Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Understanding how 4-H project clubs affect youth's confidence toward STEM-based initiatives and career opportunities(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Andrade, Claudia Gabrielle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThe purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how the establishment of a STEM-focused 4-H project club would affect youth's confidence towards STEM based initiatives and career opportunities. Additionally, how youth Guardian's perceptions of 4-H materials would be affected through engagement with their youth in said 4-H project club. This Action Research Project (ARP) included the development and facilitation of a STEM Focused 4-H project club. Youth participants ranged from ages eight to sixteen and attended at least four out of the five STEM focused 4-H workshops over the course of five weeks. Eligible youth earned an overnight trip to Montana State University in Bozeman to tour the 4-H center and STEM related departments, along with a visit to Museum of the Rockies. Throughout the course of this ARP, youth and their guardians participated in both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods including pre and post Likert-surveys, journal entries, mid-way assessments, and exit interviews. Statistical analysis of the data showed that a majority of youth exhibited a change in their application of STEM topics to their everyday life. Additionally, youths' general mood when completing the STEM workshop tasks were overwhelmingly positive. Given the number of participants for this ARP, the information gathered is not generalizable; however, these results provide for a better understanding of how a STEM-focused 4-H project club influenced youth in Lake County.Item Diverse STEM experts in the middle school classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Bull, Hailey Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisHow does bringing in a diverse group of science, technology, engineering, and math professionals impact student perceptions of what people in these fields look like and do for a living? By interviewing women and people of color in these careers and showing recorded and edited versions of the interviews to students, some students showed growth in tests like the Draw-A-Scientist-Test, proving that they learned anyone could be a scientist. Additionally, results from the Thinking about My Future Survey showed that students also had a change in attitude regarding their beliefs that they would be capable of having a career in one of these many fields. Class discussions also indicated that students had started to understand that no one in any of the jobs we discussed had to look a certain way or fit a specific mold. Many stereotypes were removed from student perceptions, but some were difficult for students to move away from mentally.Item Self-efficacy and science identify of second grade girls in STEM club(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Shaw, Kathryn Elisa; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisSecond grade girls were invited to participate in an after-school STEM club. These students were identified because they would benefit from a STEM program, by both their teacher and our STEAM teacher. Girls in STEM fields are severely lacking in today's job market, and many programs target girls who are in upper elementary or middle school. This program was designed to catch girls at a younger age and give them exposure to science-based fields, so that positive experiences with science could keep them engaged throughout their elementary science career. This STEM club was jobs-based (and included jobs such as microbiologist, coder, aerospace engineer, forensic scientist, and geologist) and included mentors. Mentors were women, chosen from the community who had a specific interest in that science topic. Girls met the mentors and asked them about their jobs, hobbies, and goals. Girls came for one hour after school, two times a week. Girls were asked to be present for most, if not all, the STEM club dates. Students were assessed on their feelings of science identify and self-efficacy twice, once before the program began and once after the program had ended. These girls' scores were then compared to one another as well as the whole of second grade (both boys and girls), to determine importance. Girls in the STEM club were more likely to think of themselves as scientists, more likely to love science, more likely to have a belief that they can do any science and were more likely to believe that science came easy to them. Girls in the STEM club were also more likely to be familiar with science jobs and what they were more likely to believe that both boys and girls were good at science, or even that girls were better than boys at science. The girls in the STEM club were equally likely to want to be a scientist when they grew up as other second grade students.Item Using aeronautics to increase engagement, comprehension, and interest in aviation STEM careers(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Giordano, Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisSince the initiation of STEM Education, the need for pilots and aircraft technicians has steadily increased as the number of people entering aviation career fields has been on the decline. The population in general remains unaware of rewarding career opportunities in aviation and aerospace as the focus in STEM careers has been on computers, information technology and healthcare. Will using aviation themes to teach science increase engagement, comprehension, and interest in aviation STEM careers. A unit on force and motion was taught using aviation themed activities. Pre and post assessments were administered to measure comprehension of force and motion concepts for treatment and non-treatment groups. The treatment group completed pre and post treatment surveys to measure their interest and awareness of aviation STEM careers. A post treatment questionnaire, and student interviews were used to determine both student