Review Article

An interdisciplinary approach to studying academic success in STEM

Gita Taasoobshirazi 1 * , Janelle Peifer 2 , Lindsay Duncan 1 , Anita Ajuebor 1 , Sweta Sneha 1
More Detail
1 Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA2 University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA* Corresponding Author
Contemporary Mathematics and Science Education, 5(2), July 2024, ep24013, https://doi.org/10.30935/conmaths/14791
Published: 09 July 2024
OPEN ACCESS   622 Views   571 Downloads
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

This paper recommends that the research on giftedness, expertise, and gender/racial disparities in science be used in combination, on behalf of a new theoretical framework, for studying academic success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The variables characterizing expertise are presented followed by a discussion of what constitutes giftedness. We then discuss the variables considered to be contributing factors to gender and racial disparities in science. The paper concludes that the variables that define these areas of research can comprehensively identify and provide a firm paradigm for what researchers should evaluate collectively to understand success in science. We put forth several recommendations for future research studying science learning and for efforts to support expertise, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities.

CITATION (APA)

Taasoobshirazi, G., Peifer, J., Duncan, L., Ajuebor, A., & Sneha, S. (2024). An interdisciplinary approach to studying academic success in STEM. Contemporary Mathematics and Science Education, 5(2), ep24013. https://doi.org/10.30935/conmaths/14791

