Aug 2026· Frontiers in Education· Vol 11· 0 citations· 29 references
Abstract
This study examines a university-community engagement initiative through which undergraduate STEM students lead math circles, afterschool enrichment programs that welcome children of all mathematical abilities in Grades 4–6 (U.S.A.) to engage in mathematics-focused games and hands-on activities. In particular, we sought to generate an in-depth understanding of how the undergraduates describe their experience in the program and how it shapes their own personal and professional growth. Using a multiple case study approach, we collected and analyzed data from weekly reflections, observations, and end-of-semester interviews for three of the undergraduates in the program. Qualitative analysis consisted of iterative rounds of inductive coding to generate themes pertaining to teaching beliefs and strategies, identity, and personal and professional development, amongst others, followed by a cross-case analysis. Case narratives revealed unique journeys throughout the program for each participant, though all three expressed positive sentiments about the experience and its impact on them. Four cross-cutting themes were identified: the central role of relationship-building as an effective engagement strategy, the influence of prior beliefs about authority and their role on instructional decisions, the importance of reflective teaching to challenge prior assumptions, and the function of the program overall as a space for personal growth and identity affirmation. These shared experiences and positive impacts highlight the potential of math circles as an effective model for embedding service learning and community engagement within the undergraduate curriculum while supporting students’ personal and professional development. They also underscore the importance of providing ongoing training and support to undergraduate leaders as they navigate new scenarios throughout the semester.
Preparing students for evolving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers requires teachers who understand workforce skills and pathways, yet most professional development (PD) and STEM Experiences for Teachers (SETs) are studied in isolation. This study examines the effects of the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership (KFP) on teachers’ professional growth. KFP is a year-long model that integrates a 120h summer industry or research immersion with 80h of pedagogical and leadership PD spread across summer, fall, and spring institutes. We conducted a secondary analysis of transcripts from 56 interviews and 3 focus-groups from 73 teachers who participated in KFP between 2018 and 2024. The data were originally collected for the purpose of program evaluation. We employed inductive coding and then mapped emergent categories to Clarke and Hollingsworth’s (2002) Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG) to examine professional growth in the participating teachers’ personal domain, domain of practice, and domain of consequence. The IMPG accounts for the complex and multi-faceted nature of teacher professional growth that flows from PD experiences, providing a useful lens for examining the effects of KFP on teacher growth. Our findings indicate that the participating teachers most frequently reported changes in their personal domain (n = 371), with more references to knowledge (n = 160) than beliefs (n = 128) or attitudes (n = 69). Growth in their domain of practice (n = 211) centered on pedagogy (n = 136) and forming new community connections (n = 54). Reported changes in their domain of consequence (n = 241) highlighted teacher outcomes (n = 162) and new student opportunities (n = 95). Co-occurrence analyses linked knowledge gains to professional development and industry connections (72 co-occurrences) and belief change to program infrastructure/values and brand recognition (52 co-occurrences). A salient pathway traced increased self-efficacy → agentic action → new community connections → opportunities for students. The results of this study highlight how integrating SETs with sustained pedagogical and leadership PD drives multi-domain teacher growth and bridges the “knowing–doing gap” often seen in professional learning. Findings show that KFP’s SET + PD model enhances teachers’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and networks, which in turn catalyze agentic actions that expand classroom opportunities for students (e.g., classroom projects connected to apprenticeship programs). Through the lens of Clarke and Hollingsworth’s IMPG, the study demonstrates that external supports—such as industry experiences, high-quality PD, and program infrastructure—produce personal growth that translates into new pedagogical practices, leadership roles, and student engagement. This study positions the KFP model as a replicable framework for workforce-aligned teacher professional development and offers design and policy recommendations for scaling SET + PD initiatives to strengthen K–12 STEM education and career readiness.
Vance Kite, Kevin Winn, Teresa Leavens et al.· International Journal of STE...· 0 citations
In 2020, we conducted a qualitative study exploring a Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) in Software Engineering at the University of Glasgow, focusing on student experiences, institutional motivations, and employer perspectives. A key component of this work involved life story interviews with nine students, capturing their learning trajectories and sense-making of their experiences early in the program. Now that these students have completed their degrees, we conducted a follow-up study to examine their perspectives and pathways. Using a longitudinal narrative approach, we re-interviewed prior participants from the first GA cohort. Our study seeks to understand how these individuals reflect on their GA experiences, how their stories have changed over time, and how they situate their program participation within their broader professional and personal development. By analyzing these narratives, we explore the long-term impacts of apprenticeship-based education and contribute to the literature on work-based learning in computing education. This work also provides additional insight into the ways stories of educational experiences evolve over time.
