STEM Research

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  UNF STARS 2023 Poster Presentation: “Fostering Student Motivation in Urban Title I Elementary Schools: Integrated STEM for Equitable Learning Experiences”

  Raven Robinson-Wilson, Meghan Parkinson, and Rui Wang

  This poster was presented at UNF STARS 2023 to share our research based on data from Project InTERSECT teachers’ classroom videos (and teacher reflections), focusing on showcasing equitable integrated STEM instructional practices. As the instructional process is undergirded by a myriad of psychological processes, a focus on integrated STEM instructional practices can provide better understanding about the facilitation of students’ learning experiences. Our research examines teachers’ integrated STEM instructional practices for fostering student motivation for learning in urban, Title I elementary schools through need supportive teaching and culturally responsive pedagogy frameworks. The observations of teachers’ integrated STEM classroom instruction yielded three key themes: provisions of guidelines and various materials, tactfully posing thought-provoking questions and statements, and encouraging collaborative problem-solving between students. Our research enhances the understanding of motivational processes in urban schools with implications for educators to positively contribute to elementary students’ motivation.

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  Summary of Effects: Impact of InTERSECT on Student Math Achievement and Teacher Perceptions

  Natalie Wright

  This summary of project evaluation findings was presented to the InTERSECT team and DCPS leaders in February 2023 as a supplement to the Year 2 Summative Evaluation Report. The evaluation examined effects of Project InTERSECT on Cohorts 1 and 2, including student mathematics achievement and teacher perceptions. The project has had significant impacts on students’ mathematics achievement. Compared to a business-as-usual group (which was matched to the treatment group based on pretest scores, demographics, and grade level), students in Project InTERSECT classrooms performed significantly higher on iReady Math assessments. Treatment effects were particularly large for kindergarten (Hedges’ g = .34) and first grade students (g = .21). InTERSECT also impacted teachers’ perceptions. Compared to business-as-usual teachers, participants’ efficacy for teaching STEM was significantly higher, with large effects evident in efficacy for teaching Computational Thinking (g = 1.11), Math (g = .91), and Science (g = .63). Participation in InTERSECT also predicted teachers’ leadership beliefs (g = .48); perceptions of the quality and relevance of PD (g = 1.02), collaboration/coaching (g = .79), and feedback (g = .96). In general, findings are consistent across the Teacher Leader and PD pathways, suggesting the effectiveness of both teacher dosages in promoting improvements in teacher perceptions and student performance.