K 12 Stem Education In Urban Learning Environments

This title is an IGI Global Core Reference for 2019 as it provides the timeliest, trending research around overcoming challenges within the urban educational system. Featuring real-world solutions and comprehensive coverage on teacher professional development, racial microaggressions, STEM, and diversity in elementary and secondary education, this publication is ideal for teachers, faculty, administrators, policymakers, and educational researchers. K-12 STEM Education in Urban Learning Environments provides emerging research on the challenges and barriers of STEM education in urban environments and how to move forward in overcoming these challenges and barriers to provide equitable education for all K-12 students. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as teacher preparation, programming, gender and racial barriers, and more, this publication is ideally designed for teachers, faculty, administrators, policymakers, researchers, and scholars.

Although STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has been diversely defined by various researchers (e.g. Buck Institute, 2003; Capraro & Slough, 2009; Scott, 2009; Wolf, 2008), during the last decade, STEM education has gained an increasing presence on the national agenda through initiatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Institute for Educational Sciences (IES). The rate of technological innovation and change has been tremendous over the past ten years, and this rapid increase will only continue. STEM literacy is the power to “identify, apply, and integrate concepts from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to understand complex problems and to innovate to solve them” (Washington State STEM, 2011, Internet). In order for U.S. students to be on the forefront of this revolution, ALL of our schools need to be part of the STEM vision and guide students in acquiring STEM literacy. Understanding and addressing the challenge of achieving STEM literacy for ALL students begins with an understanding of its element and the connections between them. In order to remain competitive, the Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy has recommended that the US optimize “its knowledge-based resources, particularly in science and technology” (National Academies, 2007, p. 4). Optimizing knowledge-based resources needs to be the goal but is also a challenge for ALL educators (Scheurich & Huggins, 2009). Regardless, there is little disagreement that contemporary society is increasingly dependent on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and thus comprehensive understandings are essential for those pursuing STEM careers. It is also generally agreed that PK-12 students do not do well in STEM areas, both in terms of national standards and in terms of international comparisons (Kuenzi, Matthews, & Mangan, 2006; Capraro, Capraro, Yetkiner, Corlu, Ozel, Ye, & Kim, 2011). The question then becomes what might PK-12 schools do to improve teachers’ and students’ STEM knowledge and skills? This book will look at equity and access issues in STEM education from PK-12, university, and administrative and policy lenses.

STEM Education 2.0. discusses the most recent research on important selected K-12 STEM topics by synthesizing previous research and offering new research questions.

Education is vital to the progression and sustainability of society. By developing effective learning programs, this creates numerous impacts and benefits for future generations to come. K-12 STEM Education: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice is a pivotal source of academic material on the latest trends, techniques, technological tools, and scholarly perspectives on STEM education in K-12 learning environments. Including a range of pertinent topics such as instructional design, online learning, and educational technologies, this book is an ideal reference source for teachers, teacher educators, professionals, students, researchers, and practitioners interested in the latest developments in K-12 STEM education.

The “ideal” 21st century public school teacher has a keen understanding of the racialized history of education and has already taken a critical stance regarding that history. This teacher is a changemaker and able to create classroom conditions that enable all children and youth to be changemakers as well. In order to assist teachers to become this ideal educator, antiracist professional development must be undertaken. Antiracist professional development has as its goal the transformation of teachers for the eventual transformation of classroom environments, instruction, and curricula to provide for equitable and inclusive educational experiences, particularly for students of color. Unfortunately, such transformative teacher professional development has been in short supply in the age of high-stakes standardized testing and the deprofessionalization of the teaching profession. Antiracist Professional Development for In-Service Teachers: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a crucial reference book that addresses the historical, sociological, and pedagogical background concerning racial issues in education. It proposes an antiracist model for professional development as a tool for transforming schools and teachers to be critically sensitive changemakers. Drawing upon more than 20 years of developing a transformative teaching master’s program, the book includes data from the authors’ national survey of teacher professional development, assignment examples, teacher work products, and the authors’ self-critique/reflections on their efforts to support teachers in transforming their practice. The book also presents the voices of P-12 teachers, including those who thought that they already “knew it all,” the new teacher at a punitive public charter school with high turnover, teachers who took leadership within the school and in the larger community, and teachers who significantly changed their classroom practice for the long-term. Moreover, the authors offer policy recommendations for teacher professional development experiences that meet the needs of all teachers; experiences that provide support for teachers’ professional growth, that have an immediate impact on student learning, and that create the conditions for school communities to work together as changemakers. It includes an epilogue that considers the urgency of these issues as were revealed by the 2020 global pandemic. As such, this book is ideal for teachers, teacher educators, educational leaders, administrators, policymakers, academicians, researchers, and students.

The application of technology in classroom settings has equipped educators with innovative tools and techniques for effective teaching practice. Integrating digital technologies at the elementary and secondary levels helps to enrich the students’ learning experience and maximize competency in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Improving K-12 STEM Education Outcomes through Technological Integration focuses on current research surrounding the effectiveness, performance, and benefits of incorporating various technological tools within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classrooms. Focusing on evidence-based approaches and current educational innovations, this book is an essential reference source for teachers, teacher educators, and professionals interested in how emerging technologies are benefiting teaching and/or learning efficacy.

By necessity, understanding of leadership has been based on who used to be business leaders, namely men. In the last few years, Asian women have been making their mark in corporate America. Although Asian women have become part of the American workforce, and some have achieved spectacular success, there is little discussion about them. Many of these women could be first general immigrants, still balancing the strong pull of two cultures. Even for second or third generation immigrants, Asian cultures can often exert immense pressures. Thus, the achievement of these women deserves far more attention than it has received, and comprehensive research on these advances should be presented. Asian Women in Corporate America: Emerging Research and Opportunities traces the history of Asian women’s presence as executives of major American corporations, presents biographical sketches of a select few, draws upon factors (individual, corporate, and societal) that influenced their journeys, and links to past theories on business leadership. The chapters serve to bring attention to a minority group in leadership and extricates factors that helped in the success of Asian American women in these prominent roles. While highlighting topics such as existing leadership theories, gender and ethnicity in leadership, models of theories regarding Asian women, and their involvement in major corporations, this book is a valuable reference tool for managers, executives, researchers, practitioners, academicians, and students working in fields that include women’s studies/gender studies, business and management, human resources management, management science, and leadership.

Educators in the K-12 school environment work diligently to help at-risk students find success in the classroom. One particular group of at-risk students is the LGBTQ+ population. K-12 students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer often fear the repercussions of disclosing this information in the classroom environment. Homophobia from fellow students, faculty, and/or administrators can be in the form of bullying, lack of acknowledgement of identity, absence in curriculum, etc. There is a strong need for this group of students to be included in the landscape of curriculum design and policymaking. Incorporating LGBTQ+ Identities in K-12 Curriculum and Policy is a critical research publication that provides comprehensive research on inclusive curriculum design and education policy that specifically impacts LGBTQ+ students. Featuring an array of topics such as gender diversity, mental health services, and preservice teachers, this book is essential for teachers, counsellors, school psychologists, therapists, curriculum developers, instructional designers, principals, school boards, academicians, researchers, administrators, policymakers, and students.