engagement and interest in aviation careers. Data analysis indicated a small, but not significant increase in comprehension for the treatment group. Student awareness in aviation as a STEM career increased, while interest in aviation careers exhibited almost no change. Using aviation themes to teach certain science topics can increase student engagement, if used economically. Unless individual students have had a personal experience with aviation, beyond flying on a commercial airliner, the novelty may wear off quickly. Used strategically, using aviation themed activities can generate a greater interest for some students and certainly make others cognizant of the field.Item Preparing students for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and healthcare fields - a two year college approach(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Shell, Michael John; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter WoolbaughThe Becoming a Successful Student course offered at the Great Falls College Montana State University is designed to prepare students for future coursework by providing foundational study skills, time management, and goal setting. This study correlated the effectiveness of the Becoming a Successful Student Class with students interested in health science career and computer science tracks as well as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field transfer programs by assessing student perception of effectiveness and then correlating that effectiveness with first semester Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale, along with credits attempted vs. credits successfully completed and then second semester mid-term GPA along with credits attempted. Face to face interviews with competitive entry health science program directors and division directors also gave a look at the anticipated competencies that students should have prior to acceptance into a program or transfer to a STEM school. The foundational framework of the Becoming a Successful Student applies to students that are new to the world of higher academics in order to reinforce and enhance previously learned skills in order to achieve success in future coursework. This also supports the mission of student retention by making the skills and knowledge to be successful able to be accessed by all new students. Although, initially it appears that the course had little effect on the future preparedness of students, it is important to note that at mid-term many students still have an opportunity to drop or withdraw from courses that they will not be successful in. Also, the students with grades less than 'B-' show the greatest increase in semester GPA at mid-term, suggesting that students who would not have been successful initially, obtained skills that they built on and reinforced their future success.Item Evaluating the impact of professional science involvement on students at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Gunn, Bridgette K.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter WoolbaughI teach at The Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Florida International University in Miami, FL. As a dual enrollment, environmental studies high school science magnet, my students are required to take six science credits beyond FL's state minimum to satisfy curriculum demands. In response to this, my upperclassmen have expressed fatigue and a growing disinterest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses. Recognizing the need for promotion of enthusiasm in STEM, the purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of professional science involvement on my 11th and 12th grade honors bioscience students. I hypothesized that through participation in real-world science, students would be able to see the relevance behind their instruction and change their attitudes toward STEM courses and careers. Treatment in this study consisted of student participation in a citizen science project, Growing Beyond Earth (GBE), offered by David Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Agency (NASA). GBE was a competition-based exploration of NASA's veggie unit that gave students a chance to submit their findings to project organizers to be evaluated for implementation on the International Space Station (ISS). As a part of GBE, students built and maintained a plant atrium that mimicked conditions on the ISS during a 90-day growth trial. Students were responsible for monitoring plant health and watering regimes, managing biometric data both digitally and paper-based, harvesting plant tissues, and synthesizing research proposals from their work. Contact time for GBE varied based on the activity and is broken down in the accompanying logic model (See Table 2). Student attitudes, academic performance and retention in STEM were evaluated in response to treatment. Attitudes were measured using the Professional Science Impact Instrument (PSII), academic performance through the Science Concept Quiz (SCC), and STEM career retention was measured through the Student Interest Inventory (SII). I developed all instruments for the purpose of evaluation in this action research project and they do not pull from previously existing instruments. Analysis of the SCC returned statistically significant learning gains posttreatment, while results of the PSII and the SII were mixed.Item Motivating adolescent females into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Essman, Sandra Lea; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisDuring the treatment time period, the junior high life science class of seventh and eighth grade students were introduced to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with the goal to motivate the female students into related areas of study. During the treatment, students participated in presentations, labs, activities, and cooperative group assignments that dealt with STEM courses and careers. These included presenters with STEM careers coming into the classroom or meeting online to talk to the students about their STEM careers, engineering labs which the students participated in to heighten their awareness of everyday objects we use that are related to STEM, and the students working together in the classroom on STEM activities to reinforce the many aspects of STEM in our lives. All of this was done with the intense purpose to increase the female students' knowledge of STEM in order to motivate them to want to take more STEM related courses in school and to further their education into STEM related careers.Item Impacts of a kinesthetic astronomy afterschool program on students' interest in STEM topics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Johns, Carla J.