Resources included in these libraries were submitted by ITEST projects or STELAR and are relevant to the work of the NSF ITEST Program. PDFs and/or URLs to the original resource are included in the resource description whenever possible. In some cases, full text publications are located behind publishers’ paywalls and a fee or membership to the third party site may be required for access. Permission for use must be requested through the publisher or author listed in each entry.
Scalable Game Design: A Strategy to Bring Systemic Computer Science Education to Schools through Game Design and Simulation Creation
PublicationAn educated citizenry that participates in and contributes to science technology engineering and mathematics innovation in the 21st century will require broad literacy and skills in computer science (CS). School systems will need to give increased attention to opportunities for students to engage in computational thinking and ways to promote a deeper understanding of how technologies and software are used as design tools. However, K-12 students in the United States are facing a broken pipeline for CS education. In response to this problem, we have developed the Scalable Game Design curriculum
To Customize or Not to Customize? Exploring Science Teacher Customization in an Online Lesson Portal
PublicationNew technologies are increasingly giving science teachers the ability to access and customize science lessons. However, there is substantial debate in the literature about whether and under what conditions teacher customization benefit student learning. In this study, we examined teacher customization of inquiry-based science lessons from an online lesson portal. We found that students who completed teacher-customized lessons had greater improvements in science content understanding than students who completed non-customized lessons. To expand upon this finding, we examined four case studies
How Do Propensity Score Methods Measure Up in the Presence of Measurement Error? A Monte Carlo Study
PublicationConsidering that the absence of measurement error in research is a rare phenomenon and its effects can be dramatic, we examine the impact of measurement error on propensity score (PS) analysis used to minimize selection bias in behavioral and social observational studies. A Monte Carlo study was conducted to explore the effects of measurement error on the treatment effect and balance estimates in PS analysis across seven different PS conditioning methods. In general, the results indicate that even low levels of measurement error in the covariates lead to substantial bias in estimates of
Elements of Design-Based Science Activities That Affect Students' Motivation
PublicationThe primary purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which a 12-week afterschool science and engineering program affected middle school students' motivation to engage in science and engineering activities. We used current motivation research and theory as a conceptual framework to assess 14 students' motivation through questionnaires, structured interviews, and observations. Students reported that during the activities they perceived that they were empowered to make choices in how to complete things, the activities were useful to them, they could succeed in the activities, they enjoyed
The Fish Weir: A Culturally Relevant STEM Activity
PublicationCurriculum and instructional strategies that are personally meaningful are key to engaging students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.A “one size fits all” approach to curriculum development does not always translate to accessible education for many students, particularly in science,technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Meaningful and relevant activities that demonstrate a direct application of STEM to the lives of students or their communities can increase engagement in STEM. Specifically, students are more likely to relate to instructional activitiesthat draw
Gender Differences in High School Student Dispositions Toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Careers
PublicationSTEM disposition surveys were completed by 364 11th and 12th grade students attending a two-year university-based residential science and mathematics academy during fall 2012. Surveys were completed by the same classes as a post test administration during spring 2013. Major findings were that first year students tended to show a decline in their dispositions pre to post while second year students showed an increase in their STEM dispositions pre to post. First year students exhibited gender differences in STEM dispositions that were typical of published male preferences, in that males had more
A Retrospective Analysis of STEM Career Interest Among Mathematics and Science Academy Students
PublicationData reflecting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) dispositions and reported reasons for interest in STEM were gathered in April 2013 from 342 high school students participating in a residential mathematics and science academy on a university campus. Student participants were enrolled in a program where finish their last two years of high school in conjunction with their first two years in college. Analysis of these data indicated that factors influencing student interest in STEM and STEM careers include the student’s own self-motivation, support from a parent or family
Alignment of Hands-on STEM Engagement Activities with Positive STEM Dispositions in Secondary School Students
PublicationThis study examines positive dispositions reported by middle school and high school students participating in programs that feature STEM-related activities. Middle school students participating in school-to-home hands-on energy monitoring activities are compared to middle school and high school students in a different project taking part in activities such as an after-school robotics program. Both groups are compared and contrasted with a third group of high school students admitted at the eleventh grade to an academy of mathematics and science. All students were assessed using the same
Confronting Barriers to Teaching Elementary Science: After-School Science Teaching Experiences for Preservice Teachers
PublicationThis qualitative study examines the transition of eight elementary preservice teachers into student teaching after participating in a science methods course that included a significant amount of teaching after-school science to elementary grade students. These eight participants had a chance to practice teaching inquiry-based science and to reform their own perceptions of science teaching and learning through an eight-week after-school science program situated within their elementary science methods course. Data were collected through observations, reflections, and participant interviews over
Stretch, Dream, and Do - A 21st Century Design Thinking & STEM Journey
PublicationThis paper describes the journey of d.Loft STEM Learning, a project of The National Science Foundation ITEST program, which supports building knowledge about approaches, models, and interventions involving K-12 education to increase the nation’s capacity and innovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. d.Loft STEM Learning used design thinking as an underlying theoretical and pedagogical approach to enhance STEM learning. Design thinking is a human-centered, prototype-driven innovation process and a series of mindsets that provides a robust scaffold for