Physicists, physics students, and community members engage with each other through a variety of informal physics programs. These programs differ in format, such as after school programs, public lectures, planetariums, summer camps, and other non-formal classroom environments. These programs also differ in the physics topics they cover, activities,…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instruction in the United States has been a major focus of educational reform since the release of the PISA rankings in 2000, which showed that the U.S. was behind many other countries on the international stage in the areas of Science and Math. Students are also leaving the "STEM…

Zoos have been under attack by animal rights groups for decades. Despite significant reforms to improve animal welfare in accredited zoos and aquariums across North America, and significant participation in animal conservation efforts globally, these attacks persist. If zoos are to continue long-term, they need to establish themselves as community…

This quantitative study examined the moderating role of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) faculty motivation orientation, expressed as autonomous or controlled motivation, on the relationship between faculty job satisfaction and the faculty's perception of their program director's transformational or transactional leadership behavior. Participants…

Since the launch of Sputnik by the U.S.S.R. on October 4, 1957, the United States has aimed to bolster nationwide STEM education with the intention of creating a strong STEM pipeline. Despite many efforts, there remains a distinct lack of diversity in the STEM career fields, and many people cannot accurately describe what engineers do. These two…

This dissertation consists of three essays focused on policies that hold the potential to reduce gender and socioeconomic gaps in the developing world. The first two chapters focus on higher education while the last chapter focuses on STEM gender gaps during primary school. Chapter 1 looks at the impacts of new transportation infrastructure on…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of volunteer motivation, participation, and citizen science project type on the retention and scientific literacy of 4-H youth volunteers ages 8-19 years participating in science projects. The conceptual model of participation in organized activities (OA) proposed by Bohnert,…

The study addressed the gap in fifth-grade science proficiency between English language learners (ELLs) enrolled in two different science programs in a large school district in the Southeast United States. The Inspire program was implemented in 125 schools, while a combination of Inspire and Promoting Science among English Language Learners…

In this three-article dissertation, I explore how ten Palestinian fifth and sixth-grade students perceive and engage with science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art (STEAM) activities within an out-of-school context. I collaborated with a local organization, Al-Roward for Science and Technology which developed the programming for the…

To the extent that community college leadership seeks to provide access and equity to traditionally underrepresented groups, summer science bridge programs attempt to provide access to underrepresented science students. The problem addressed by the researcher is the impact of grade point average or science degree attainment of community college…

This study investigated the curricular representations of the environment and the human-environment relationship at one residential school sponsored science camp. Data gathered included field notes from observational time at the camp, interviews with staff and classroom teachers, and documents from the site's website, guides, manuals, and…

Schools that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have been created to address a perceived need to increase numbers of students in the United States choosing and persisting in STEM career pathways. This study compared science programs in STEM and non-STEM high schools to determine how implementing a STEM design impacts…

The randomized research study assessed the effect of an inquiry-based science (IBS) program on non-cognitive outcomes and academic achievement. The study was the result of a grant that was awarded by Professional Resources in Science and Mathematics (PRISM), a program affiliated with Montclair State University in conjunction with Bristol-Myers…

This study considered whether participation in several out-of-class experiences during high school influenced the odds that a student will aspire to earn at least a Bachelor's degree. Additionally, this study considered whether these experiences, considered together, had a cumulative effect on the odds that a student will aspire to earn at least a…

This dissertation study concerned the lack of underrepresented minority students matriculating through the health professions pipeline. The term pipeline is "the educational avenue by which one must travel to successfully enter a profession" (Sullivan Alliance, 2004). There are a significant number of health professional pipeline…