SciGirls Tallahassee

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SciGirls Tallahassee Evaluation and Research
Roxanne Hughes, PhD (Director of the Center for
Integrating Research and Learning) Presentation
at SciGirls Reflect Conference December 2, 2015
This project is supported by National Science
Foundation Division of Materials Research through
DMR 1157490
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SciGirls Partnership
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History
SciGirl 2008, 2009, Intern 2013, 2014

• Began in 2006 through a Dragonfly TV grant from
  TPT PBS station
• The first year there was one camp for young women
  in 5th -8th grade
• 16 attended
• Since 2006 over 200 girls have participated.
• The camp was expanded to two camps
• SciGirls I for 5th and 6th graders (n16-18)
• SciGirls II for 7th and 8th graders (n16-18)
• K-12 students see MagLab scientists as mentors
• http//americangraduate.wfsu.org/blogs/voices-clas
  sroom/helen-smith/
• Continued participation in other MagLab programs
• SciGirls clubs at local schools

SciGirls Club
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Goal of Program

• 2-week camp that exposes middle school girls to
  STEM careers through
• hands-on activities that are relevant to their
  lives
• opportunities to interact with female STEM
  professionals who can talk about their work and
  serve as possible role models
• opportunities to engage in the process and
  community of science
• The camp is a fee-based camp, however, one-third
  of the spots are scholarship supported so that
  lower income students can participate

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Evaluation

• Post survey with parents and camp teachers
• Pre/post survey with campers
• Quantitative understanding of the Nature of
  Science (Lederman et al., 2002) STEM interest,
  attitudes toward STEM perceptions of STEM
  careers and professionals and self-efficacy in
  STEM (AWE, 2010).
• Qualitative open ended questions
• From 2006 to 2012, a follow-up survey was emailed
  to past participants every three years (2009,
  2012). Since 2012, it has been sent annually.
• Measures STEM interest perceptions of STEM
  professionals and careers engagement in STEM.

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Results of Longitudinal Evaluation

• All of the respondents (n80 40 response rate)
  distinct respondents not double counting those
  who responded in 2009 and 2012) were interested
  in STEM before coming to the camp as evidenced by
  their applications.
• 88 still listed a science or math course as one
  of their favorite courses in 2009 and/or 2012,
  demonstrating continued interest over time.
• All of the respondents mentioned a positive
  effect of the camp on their interest,
  understanding or motivation in STEM, providing
  evidence of the long-term benefits of the camp
  programming
• One of the most cited successful aspects of the
  program on continued interest was the
  opportunities the students had to interact with
  STEM professionals who introduced them to a
  variety of STEM careers through hands on
  activities.

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Research/Evaluation Summary 2015
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Pre-Survey

• Support in STEM
• Someone has talked to them about becoming a STEM
  professional (83.9)
• Someone has talked to them about taking classes
  that will prepare them for college (93.5)
• Someone has talked to them about the importance
  of math in their future (93.5)
• Individuals with whom they have had these
  conversations math teacher (51.6), science
  teacher (58.1), teacher (41.9), family members
  (90.3), family friends (19.4), guidance
  counselor (9.7), friends (38.7), and guest
  speakers in science class (3.2).
• Preparation in STEM
• Enrolled in an honors or advanced class (87.1)
• Encouraged to enroll in an honors or advanced
  class (96.8)
• Planning to enroll in an honors or advanced class
  (90.3)
• Future Plans
• Plan to go to college (93.5)

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STEM Learning Interests
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Self-efficacy
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STEM Identity
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Perceptions of STEM
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Parent surveys
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Teacher post responses
In an effort to triangulate the benefits of the
SciGirls program, each SciGirls teacher was sent
an open-ended survey to offer their insights and
feedback on the two weeks of camp. Overall,
teachers noted both individual and group changes
and growth. All teachers acknowledged that by
the end of the camp, all of the girls were more
willing to speak up and contribute, including
those that had been more shy or reserved at the
beginning of camp.
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Published Research
Recent Research

• The author examined the longitudinal trajectories
  of eleven college age young women who had
  participated in a STEM informal education program
  during middle school. The program was an
  all-girls two week STEM summer camp that exposed
  young women to STEM professionals and relevant
  hands-on STEM activities with the goal of
  improving their interest in STEM fields and
  motivation to pursue these fields.
• The participants whose identity trajectories are
  discussed in this study are those who responded
  to at least three of the following a follow-up
  survey sent in 2009, 2012, and 2013 and/or
  interviews that were conducted in 2011.
• Results indicated that the camp had a positive
  effect on participants perceptions of scientists
  and their work. The results indicate that all
  participants were still interested in STEM but
  half of these young women had chosen a college
  major that took them off of the legitimately
  accepted path (e.g. a STEM major) toward a STEM
  career. This study provides a unique addition to
  the literature in that it provides a view of STEM
  identity trajectories over time, specifically
  focusing on how these women maintained interest
  or lost interest in STEM after participation in a
  STEM informal education program for girls. This
  study provides a reflective look at young womens
  longitudinal STEM identity trajectories.

Hughes, R. (2015). An Investigation in to the
Longitudinal Identity Trajectories of Women in
STEM. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science
and Engineering, 21(3).
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References

• AWE (2008). Assessing Women and Men in
  Engineering Website. Retrieved March 3, 2008 from
  http//www.engr.psu.edu/awe/secured/director/prec
  ollege/pre_college.aspx.
• Hughes, R. Molyneaux, K. (2014) Unpacking
  Secondary School Students Identity Negotiations
  Regarding Science and Engineering A Case Study
  in the United States. International Journal of
  Gender, Science, and Technology, 6(3), 291-309.
• Hughes, R., Nzekwe, B., Molyneaux, K.
  (2013).The single sex debate for girls in
  science A comparison between two informal
  science programs on middle school students' STEM
  identity formation. Research in Science Education
  Journal, 43(5), 1979-2007.
• Lederman, N.G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R.L.,
  Schwartz, R.S. (2002) Views of Nature of Science
  Questionnaire Toward Valid and Meaningful
  Assessment of Learners Conceptions of Nature of
  Science, Journal of Research in Science Teaching,
  39(6), 497-521.

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Thank You! Questions? hughes_at_magnet.fsu.edu