Gauging Informal STEM Youth Program Impact: A Conceptual Framework and a Measurement Instrument

September 29th, 2021 | RESEARCH

STEM education programs are often formulated with a "hands-on activities" focus across a wide array of topics from robotics to rockets to ecology. Traditionally, the impact of these programs is based on surveys of youth on program-specific experiences or the youths’ interest and impressions of science in general. In this manuscript, we offer a new approach to analyzing science programming design and youth participant impact. The conceptual framework discussed here concentrates on the organization and analysis of common learning activities and instructional strategies. We establish instrument validity and reliability through an analysis of validity threats and pilot study results. We conclude by using this instrument in an example analysis of a STEM education program.

Document

admin06-981-Tai-103-133.pdf

admin06-981-Tai-103-133.pdf

Team Members

Robert H Tai, Author, University of Virginia
Ji Hoon Ryoo, Author, Yonsei University
Claire E. Mitchell, Author, University of Virginia
Xiaoqing Kong, Author, University of Virginia
Angela Skeeles-Worley, Author, University of Virginia
John T. Almarode, Author, James Madison University
Adam V. Maltese, Author, Indiana University Bloomington
Katherine P. Dabney, Author, Virginia Commonwealth niversity

Citation

Identifier Type: DOI
Identifier: DOI 10.5195/jyd.2021.981

Publication: Journal of Youth Development
Volume: 16
Number: 4
Page(s): 103 - 133

Funders

Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: EDU Core Research
Award Number: 1811265

Related URLs

Impacts of STEM Experiences on Informal STEM Learning

Tags

Audience: Educators | Teachers | Elementary School Children (6-10) | Evaluators | General Public | Learning Researchers | Middle School Children (11-13) | Pre-K Children (0-5) | Undergraduate | Graduate Students | Youth | Teen (up to 17)
Discipline: Education and learning science | General STEM
Resource Type: Conference Proceedings | Peer-reviewed article | Research | Research Products
Environment Type: Afterschool Programs | Aquarium and Zoo Programs | Citizen Science Programs | Community Outreach Programs | K-12 Programs | Laboratory Programs | Library Programs | Making and Tinkering Programs | Museum and Science Center Programs | Public Programs