- Year 2019
- NSF Noyce Award # 1340044
- First Name Alexis
- Last Name Caldwell
- Institution Duke University and Durham School of the Arts
- Role/Position Science Teacher at Durham School of the Arts (AP Environmental Science and Biology)
- Workshop Category Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends
- Workshop Disciplines Audience Other: E-STEM
- Target Audience Non-Profit Organization Personnel, Undergraduate and/or Graduate Noyce Scholars
- Topics Mutually Beneficial Partnerships with High-Need Schools and Districts
- Session Length 30 minutes
Goals
Participants in this session will:
1) Answer the questions, “What are the characteristics of E-STEM programs that exist for students from underrepresented backgrounds?” and “What are the techniques used to prepare students for the next stage in the E-STEM pathway?”
2) Analyze findings from research into the gaps in existing K-12 pipeline programs, and critically assess the implications of these findings for stakeholders.
3) Develop an understanding of what educators, E-STEM pipeline programs, and partners can do to address the gaps in the E-STEM pipeline programs offered. This information is critical to helping develop programs that successfully facilitate students navigating their own path to careers in E-STEM.
Evidence
The content in this interactive presentation will be grounded in research outlined in my and my colleagues’ publication, “K-12 Diversity Pathway Programs in the E-STEM Fields: A Review of Existing Programs and Summary of Perceived Unmet Needs” in the Journal of STEM Education (Lexi Caldwell, Nicolette Cagle, and Rosina Garcia 2018). For this research, we conducted a literature review of 197 articles that described existing E-STEM pipeline programs. We coded those articles for various features (ex. grade level targeted, demographic targeted, objectives, discipline-specific techniques used, evaluation techniques used, etc.) using NVIVO coding software. We then conducted Chi-square analyses to summarize common characteristics of existing pipeline programs, and to identify gaps in the programs offered.
Proposal
The pathway through the education system and into E-STEM professions has been described as a “pipeline,” where the barriers to attracting and maintaining individuals in E-STEM are characterized as “leaks” in the pipeline. A number of pathway/pipeline programs have been established with the goal of attracting and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups in various professions (ex. STEM summer camps for students). The purpose of this session is to provide an overview of research into the range of existing K-12 pipeline programs, to assess gaps in the goals of existing programs, and to investigate implications of these findings for stakeholders.
