2016 - STEMulating Interest: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Out-of-School Time on Student STEM Interest

Attribution: Young, Jamaal, Ortiz, Nickolaus, & Young, Jemimah
Researchers: Jamaal YoungJemimah YoungNickolaus Ortiz
University Affiliation: University of North Texas
Email: Jamaal.Young@unt.edu
Research Question:
1) How effective is out-of-school time (OST) as a means to foster student interest in STEM? 2) How does the effectiveness of OST differ by program and study characteristics?
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: International Journal of Education in Mathematics
Journal Entry: v5 n1 p62-74
Year: 2016
Findings:

– Out-of-school time (OST) has a positive effect on student interest in STEM. Furthermore, the variation in these effects is moderated by program focus, grade level, and the quality of the research design.
– OST programs have a small to medium positive effect on student interest in STEM based on common effect size benchmarks.
– The timeframe of the programs was not a significant moderator of the program effects.
– The results suggest that OST programs with an academic and social focus, compared to just an academic focus, had a larger effect on student interest in STEM, based on effect size magnitude.
– Despite substantial research to support race and gender as possible moderators of the effects of OST programs on STEM interest, the results of this study suggest that the variation in effect sizes was not statistically significantly influenced by either factor.
– Grade level effect sizes were not statistically significantly different from zero for K-5 studies, but were statistically different from zero for the other grade spans, which is consistent with research that suggests the adolescent years are crucial for STEM interest development and maintenance.
– Well-designed studies are more effective means of promoting STEM interest through OST programs.

 

Scholarship Types: Journal Article Reporting Empirical ResearchKeywords: Extracurricular ActivitiesInterestMeta-AnalysisSTEMRegions: NationalMethodologies: QuantitativeResearch Designs: Secondary DataAnalysis Methods: Meta-Analysis Sampling Frame:Out-of-School STEM Programs
Sampling Types: Nationally RepresentativeAnalysis Units: StudiesData Types: Quantitative-Longitudinal
Data Description:

Researchers have distinguished time spent at school in what can be thought of as the instructional period and the remainder of the time OST. STEM-related OST activities are designed to either increase achievement in STEM content, foster interest in STEM, or a combination of these outcomes.

A total of 19 independents effect sizes were extracted from 15 studies investigating the effect of out-of-school time (OST) on STEM interest. Included studies were representative of K-12 settings in the United States from 2009-2015. Specifically studies were included if they directly assessed the effects of OST on STEM interest, and provided sufficient data to calculate an effect size. The status of publication was not a constraint on this investigation, thus grey literature was included along with journal articles to provide a more representative sample of studies.

Each study was coded for information about the OST program characteristics, student sample, and research quality. Program characteristics included time frame (summer camp, after school, special event/experience). Although duration is a reasonable study characteristic it was not included because the time frame correlates strongly with the duration, given after school programs are during the school year and summer camps are shorter summer durations.

Student information included primarily study demographics such as gender representation (male, female, & mix), racial composition based on representation (representative or unrepresentative), and grade level (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12).

Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:STEM Interest/Pursuit/Aspirations/Intent
Archives: K-16 STEM Abstracts