A Summer Math and Physics Program for High School Students: Student Performance and Lessons Learned in the Second Year

Abstract

F or the past two years, the Eoundations in Physics and Mathematics (FPM) summer program has been held at Indiana University in order to fulfill two goals: provide additional physics and mathematics instruction at the high school level, and provide physics graduate students with experience and autonomy in designing curricula and teaching courses. In this paper we will detail changes made to the program for its second year and the motivation for these changes, as well as implications for future iterations of the program. We gauge the impact of the changes on student performance using pre-/post-test scores, student evaluations, and anecdotal evidence. These data show that the program has a positive impact on student knowledge and this impact was greater in magnitude in the second year of the program. We attribute this improvement primarily to the inclusion of more inquirydriven activities. All activities, worksheets, and lesson plans used in the program are available online.D espite the increased availability of math and physics resources at the secondary level via the Internet, face-to-face interactions with qualified math and physics instructors beyond the allotted class time can be difficult to find. Educational opportunities outside the classroom, such as tutoring, are not available in all areas and the costs of these services are prohibitively high for many students. Similarly, quality teaching and curriculum development experiences for graduate students are lacking in many graduate programs. In an attempt to address these deficiencies, we created and implemented a summer math and physics program for local high school students in the summer of 2010.We were unable to find a description in the literature of a short summer program (-12 hours) that emphasized preparation for upcoming high school courses. Other summer programs reviewed in the literature appear to fall into two distinct types. The first type is the so-called "Scientist in the Classroom" program in which scientists or graduate students conduct activities and demonstrations during a short (~1 to 3 day) outreach program in high school classrooms.^ A similar program also involved graduate students participating in high school classroom activities, but involved a longer duration of approximately one semester.^ The other type of summer program lasted for several weeks and involved students traveling to a university where they took part in early research experiences within research laboratories.^'^ It appears that our combination of a university setting, an emphasis on preparation for high school courses, and a relatively short time frame (12 hours) is unique in the literature.

The impact of college‐ and university‐run high school summer programs on students’ end of high school STEM career aspirations

“…Students have reported improved mathematics study skills and heightened awareness of education planning and personal learning styles as a result of program participation (Enriquez, ). Other studies have shown improved mathematics or physics knowledge and skills following participation (Dimitriu & O'Connor, ; Enriquez, ; Timme et al., ). Programs may also produce gains in individual student test scores as well as reduce test score variability among participants (Goonatilake & Bachnak, ).…”

“…Other studies have shown improved mathematics or physics knowledge and skills following participation (Dimitriu & O'Connor, 2006;Enriquez, 2010;Timme et al, 2013). Programs may also produce gains in individual student test scores as well as reduce test score variability among participants (Goonatilake & Bachnak, 2012).…”

Life Science Research Immersion Program Improves STEM-Specific Skills and Science Attitudes among Precollege Students

“…A general assumption is that more students will major in STEM if they enroll and do well in science and math-based courses during high school. Studies on precollege research programs are limited and often descriptive ( 24 ), and the existing evidence is mixed: some studies have found positive effects on STEM retention, while others have failed to detect any effects on STEM interest, motivation, or retention ( 25 – 28 ). Several studies with small sample sizes and vague learning outcomes used surveys to determine the impact of such programs ( 29 – 31 ), but more empirical studies are needed to quantify the efficacy of STEM research programs on students’ interest, pursuit, and retention in STEM.…”

Out-of-school time STEM program: Students’ attitudes toward and career interests in mathematics and science

“…The existing evidence is mixed at best. While several studies generally found positive effects on student cognitive and motivational outcomes [7][8][9][10][11][12][13], others failed to detect an effect of OST STEM program participation on desirable student STEM outcomes, such as STEM interest and college major [14][15][16]. The mixed findings of prior studies stemmed in part from research designs that relied on small sample sizes and imprecise outcome measures.…”