Prior to beginning the study, permission will need to be obtained from the institutional review board (IRB) and approval from the desired institution the study will take place (Creswell, 2014). Once the study is approved by IRB and the institution permits the study, then the study may begin. The proposed study will conduct interviews, observe classrooms, and collect narrative stories on underrepresented students in STEM who are in a wide range of class sizes and teaching styles. There will be three sets of interviews: before, during, and after the course. The observations and narrative stories will take place throughout the course.
By having three sets of interviews it will provide the researcher with the opportunity to observe any static or dynamic changes from the students’ interview response. The interviews will be face-to-face,
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in-depth semi structured, and range from 60 to 90 minutes with each participant (Creswell, 2014; Palmer et al., 2011).
Prior to beginning these interviews, participants will sign a consent form and complete a demographic form (Palmer et al.,2011). The demographic form will include general information such as the student’s name, year, age, parent education, and high school grade point average. The first interview will discuss the students’ thoughts and predictions on how the class will go, their academic and social involvement, and academic preparation. This interview provides the background information about the students’ opinions of STEM. The next set of interviews will be about the course, teaching style, classroom atmosphere, and their adjustment. This set analyzes how the students are balancing their academic and social life and how the intervention strategies are benefiting their learning. Finally, the last set of
interviews are an analysis of their overall experience in the academic setting and to determine if their predictions compared with the results. These interviews provide the study with the students’ journey throughout the course. Also, during the interview process, notes will be taken regarding the way the participants respond to the questions and their willingness to engage in the conversation (Palmer et al.,2011). Interviews will be audio-taped and transcribed verbatim to ensure accuracy (Creswell, 2014; Palmer et al.,2011). This gives the participants the opportunity to view the original transcript and make corrections or edits, if needed. Observations are embedded throughout the study, and will be held in the participants’ classroom and academic settings (Micari et al, 2010). By observing the academic settings, it gives the study two viewpoints, one is the students’ and the other is the outsider looking in. As observations take place in variety of classroom and academic settings, the notes can connect to students’ experiences in the classroom and either verify or deny whether certain experiences took place. These observations will act as a second pair of eyes to the classroom experience. Notes will be taken on the classroom environment, engagement, intervention strategies, teaching style, and use of academic settings. Field notes will be gathered as an observer in an unstructured way and will be separated into two categories, descriptive notes and reflective notes which will specify the time and location the observation took place (Creswell, 2014, p.194). The observation notes will also be reviewed by a peer-debreifer to ensure its trustworthiness.
In-depth interviews are one of the research methods used when qualitative research is desired over quantitative research. Also, by using in-depth interviews as his research method, Messner is able to acquire much more detailed information, which will enhance the quality of his final data, making the study more efficacious and fulfilling. But, as with any research method, in-depth interviews have their strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, with any research method, optimal levels of representativeness, replicability, reflexivity, reactivity, and objectivity should be
A qualitative study of minority students in their last year and teacher-education majors (Hobson-Horton & Owens, 2004) indicated the need for providing support to students. This support was in the form of advising, providing monetary support,or exchanging educational materials necessary for instruction. In a longitudinal, qualitative study conducted by Chang, et. al (2014), factors influencing the persistence of underrepresented racial minority (URM) students in STEM majors were evaluated. Results supported the need for early activities that facilitated competence. Those activities had greater and more sustained effects when they were reinforced with interventions in higher education that guaranteed student achievement. Likewise increased guidance for successful achievement on assessments in relation to content and exam preparation were expected to decrease the racial gap in science achievement ( Chang, et
(Giroir, 2013). In this particular assignment, I am asked to interview a college graduate or
It brings the four subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics together by using technology to create a way to practice, solve, and apply what has been learned. It was created to provide students with education and skills that would enable them to begin working directly after high school (Introduction to Teaching, 6th Edition). STEM schools have many pros to them. STEM schools provide greater job opportunities. In The Rising Popularity of STEM: A Crossroads in Public Education or a Passing Trend, Chen writes, ".The
Our first part of our experiment started with a series of interviews with the students, and
Science education has been a controversial topic among employers and schools for years. Employers are requesting more STEM graduates yet the schools are unable to keep up with the rising demand. Unemployment rates continue to go up while positions in the science, technology, and engineering fields have remained open and unfulfilled. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education is vital to the position of the United States in the world standings in STEM research and design. Currently 3 of the 5 top positions in STEM research are held by Asian countries and sadly the United States doesn’t even fall in the top 10 for the list. There was once a time when the United States led the world in STEM research, but times have changed and now the United States is trailing many other countries in scientific innovation. Many U.S. citizens are unaware of the current state of the STEM education system and they often brag about statuses that the United States no longer hold. Educators and companies are teaming up to increase STEM interest in school-aged children and adolescents. It is their hope that their efforts will increase the amount of high school graduates entering degree seeking programs in the STEM fields. Some efforts are outlined in this paper along with their successes and failures.
