The effect of university research apprenticeships for high school students on Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology
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The effect of university research apprenticeships for high school students on Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology learning and the pursuit of Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology degrees and careers Julia Budassi and Miriam Rafailovich, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Department, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-2275, USA Address all correspondence to Julia Budassi at [email protected] (Received 2 March 2018; accepted 25 April 2018)
Abstract The goal of this study is to examine whether participation in high school research apprenticeships increases pursuit of degrees and careers in science, and to explore other apprenticeship benefits. Students who participated in a research apprenticeship were surveyed about its influence on their undergraduate, graduate, and professional decisions. A control group who attended the same high schools, had similar grade point averages, and graduated with the apprenticeship participants was also surveyed. It was found that a significantly higher fraction of the apprenticeship group majored in Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) fields, pursued careers in STEM disciplines, and found the experience to strategically influence their job performance.
Introduction The National Science Board 2016 Indicators Report is a reminder that science and engineering jobs are more valuable than ever and that student interest and performance in science and engineering in the USA still needs to be improved. In its review of the Program for International Student Assessment data, the Indicators Report describes that the US average mathematics and science literacy scores are below the average scores for all developed countries. Additionally, the USA has substantially fewer high scores and more low scores than other developed countries. It is also reported that innovation based on science and engineering research and development is globally recognized as an important vehicle for a nation’s economic growth and competitive advantage. Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) jobs are agreed upon by policymakers to be good for workers and for the economy but North America is maintaining a slower growth in this area than rapidly developing economies such as China and South Korea.[1] As Lester Paldy described in an editorial for the Journal of College Science Teaching, “We need to do more to carry the message to the public that science is critical to US competitiveness in a globalized economy (. . .)” and “there is still much room for improvement at the precollege level”.[2] The goal of this study is to examine whether university research experience for high school students, also called research apprenticeships, helps increase student pursuit of degrees and careers in science, and to explore other benefits that research apprenticeships may possess for students who
participate in them and valuable teaching objectives they are able to realize. There are several theories regarding the problems of little inclusivity in and pu
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