The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of science volunteering initiatives on the experiences of women and their subsequent inclination to continue volunteering. The research sought to examine the impact of particular social cognitive variables on their eagerness to partake in events and organizations. The study…

Diversity has been shown to improve the ability of groups to problem solve and make predictions, as well as guarding against groupthink and overconfidence. Marginalized groups within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are still largely underrepresented despite various efforts to increase diversity in STEM. This…

The recent discovery and ongoing detection of Einstein's predicted gravitational waves offers an exciting opportunity for engaging the general public in science. In order to reach a wide range of people with different science-art identities, levels of physics expertise, age, and gender, the "Celebrating Einstein" festival merges science,…

This qualitative study explores the in- and out-of-school experiences that could have influenced elementary preservice teachers? beliefs and attitudes toward learning and teaching science. Participants were 126 Latina/o EC-6 preservice teachers in the context of a 16-week undergraduate level elementary methods course. Data sources consisted of…

Given the current emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and its key attributes, middle school is an optimal time to implement STEM-based curricula. However, the interdisciplinary and open-ended nature of STEM projects often makes implementation difficult. In this article, we describe a professional development…

The inadequacy of experimental activities (or lack of equipment) in science courses in rural parts of Turkey negatively effects students' acquisition of scientific thinking and inquiry skills. The fact that success rates are notably low in international assessments demonstrates the necessity to adopt "different" approaches apart from the…

High school students in a large urban area, undergraduate students, and geoscience faculty at a local college used a placebased pedagogical approach to engage in real geoscience problem-based inquiry in a local urban park. The overarching goals of this project were to learn the potential of place-based geoscience research experiences to: influence…

In 2006 4-H National Headquarters at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National 4-H Council introduced a new initiative aimed at increasing the number and quality of science, engineering, and technology programs that 4-H offers around the country, and increasing the number of youth involved in these programs. By engaging youth in informal…

Discusses instruments for measuring interest in biology: "Interest in Science Topics"; "Learning Mode Preference"; "Interest in Scientific Activities"; "Activities Motives Inventory"; "Interest in Social Aspects of Science"; "Career Orientation Inventory"; and "Attitude toward Biology Study." Concludes that interest in biology may be…

The Knowledge Engineering for Young Scholars (KEYS) Program was a National Science Foundation (NSF) program conducted at Louisiana State University during 1989 and 1990. The program's goals were to increase 8th-12th grade students' exposure to science, acquaint them with university research, stimulate interest in science, and build their…