Traditionally, the industrial arts wing of a typical American high school contrasted sharply with the rest of the school. Instead of silent hallways with classrooms of students sitting quietly at desks, industrial arts rooms bustled with noise and activity. Unlike their university-tract counterparts, students in the vocational education program…

To examine how school characteristics are tied to science and engineering views and aspirations of students who are underrepresented in science and engineering fields, this mixed-methods study explores relationships between aspects of students' science identities, and the representation of women among high school science teachers. Quantitative…

Experimental learning environments based on simulation usually require monitoring and adaptation to the actions the users carry out. Some systems provide this functionality, but they do so in a way which is static or cannot be applied to problem solving tasks. In response to this problem, we propose a method based on the use of intermediate…

It is challenging for biomedical engineering programs to incorporate an indepth study of the systemic interdependence of cells, tissues, and organs into the rigorous mathematical curriculum that is the cornerstone of engineering education. To be sure, many biomedical engineering programs require their students to enroll in anatomy and physiology…

Over the past four years, Pakistan's higher-education budget has increased more than sevenfold, to about $449-million. While that amounts to only 0.5 percent of Pakistan's gross domestic product, it is a big improvement from the days of barely enough to pay "measly salaries and basic bills." But for students, along with many of…

This study uses the admission scores of Taiwan's Joint College Entrance Examination (JCEE) and occupational wage data to estimate the reputation values of engineering and medical schools in Taiwan. It is found that the reputation values of medical schools are more than twice those of engineering schools. It takes about 7 and 19 years of work for…

This paper is a summary of the use of the Technology Engineering in K-12 education that integrates science and technology to positively impact students and teachers. The Technology Enhanced Learning in Science Center (or "TELS") is a research consortium that uses dynamic and innovative technology-based solutions combined with science…

The study of conceptual change traces its heritage to the notions of paradigm (networks of shared beliefs, concepts, practices) and paradigm shift made famous by Thomas Kuhn in his book, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". Kuhn's work was quickly linked to developmental psychology (how knowledge develops) and to science education (teaching…

This brochure contains an engineering activity for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students that examines the transportation of radioactive waste. The activity is designed to inform students about the existence of radioactive waste and its transportation to disposal sites. Students experiment with methods to contain the waste and…

This report describes a simulation of the supply and demand for science and engineering doctorates, time to complete the doctorate, departmental choice behavior, and related matters. An attempt was made to determine whether there is a credible case for long-term underemployment of people with doctoral degrees. It is concluded that about 22% of the…

The Multimedia Forum Kiosk (MFK) is an on-line discussion tool that has been tested as a new technique for assessing curricular reform. MFK collects discussion comments entered into the computer by students and instructors. This paper explores experiences with the MFK as a technique for on-line assessment using multimedia. The context of the…

The world of modern biotechnology is based on recent developments in molecular biology, especially those in genetic engineering. Since this is a relatively new and rapidly advancing field of study, there are few traditional sources of information and activities. This digest highlights biotechnology resources including those that can be found on…

This booklet provides 43 graphs and tables organized into broad topics such as research and development funding patterns, academic research and development, research and development in United States industry, education of scientists and engineers, working scientists and engineers, public attitudes toward science and technology, and international…

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) role as a leader and steward of the Nation's science and engineering enterprise faces new tests--promoting new approaches to research, education, and workforce training that reach all Americans; responding to the increased importance of science and engineering in many aspects of daily life; modernizing the…

This booklet, the third publication in the Foundation for the Future series, illustrates how involvement in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources' (EHR's) projects has been a watershed for many people. The personal profiles contained within describe how EHR programs are: changing people's lives, opening people's minds to new…