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisAstronomy is a multidisciplinary field, rich in history, broad in content, and universally appealing to students of all ages and backgrounds. Through the study of astronomy, students can gain a deeper appreciation for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and how these fields intersect, ultimately enabling us to explore space and learn about our universe. Few formal educators take college-level astronomy courses, and those who do often find the complexity of the subject matter too difficult to convey to elementary school students. The goal of this educational research project was to supplement classroom curriculum during an afterschool program. Informal education environments reward curiosity and engagement, and encourage exploration and inquiry. Through this project, the researcher hoped to increase students' interest in the STEM subjects and to build students' self-efficacy towards learning about and doing science. The researcher partnered with five Before and After School Enrichment Camps in Larimer County, Colorado. The week-long program focused on structured exploratory and kinesthetic activities encouraging students to make observations, build models, predict outcomes, and develop explanations. Based upon the data from the surveys and assessments, it was difficult to determine if a change had occurred as a result of the treatment. High fluctuations of attendance levels over the course of the study may have had an impact on the overall results. Qualitative data indicated that a change had occurred in the level of students' interest in and knowledge of STEM and space-related topics after the program. Many students, unprompted, began taking charge of their own learning and developed methods for their journey towards lifelong learning.Item The effects of implementing language objectives in a technology education class(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Wong, Simone Scafide; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter WoolbaughIn recent years, U.S. public schools have had an influx of students for whom English is a second language (ESL). These ESL students or English language learners (ELL) have a more difficult time learning academic language compared to their native English speaking peers. The Sheltered Instructional Observational Protocol (SIOP) was developed to help ESL students succeed in classes taught in a second language. Studies have shown SIOP as an effective means of instruction for ESL, and that following SIOP in the classroom is also successful in increasing student success among non-ESL students. This paper focuses on the effects of implementing one specific feature of SIOP (setting language objectives) in a technology education elective. In this classroom research project, the instructor implemented language objectives into alternating units of study and measured the effect of the language objectives on students' perception of content, students' peer engagement, students' confidence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and students' interest in STEM careers. The researcher collected data from student assessment, student journals, surveys, classroom observations and student interviews. This classroom research project found that when working independently on design activities, students performed better when language objectives were implemented. Language objectives led to more peer-to-peer interaction, and a drastic increase in peer-to-peer questions. By setting language objectives, students became more confident in their abilities to learn STEM concepts, however, interested in STEM careers remained constantItem Primary literature in the science classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Apedaile, Lily Anne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisCurrently, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees and career pathways are seeing a declining number of people entering these fields. Because of this decline in interest and preparation in these fields, there is a shift in focus in science education to pedagogy methods that are more student-centered and allow students to engage in more authentic scientific practices. Along with declining interest, many students do not have the abstract scientific reasoning skills to be successful in upper-level coursework necessary for these fields. In order to better prepare students and keep them engaged in science coursework, methods that are both scientific inquiry based and can help students develop their scientific reasoning skills are needed. A group of students at Frenchtown High School used a scaffolded reading technique, called the CREATE method, to interpret and understand two scientific primary literature articles, and were compared to students that did not engage in the reading activities. Both groups of students took pre and posttests that measured their understanding of scientific inquiry and scientific reasoning, the treatment group's concept maps were also assessed for reading comprehension. The treatment group saw increased understanding in several areas of scientific inquiry, increased abstract thinking skills, and better reading comprehension from the first article to the second article. These results suggest that this modified CREATE method could be used as a pedagogical tool in the science classroom that would help students better understand how scientists carry out scientific inquiry and increase scientific reasoning skills.