadvantage students; how to use an argumentative writing prompt to support non-science majors
Volume 51, Number 6
This issue of JCST Research and Teaching column includes: an interesting interdisciplinary look at using arts-integrated professional development to enhance environmental education; a study showing that computer-based exams do not disadvantage students; how to use an argumentative writing prompt to support non-science majors
Volume 59, Number 6
Volume 59, Number 6
Volume 59, Number 6
Volume 89, Number 6
Societal Issues in the STEM
Volume 89, Number 6
Societal Issues in the STEM
Volume 89, Number 6
Societal Issues in the STEM
Volume 45, Number 6
Energy is a cross-disciplinary subject that extends far beyond the natural sciences into the social sciences.
Volume 45, Number 6
Energy is a cross-disciplinary subject that extends far beyond the natural sciences into the social sciences.