A system for equity: enhancing STEM education during a pandemic

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the change in students' STEM perceptions in two different informal learning environments: an online STEM camp and a face-to-face (FTF) STEM camp.Design/methodology/approachFor this quasi-experimental study, 26 students participated in an online STEM summer camp and another 26 students participated in the FTF STEM camp. Students from each group took the same pre- and post-STEM Semantics Survey documenting their perceptions of the individual STEM fields and of STEM careers. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests, Mann–Whitney U tests and corresponding effect sizes were used to compare the pre- and post-scores within and between the camps.FindingsResults indicate that both camps produce similar outcomes regarding STEM field and career perceptions. However, analysis of all statistical values indicates that the online STEM camp can produce a larger positive influence on STEM field perceptions and the FTF camp can produce a larger positive influence on STEM career perceptions.Research limitations/implicationsThis suggests that STEM camps, both online and in-person, can improve students' perceptions of the STEM fields and of STEM careers. Implications from this study indicate that modifications of informal learning environments should be based on the type of learning environment.Originality/valueThis manuscript discusses the development and impact of an online STEM camp to accommodate for the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to hold an in-person STEM camp. These results may influence the curriculum and organization of future online and FTF STEM camps.

Analysis of Effectiveness PBL-STEM to Improve Student’s Critical Thinking Skills

“…Students can learn how to use their knowledge to create designs to address environmental issues by employing technology through STEM-based learning (English, 2016). In addition, to meet the demands of the 21st century, students who will become the next generation must be familiar with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and have critical and creative thinking skills (Baucum & Capraro, 2021;Marlina et al, 2021). Based on this, this learning can be integrated with the STEM approach to support the effectiveness of learning using the PBL model.…”

Evaluation of undergraduate remote learning in STEM fields: The COVID-19 prognosis

“…Difficulties have been reported in various STEM fields due to remote learning during COVID-19 pandemic: chemistry students have been documented to struggle with motivation and engagement (Petillion & McNeil, 2020); unfavourable space, issue of time management and inadequacy in knowledge and experience to transition into remote/online learning was reported by Ahmet and Bekir (2021); significant reduction in emotional engagement and attitude to science by students was argued by Wester et al (2021); university students finding online learning unsatisfactory and lecturers being advise to adopt Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to benefit all types of learners is existent (Chen et al, 2018). Yet, report of positive influence on perception and career choice stemming from remote/virtual learning was reported by Baucum and Capraro (2021). Furthermore, limited access to the internet, inadequate understanding of technology in the delivery of instruction among other challenges was brought to the fore by Pesnell (2020) and Badmus and Jita (2022); report of gender disparity in the perception of remote learning in higher education was reported also by Elumalai et al (2021).…”

Implementation of the PBL-STEM Model to Improve Students' Critical Thinking on Reaction Rate Material

“…Critical thinking skills are important to apply so that students have the capital to analyze problems so that students can apply their ideas in the application of technology, and scientific developments, and find solutions in solving problems they face every day (Adiwiguna et al, 2019). Furthermore, students who will become the next generation must be knowledgeable with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as having critical and creative thinking skills, in order to fulfill the needs of the twenty-first century (Baucum & Capraro, 2021;Marlina et al, 2021). Based on this, this learning can be combined with the STEM method to support the success of PBL-based learning (Wahdaniyah et al, 2023).…”