Specialized High Schools and Talent Search Programs

Almarode, John; Subotnik, Rena F.; Crowe, Edward; Tai, Robert H.; Lee, Geesoo Maie; Nowlin, Fiona

doi:10.1177/1932202x14536566

Cited by 30 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This line of research focuses on aspects of the high school experience, including course selection, course sequences, school environment, and students’ motivation, perceptions, and attitudes toward STEM subjects and careers. For example, Almarode et al (2014) conducted a national, retrospective, online survey study on the impact of specialized selective STEM high schools. The central goal of this study was to examine whether and how students’ experiences in selective specialized STEM high schools were associated with the outcome of earning STEM-related college degrees approximately 4 to 6 years after high school graduation.…”

Section: Previous Research On Factors Important To Stem Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors That Contributed to Gifted Students’ Success on STEM Pathways: The Role of Race, Personal Interests, and Aspects of High School Experience

Steenbergen‐Hu

Olszewski‐Kubilius

2017

Journal for the Education of the Gifted

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In this study, we conducted binary logistic regression on survey data collected from 244 past participants of a Talent Search program who attended regular high schools but supplemented their regular high school education with enriched or accelerated math and science learning activities. The participants completed an online survey 4 to 6 years after high school. This study examined how their demographics, high school experiences, and timing of and reasons for pursuing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathway related to the probability of earning STEM college degrees. This study revealed two factors that were positively and significantly associated with the outcome of earning STEM college degrees: Asian or White ethnicity and students' personal interest in STEM. Findings suggest that students' success in earning STEM degrees may not be fully attributable to their high achievements or abilities, and that their experiences in the Talent Search and supplemental outside-of-school gifted programs helped students intensify their interests in STEM.

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Section: Previous Research On Factors Important To Stem Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors That Contributed to Gifted Students’ Success on STEM Pathways: The Role of Race, Personal Interests, and Aspects of High School Experience

Steenbergen‐Hu

Olszewski‐Kubilius

2017

Journal for the Education of the Gifted

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“…Although this study is only an initial step in examining students' motivation in this way, our findings may indicate that participation in problem-based afterschool science and engineering programs like Studio STEM can serve in assuaging the documented decline in sciencebased motivation perceptions many students experience during those academic years. In turn, due to previous research (Maltese & Tai, 2010;Tai et al, 2006), we speculate that, because these students entered secondary education more motivated and engaged in STEM fields, they were more likely to pursue STEM fields in college and/or STEM-related careers.…”

Section: Motivational Beliefs About Science and College Plansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although students' interest in science often declines as they progress through school (Osborne, 2003;Simpson & Oliver, 1990), the instruction and education environments they experience can positively impact their motivational beliefs and long-term persistence (Fortus & Vedder-Weiss, 2014;Vedder-Weiss & Fortus, 2010). One significant factor in facilitating students' career intentions and persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is targeting their interests and motivation before the eighth grade (Maltese & Tai, 2010;PCAST, 2012;Tai, Liu, Maltese, & Fan, 2006). To reach students at this critical stage, an afterschool STEM program, titled Studio STEM, was implemented to foster students' motivation and engagement in STEM topics and activities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of an afterschool STEM program on students’ motivation and engagement

et al. 2017

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Background: One significant factor in facilitating students' career intentions and persistence in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields is targeting their interests and motivation before eighth grade. To reach students at this critical stage, a design-based afterschool STEM program, titled Studio STEM, was implemented to foster motivation and engagement in STEM topics and activities. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to investigate how Studio STEM affected students' beliefs about science and whether these beliefs differed from their peers who did not participate in the program, and (b) to examine a case study of one Studio STEM implementation to investigate elements of the curriculum that motivated students to engage in the program. Results: After completing two Studio STEM programs, participants' ratings of their values for science and science competence were higher than those of non-participants. In addition, the Studio STEM participants' motivational beliefs about science and intentions to pursue a college degree were more resilient over time than their peers. We also found that students could be motivated in a voluntary afterschool program (Studio STEM) in which they grappled with STEM concepts and activities, and could verbalize specific program elements that motivated them. Conclusions: Through this study, we found that students could be motivated in Studio STEM and that the experience had a positive impact on their perceptions about science as a field. Importantly, Studio STEM appeared to halt the decline in these students' motivational beliefs about science that typically occurs during the middle school years, indicating that afterschool programs can be one way to help students maintain their motivation in science. Studying the program features that the students found motivating may help educators to make connections between research and theory, and their classroom instruction to motivate their students.

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“…STEM-focused high schools have existed in the U.S. for over 70 years (Almarode et al, 2014). These include selective enrollment math-and science-focused schools, which admit students based on prior academic achievement, as well as more recent inclusive STEM high schools, which do not impose academic or achievementrelated admissions criteria for students.…”

Section: Inclusive Stem High Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding PBL Experiences in Inclusive STEM High Schools

Noble

Ferris

LaForce

et al. 2020

European Journal of STEM Education

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Background: Inclusive STEM high schools employ a variety of instructional strategies, including PBL (problem and/or project-based learning) experiences, with the goals of building students' 21st century skills, facilitating long-term academic success, and encouraging pursuit of STEM careers. PBL approaches are central to the goals of inclusive STEM schools; however, at this writing, no description of the implementation of PBL at these schools exists. Material and Methods: The current study draws on classroom observations and teacher interviews to describe PBL implementation across schools and classrooms. We describe specific instructional practices and classroom behaviors that teachers and students engage in during PBL. Results: Results highlight the multifaceted and multidimensional nature of PBL implementation, and that consistencies in practice do exist across inclusive STEM schools. Additionally, quantitative results show increased use of particular strategies in PBL experiences, as compared with non-PBL classes. Conclusions: This paper provides an in-depth look at instructional practices used in PBL approaches at inclusive STEM schools across the country, and findings have implications for how researchers and practitioners understand and use PBL going forward.

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Specialized High Schools and Talent Search Programs

Cited by 30 publications

References 28 publications

Factors That Contributed to Gifted Students’ Success on STEM Pathways: The Role of Race, Personal Interests, and Aspects of High School Experience

Factors That Contributed to Gifted Students’ Success on STEM Pathways: The Role of Race, Personal Interests, and Aspects of High School Experience

The effects of an afterschool STEM program on students’ motivation and engagement

A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding PBL Experiences in Inclusive STEM High Schools

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