The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) outcomes of community college students by looking at students' sense of project ownership, science self-efficacy, and science identity using an end of course survey. A total of 54 students, 41 females and 13 males, completed the survey.…

One of the earliest indications that a student may be interested in STEM paths is the students' own self-efficacy for science as well as how they may see themselves in a STEM career as part of their science self-identity (Schlegel et al., 2019). Currently, there is a need to contribute to research that can assist agencies such as the National…

Scholarship suggests that science self-efficacy and science identity are associated with improved experiences and outcomes of postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students, especially those who are underrepresented within these fields. Yet, Southeast Asian students have largely been excluded from this scholarly…

Determining how to increase practicing elementary teacher science instruction self-efficacy through ongoing professional development has been a problem in one urban Texas school district. Existing literature indicated science instruction self-efficacy could be built using professional development. However, there is a gap in the literature…

To maintain its dominance as a leader in STEM, as well as to disrupt persistent economic and social inequalities, the United States must invest in Black and Hispanic students who are among the largest subgroups who have been historically underrepresented in STEM spaces. Research has shown that science self-efficacy facilitates students' interest,…

This quantitative dissertation examined the differences between young men and women's perceptions of mathematics and science identity, self-efficacy, and utility. There are gender norms and stereotypes that impact identity, self-efficacy, and perceived utility of mathematics and science. The secondary data analyzed were drawn from the follow-up…

The process of unpacking educational standards is one method elementary teachers can use to analyze the science standards they are required to teach in the classroom. However, it is not the only method for teachers to familiarize themselves with the science standards. The goal of this study was to determine if receiving formal training in…

A novel intervention to introduce undergraduate students to bioinformatics, provide authentic research opportunities, and support student retention in science majors and careers is presented in the Characterizing Our DNA Exceptions (CODE) project. The need to increase the number of qualified STEM graduates, particularly in the fields of…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to interpret the lived experience of Black and Latinx students from Lakeside Township High School (LTHS); to gain an understanding of how they make sense of their decision not to engage with AP Science coursework. After reviewing relevant literature, interviews were carried out with six Black and…

The "A Nation at Risk" report was released in 1983 and enumerated systemic flaws in the U.S. education system, highlighting science education as an area of concern (Denning, 1983). Over a generation later, a new opportunity has emerged to improve science education for all students, and especially the youngest learners. The Next…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between Black and Latino high school science students' perceptions of instruction and science identity and to determine if this relationship is mediated by student perceptions of self-efficacy. A second goal of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between…

Teachers' values, beliefs, and self-confidence are critical components of decisions educators make every day. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between secondary science teachers' epistemology and self-efficacy on science instructional practices and conceptualization of student research experiences rooted in the Next…

The problem addressed in this study was some early elementary teachers have low self-efficacy about their scientific knowledge and ability to support children's scientific learning; consequently, they are less likely to dedicate instructional time to science. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how elementary school…

To increase equity and inclusion for underserved and excluded Indigenous students, we must make efforts to mitigate the unique barriers they face. As their knowledge systems have been historically excluded and erased in Western science, we begin by reviewing the literature on the inclusion of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in biology…

The COVID-19 pandemic induced a global educational emergency that abruptly threatened the continuity of education. Teachers and students were thrust into distance instruction, leaving many feeling unprepared to facilitate engaging reform-minded science, undermining their science identity, attitude, and self-efficacy. Even with the unprecedented…