The federal government and a number of nonprofit, non-governmental agencies have invested heavily in programs designed to provide research opportunities, financial support, and mentorship to undergraduates in science-related fields. These efforts are aimed at supporting students' matriculation in science majors and into science-related careers.…

This study focuses on educational attainment in New Zealand's undergraduate programmes in medicine and science (N = 750 and N = 4722, respectively), by following four student cohorts over the course of their degree. This research aimed to identify the extent to which studying in competitive academic programmes (Medicine and BSc) attenuate…

This is a story of becoming. In this creative non-fiction essay, I share a case study of an informal science program for high school aged youth that took place over 5-weeks one summer in an urban park in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. I conducted observations, interviews, and artifact analysis to explore how youth environmental interest and identity…

This article describes how disciplinary literacy practices were enacted among youth within the context of Youth Built Change, a science based program incorporating principles of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). Highlighting two YPAR projects, one conducted in a predominantly Black and Latino/a suburban school and one conducted in a…

This meta-analysis explores the impact of informal science education experiences (such as after-school programs, enrichment activities, etc.) on students' attitudes towards, and interest in, STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The research addresses two primary questions: (1) What is the overall effect size of…

This study explored the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) attitudes and self-efficacy of secondary students identifying as Black South African, multi-racial or Afrikaans South African, or Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe nationals who participated in a non-formal STEM education camp programme. Using Bandura's social cognitive…

This study explores how a biology teacher from a summer science program engaged high school students of color in a three-week science unit exploring community health at the intersection of history, race, place, and power. The goal of this study is to better understand what community-driven science looks like in a science classroom when a health…

Undergraduate summer field programs are valuable experiences that can foster or reduce students' self-efficacy, an important factor in students' success and retention in geoscience. Growing research findings show that science field experiences can be hostile and unwelcoming to students with marginalized identities, which may negatively impact…

This article explores the perception of gender inequality in science and the influencing factors. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with students belonging to a science club; we present it as a case study. This research sheds light on what high school and university students studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics…

Have you ever deeply considered the intersections between research and education, particularly for second-level students? Traditionally, the convergence of these two realms is most often noted when considering the integration of research findings into educational practices or the involvement of, typically a small number, of students in research…

In many educational intervention programs, it is not possible to randomly assign students to an experimental and control condition. For example, in our research we wanted to compare students who were enrolled in a biomedical pathway program to students who were not in such a program. However, students select their academic pathway program and a…

The use of red cabbage ("Brassica oleracea var. capitata F. rubra") extract as a pH indicator is a versatile and popular demonstration that is employed by educators in many schools and universities. Previous variations of this demonstration have used red cabbage extracts to prepare paper that changes color when solutions of acid or base…

Creative ways of delivering informal science events in community settings are viewed as key to engaging new audiences and participants whom scientists find hard to reach, however, the impact of 'formal' setting events is often overlooked. Here, through a mixed-methods approach, we analyse a large-scale family-focused public engagement event hosted…

A lack of academic and social readiness limits the successful transition to high school and college for many students from populations historically underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and historically underrepresented groups in biomedical careers (HUG). Also, many families from underrepresented groups share little…

Eleven high school students participated in a one-week STEM summer camp focused on designing and building parachutes to deliver fragile objects safely. Using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) as a framework, students explored how canopy size affects performance. They applied physics concepts such as terminal velocity, forces, and acceleration,…