In a multitude of high schools across the nation, an increasing number of students are deciding to enroll in AP classes, of which a large percentage are quite unsuited for the upper level class they are about to take. These advanced placement classes are meant to stimulate the brightest children of the school population, as well as for students to prove themselves as deserving of sought-after college credit. However, perhaps due to parental and peer pressure, those who clearly do not have the intelligence or motivation necessary to take these classes end up enrolling in these courses. The original intent of making these advanced classes open access was to enable minorities, who are bogged down even today by racial stigmas
In the previous chapters I discussed the problem of the lack of healthy eating promotion programs in schools are leaving parents and students uneducated about how to purchase healthy items which is leading to childhood obesity. I also discussed how the problem is being addressed, as well as the theory of social constructionism. In this chapter, I will discuss the specific methodology I plan to use and the three different types of data collection I plan to employ to carry out my study. This study will use a qualitative approach to study and address the issue of the lack of healthy eating promotion in schools. The three types of data collection I plan to use are: direct observation, focus groups and a questionnaire. These methods will be clarified later in this chapter.
There are many elements involved in conducting a proper research. The two general types of research designs are qualitative and quantitative. These types of designs are different in many ways. Quantitative is an objective research typically focused on numerical data. Qualitative research is subjective research focused on narrative data. This paper further elaborates on many elements that separate quantitative research from qualitative research.
The pie chart is an example of the promotions the research suggests as well as how much focus needs to be put on each of them.
The purpose of the study was to explore how church based heart health promotion programs benefit older adults. The research also included what factors need to be in place in order to facilitate a successful group within the church community. Coronary heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are three huge medical conditions that many aging Americans face. The risk of developing these chronic and progressive disorders is highest among individuals over the age of 55 (Banerjee & Strachan, 2015). These individuals are also considerably more likely to attend church on a regular basis (Banerjee & Strachan, 2015). By implementing Church-Based Heart Health Promotion Programs in the church community it not only benefits member’s physical and mental wellbeing but plays a key
In scientific research, quantitative methods are used in order to provide empirical data for the investigation of various phenomena. In their article, Cruz et al., (2016) use quantitative research to identify the specific variables that apply to the occurrence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This paper analyzes the research qualities of the article, noting that it fails to live up to the standards expected of quantitative research.
Besides medical benefits, working with us and helping with daily activities, animals can help us mentally and socially. This project seeks to know if there is an emotional benefit to owning a pet. My two classmates and I have organized an interview that contains six questions for the participants that can demonstrate their feelings about owning their pet. Each of us completed one interview with a pet owner and was recorded with participant’s consent. After obtaining responses, the interviews were prepared into typed-transcripts and discussed among our group members. We then coded and analyzed the data from our three interviews and examined the findings. We have concluded that pet ownership
Reasoning behind this being it would create a more natural conversation and discussion of their own experiences, as opposed to a formal interview between myself and them, which would create a new and uncomfortable dynamic between us, which would hinder the research I was trying to carry out. Therefore, the more fluid and candid approach of the unstructured interviews was more innkeeping with the style of my study, and allowed me to obtain more detailed and fluid answers, as opposed to rigid and short answers to a survey or questionnaire. Whereas, if I wasn’t studying my peers I may have chosen a more formal style of interview, to allow them more respect, and to acknowledge they are my superior, as a less formal style of interview would mix the power dynamics between us. Furthermore, due to the experienced based nature of my research, formal interviews wouldn’t allow me the detail I needed to understand the students feelings towards their jobs and volunteering. Moreover, this relaxed style meant the interviews were not restricted to a singular time or place, but allowed an ongoing conversation about their experiences, which gave them time to reflect upon our discussion and make changes to their responses.
As a learner who has grown continually in a brand new learning environment, I’ve often represented different variables than that of the majority group. While attending Boston University in education class discussion groups my background was vastly different than that of many of my east coast based peers. Attending a large high school in Southern California as a minority compared to their experience with a smaller east coast school with a greater degree of