REFERENCES

  1. Abuhamdeh, S., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2004). The artistic personality: A systems approach. In R. J. Sternberg, E. L. Grigorenko, & J. L. Singer (Eds.), Creativity: From potential to realization (pp. 31-42). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10692-003
  2. Alexander, P. A. (2003). The development of expertise: The journey from acclimation to proficiency. Educational Researcher, 32(8), 10-14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X032008010
  3. Bal-Tastan, S., Davoudi, S. M. M., Masalimova, A. R., Bersanov, A. S., Kurbanov, R. A., Boiarchuk, A. V., & Pavlushin, A. A. (2018). The impacts of teacher’s efficacy and motivation on student’s academic achievement in science education among secondary and high school students. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(6), 2353-2366. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/89579
  4. Chi, M. T., Glaser, R., & Farr, M. J. (2014). The nature of expertise. Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315799681
  5. Dai, D. Y. (2020). Assessing and accessing high human potential: A brief history of giftedness and what it means to school psychologists. Psychology in the Schools, 57(10), 1514-1527. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22346
  6. Desouza, J. M. S., & Czerniak, C. M. (2002). Social behaviors and gender differences among preschoolers: Implications for science activities. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 16(2), 175-188. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568540209594983
  7. Ellingrud, K., & Segel, L.H. (2021). COVID-19 has driven millions of women out of the workforce. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2021/02/13/covid-19-women-workforce-unemployment-gender-gap-recovery
  8. Emhardt, S. N., Kok, E., Jarodzka, H. M., Drumm, C., Brand-Gruwel, S., & van Gog, T. A. J. M. (2018). Investigating expertise related gaze during code debugging and experts’ didactical gaze. In Proceedings of the 2nd Earli SIG 27 Conference & 6th Polish Eye Tracking Conference.
  9. Enman, M., & Lupart, J. (2000). Talented female students’ resistance to science: An exploratory study of post-secondary achievement motivation, persistence, and epistemological characteristics. High Ability Studies, 11(2), 161-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598130020001205
  10. Ericsson, K. A. (2006). The influence of experience and deliberate practice on the development of superior expert performance. In K. A. Ericsson, N. Charness, P. J. Feltovich, & R. R. Hoffman (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of expertise and expert performance (pp. 683-703). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511816796.038
  11. Esparza, J., Shumow, L., & Schmidt, J. A. (2014). Growth mindset of gifted seventh grade students in science. NCSSSMST Journal, 19(1), 6-13.
  12. Esquivel, A., Marincean, S., & Benore, M. (2023). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEM faculty: Productivity and work-life balance. PLoS ONE, 18(1), e0280581. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280581
  13. Ford, D. Y. (2021). Recruiting & retaining culturally different students in gifted education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003237655
  14. Fortenberry, N. L. (2000). An examination of NSF’s programs in undergraduate education. Journal of SMET Education: Innovations and Research, 1(1), 4-15.
  15. Grossman, J. M., & Porche, M. V. (2014). Perceived gender and racial/ethnic barriers to STEM success. Urban Education, 49(6), 698-727. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085913481364
  16. Hambrick, D. Z., Oswald, F. L., Altmann, E. M., Meinz, E. J., Gobet, F., & Campitelli, G. (2014). Deliberate practice: Is that all it takes to become an expert? Intelligence, 45, 34-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2013.04.001
  17. Hatano, G., & Oura, Y. (2003). Commentary: Reconceptualizing school learning using insight from expertise research. Educational Researcher, 32(8), 26-29. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X032008026
  18. Hwang, Y., Ko, Y., Shim, S. S., Ok, S. Y., & Lee, H. (2023). Promoting engineering students’ social responsibility and willingness to act on socioscientific issues. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00402-1
  19. Kaya-Capocci, S., & Ucar, S. (2023). Entrepreneurial STEM for global epidemics. In N. Rezaei (Ed.), Integrated education and learning (pp. 467-487). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15963-3_25
  20. Kim, G. S., & Choi, S. Y. (2012). The effects of the creative problem solving ability and scientific attitude through the science-based STEAM program in the elementary gifted students. Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education, 31(2), 216-226.
  21. Lawson, K. M., Barrineau, M., Woodling, C. M., Ruggles, S., & Largent, D. L. (2023). The impact of COVID-19 on U. S. computer science faculty’s turnover intentions: The role of gender. Sex Roles, 88, 383-396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01361-1
  22. Mammadov, S., Cross, T. L., & Ward, T. J. (2018). The big five personality predictors of academic achievement in gifted students: Mediation by self-regulatory efficacy and academic motivation. High Ability Studies, 29(2), 111-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2018.1489222
  23. Marchand, G. C., & Taasoobshirazi, G. (2013). Stereotype threat and women's performance in physics. International Journal of Science Education, 35(18), 3050-3061. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2012.683461
  24. McBee, M. T., Mitchell, K., & Fields Johnson, S. K. (2018). Beyond trait theory accounts of giftedness. In S. I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M. Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 615-628). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000038-040
  25. Merrotsy, P. (2013). Tolerance of ambiguity: A trait of the creative personality? Creativity Research Journal, 25(2), 232-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2013.783762
  26. Milic, S., & Simeunovic, V. (2020). Concordance between giftedness assessments by teachers, parents, peers and the self-assessment using multiple intelligences. High Ability Studies, 33(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2020.1832445
  27. Neber, H., & Schommer-Aikins, M. (2002). Self-regulated science learning with highly gifted students: The role of cognitive, motivational, epistemological, and environmental variables. High Ability Studies, 13(1), 59-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598130220132316
  28. NSF. (2017). Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in S&E. National Science Foundation. https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/women/
  29. Oladele, J. I., Ayanwale, M. A., & Ndlovu, M. (2023). Technology adoption for STEM education in higher education: Students’ experience from selected sub-Saharan African countries. Journal of Science and Technology, 31(1), 237-256. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.31.1.15
  30. Parkman, A. (2016). The imposter phenomenon in higher education: Incidence and impact. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 16(1), 51.
  31. Paul, K., & Moon, S. (2016). Developing a definition of giftedness. In R. Eckert, & J. Robbins (Eds.), Designing services and programs for high-ability learners: A guidebook for gifted education (pp. 28-38). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506343440.n4
  32. Peterson, M. D. (2019). Overcoming advising barriers to retain STEM majors. Peer Review, 21(1/2), 46-49.
  33. Redden, E. (2020). The state of U. S. science and engineering. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/16/national-science-board-report-finds-us-dominance-science-slipping
  34. Schmidt, H. G., & Rikers, R. M. (2007). How expertise develops in medicine: Knowledge encapsulation and illness script formation. Medical Education, 41(12), 1133-1139.
  35. Sternberg, R. J. (2003). WICS as a model of giftedness. High Ability Studies, 14(2), 109-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359813032000163807
  36. Sternberg, R. J. (2017). ACCEL: A new model for identifying the gifted. Roeper Review, 39(3), 152-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2017.1318658
  37. Sternberg, R. J. (2023). Toxic giftedness. Roeper Review, 45(1), 61-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2022.2148311
  38. Sternberg, R. J. (2024). Individual, collective, and contextual aspects in the identification of giftedness. Gifted Education International, 40(1), 3-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/02614294231156986
  39. Sternberg, R. J., Desmet, O. A., Ford, D. Y., Gentry, M., Grantham, T. C., & Karami, S. (2021). The legacy: Coming to terms with the origins and development of the gifted-child movement. Roeper Review, 43(4), 227-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2021.1967544
  40. Subotnik, R. F., & Jarvin, L. (2005). Beyond expertise: Conceptions of giftedness as great performance, In R. J. Sternberg, & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (pp. 343-357). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511610455.020
  41. Turkman, B. (2020). The evolution of the term of giftedness & theories to explain gifted characteristics. Journal of Gifted Education and Creativity, 7(1), 17-24.
  42. van de Wiel, M. W. J., & Van den Bossche, P. (2013). Deliberate practice in medicine: The motivation to engage in work-related learning and its contribution to expertise. Vocations and Learning, 6(1), 135-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-012-9085-x
  43. Vooren, M., Haelermans, C., Groot, W., & van den Brink, H. M. (2022). Comparing success of female students to their male counterparts in the STEM fields: An empirical analysis from enrollment until graduation using longitudinal register data. International Journal of STEM Education, 9, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00318-8
  44. Wellisch, M. (2021). Parenting with eyes wide open: Young gifted children, early entry and social isolation. Gifted Education International, 37(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261429419899946
  45. Wieman, C., & Perkins, K. (2005). Transforming physics education. Physics Today, 58(11), 36. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2155756
  46. Winner, E. (1996). Gifted children. Basic Books.
  47. Yamada, A. (2023). STEM field demand and educational reform in Asia-Pacific countries. In D. Kapur, D. M. Malone, & L. Kong (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of higher education in the Asia-Pacific Region. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192845986.013.9
  48. Yoon, S. Y., & Mann, E. L. (2017). Exploring the spatial ability of undergraduate students: Association with gender, STEM majors, and gifted program membership. Gifted Child Quarterly, 61(4), 313-327. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986217722614
  49. Zimmerman, B. J. (2006). Development and adaptation of expertise: The role of self-regulatory processes and beliefs. In K. A. Ericsson, N. Charness, P. J. Feltovich, & R. R. Hoffman (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of expertise and expert performance (pp. 705-722). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511816796.039