There is concern about the low numbers and diversity of young people choosing careers and study subjects in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) at university and beyond. Many interventions aimed at addressing this issue have focused on young people aged 14+ years old. However, these interventions have resulted in little improvement in the numbers and diversity of young people progressing into STEM careers. The aim of this study is to ask "What are the affordances of a Theory of Change (ToC) for increasing the diversity and number of young people choosing a career in STEM post-18?" An innovative ToC is introduced which provides the theoretical underpinnings and context for the complex mix of interventions necessary to lead to a significant change in the number and diversity of those choosing STEM careers. Case studies of interventions developed using the ToC are presented. This approach, and associated ToC, is widely applicable across STEM, education and public engagement fields.
Achieving gender equality … is everyone's responsibility." Ban Ki-moon "A gender-equal society would be one where the word 'gender' does not exist: where everyone can be themselves."
This paper presents the results of a study on the adoption and integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom in Nigeria from the teachers' perspective. Although the Internet and digital devices are becoming increasingly accessible by many more people in Nigeria, the literature shows that their adoption and integration in the classroom is still low. This research adopts the case study method to examine the barriers as well as the solutions from the perspective of the teachers. Twenty science teachers from different schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria participated in this study. A combination of focus groups and questionnaires was used to collect data. The results show that the main barriers against the adoption and integration of ICT in the classroom include a lack of adequate and well-trained personnel, poor internet service, as well as high cost of access. The identified solutions include changes to the curriculum to support digital literacy, funding and material support from both regional and national government, and digital literacy training for the teachers. These findings provide practical insights for school leaders and policy makers on strategies and recommendations to improve the adoption and integration of ICT in schools in Nigeria.
This research to practice full paper presents the results from using a games design intervention to encourage diversity in the uptake of computer science by young people, explore stereotypes with them and increase their awareness of careers in the sector. The intervention is based on an integrated pedagogical framework appropriate for use with primary age school children (age 7-11 years). Despite the increasing use of technology, the percentage of young people taking up a computer science education-career path remains stubbornly low in the UK and across a number of other countries, particularly for females and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Previous research suggests that games can be used to generate interest and engage young people with computer science. Other studies advocate targeting young people at an earlier age (7 years or below) and sustaining engagement throughout their education to widen participation in a particular sector. In this intervention, young people designed and developed individual games through a three stage process: design and story development; game building; testing and evaluation. This research adopts elements from two pedagogical learning theories Direct Instruction and Cognitive Constructivism to create an integrated pedagogical framework to support the game creation process and enable effective learning. This provides an approach that can cater for a range of participants' abilities along the novice-expert spectrum and provide an engaging and age appropriate educational experience.
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