Increasing Student Interest and Attitudes in STEM: Professional Development and Activities to Engage and Inspire Learners

The iQUEST (investigation for Quality Understanding and Engagement for Students and Teachers) project is designed to promote student interest and attitudes toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The project targets seventhand eighth-grade science classrooms that serve high percentages of Hispanic students. The project design, student summer camp program, and professional development model have led to successful increases in student performance. The iQUEST student summer camp findings show that underserved populations of both female and male students experienced increased interest and attitudes toward science and technology. The iQUEST professional development model seeks to transform middle school science teachers from digital immigrants to advocates for technology being a critical part of student learning through integration of innovative technology experiences in formal science settings. Classroom observations illustrate how teachers have successfully implemented lessons that engage students in hands-on investigations, leading to deeper understanding of science and, therefore improving the potential of underrepresented students competing in STEM fields. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 22% growth in jobs for fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) between 2004 and 2014 (U. S. Department of Labor, 2005). This change requires that the nation’s youth obtain specific skills and be provided opportunities to understand how they can best be prepared for the changes in workforce skill requirements. Lack of STEM-related skills will negatively impact women and minorities’ chances to compete for employment, wages, and leadership in all professional fields (Oakes, 1990). Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 11(1) 48 Groups such as the National Science Board (2006) and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (Frehill, DiFabio, & Hill, 2008) have called the current underrepresentation of minorities and women in STEM fields “America’s pressing challenge” and “the new American dilemma.” Leading businesses and education groups are teaming up and aiming new initiatives at increasing the number of minorities and women entering the pipeline for entry into STEM fields. Women make up 51% of the U.S. population, and Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the U.S., expected to make up 30% of the nation’s population by the year 2050. According to a report released by the National Science Board (2006), Hispanic representation in science and engineering occupations increased from 2 to 3.2% from 2000 to 2007, which is a small increase proportionally considering their overall percentage of the population. Additionally, the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute recently released a publication stating that Latinos are not only poorly represented in STEM fields, but that a severe gender gap exists between male and female representation for Latinos compared with that of other underrepresented populations (Taningco, Mathew, & Pachon, 2008). Based on the current crisis, it is important for educational agencies to help develop the underrepresented population’s potential to become professionals in areas that are essential to our nation’s competetiveness in the global marketplace. Changes in today’s workforce, along with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ expectations for job growth in STEM fields, require that our youth obtain sophisticated skills and support in these areas. In 2005, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that student interest in science and mathematics was about equal for boys and girls at the fourth-grade level, but starting in middle school, girls’ interest declined, and greater numbers of boys were found to complete courses in physics (Grigg, Lauko, & Brockway, 2006; National Center for Education Statistics, 2007). According to the Doing What Works website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education (2010a) for research-based practices, one of the five recommended practices to encourage girls toward math and science is called “Sparking Curiosity.” Teachers are asked to provide students with engaging and meaningful activities as part of regular instruction in order to increase their interest and career aspirations in math and science. The more interested students are in a subject, the more involved they become in their assignments, putting effort into their studies and engaging in deeper levels of thinking. Experts believe that increased student engagement in math, and science at school will eventually lead to involvement in mathand science-related after-school activities and career aspirations. (U.S. Department of Education, 2010a, Sparking Curiosity Practice Summary, p. 1)