Sebastian Dziallas, Matthew Barr· Annual Conference on Innovat...· 0 citations
This study examines the University of Florida Circularity and Digitalization Skills Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (Florida’s CD-Skills REEU) to answer: Is the program successful, and what features or mechanisms make it so? We conducted a qualitative outcomes-focused program evaluation with embedded process evaluation elements using semi-structured group interview and a nested codebook (five themes, twenty subcodes) interpreted through a theory-as-lens framework. Participants characterized CD-Skills as a qualitatively different experience anchored in authentic, end-to-end project ownership that built hands-on competence, confidence, and researcher/“ag person” identity; a layered mentoring ecology (faculty/principal investigators (PIs), graduate near-peers, program leaders) that provided modeling, feedback, belonging, and pathway clarity; coherent learning activities linking labs, field visits, and weekly sessions; growth in systems thinking and circularity/sustainability orientation with a shift from early problem-immersion fatigue to solution-focused agency and interest in outreach; and operational guardrails (role clarity, early orientation, predictable scheduling) that protected research time. Negative cases (e.g., underprepared site visits, last-minute changes) revealed predictable failure modes and concrete fixes (pre-brief/debrief routines, host checklists, scheduling discipline, backup protocols). Implications include protecting student-designed projects, codifying mentor roles and cadence, aligning weekly sessions to ongoing lab/site work, balancing problem and solution phases, and formalizing onboarding and logistics. This study contributes to a practice-informed model for designing and evaluating intensive undergraduate research experience in agriculture and food systems. Limitations include reliance on self-report and a short horizon; future work should add common rubrics for student artifacts and brief longitudinal follow-ups.
R. L. Wright, Ana Martin-Ryals, Ziynet Boz et al.· Journal of Agricultural Educ...· 0 citations
First-year students in STEM programs face significant academic and personal challenges that can undermine retention and success, particularly for those navigating new institutional environments without prior college experience. While self- regulated learning (SRL) theory offers a well-established framework for understanding how students plan and reflect, less attention has been paid to the performance phase, the stage where students must translate plans into action amid real academic and social demands. This qualitative study examines the experiences of 15 first-year life science students across three institution types, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a predominantly white institution, and a liberal arts college, to investigate what plans students formed at the end of their first semester and what factors facilitated or hindered implementation during their second semester. Using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, three major plan themes emerged: help-seeking, internal academic adjustments, and managing social and emotional well-being. Facilitating factors for these plans included small class sizes, anonymized participation tools, approachable instructors, peer and family support, counseling services, and structured planning tools, while hindering factors included fear of judgment, high instructor-student ratios, scheduling conflicts, academic burnout, and unsupportive living environments. The findings reveal that plan implementation depended on the interplay of intersecting psychological, social, and structural factors, which created unique conditions that influenced whether students were able to enact their plans. Importantly, the findings reveal that plan implementation unfolded not as a linear process but through nested micro-cycles of forethought, performance, and reflection within the performance phase, triggered by specific events throughout the semester. These findings have implications for how institutions design learner-centered support for STEM students not only at key transition points, but also throughout the semester, to address the conditions that influence whether students are able to successfully implement, adapt, or abandon their regulatory efforts.
Mehri Azizi, Nicole Chlebek, Bryan M. Dewsbury· Trends in Higher Education· 0 citations
This study explored the lived experiences of non-STEM students enrolled in the Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) major in mathematics program at a private university in Davao City. With the increasing number of non-STEM graduates entering mathematics education, this research sought to understand how their academic backgrounds shape their challenges, coping mechanisms, and insights throughout the program. Guided by a transcendental phenomenological design, the study gathered data from 14 participants through in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion. Colaizzi’s method was used to analyze the data, allowing the researcher to extract significant statements, formulate meanings, and develop themes that reflect the essence of the participants’ experiences. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility checks, member validation, and adherence to ethical principles throughout the research process. The findings revealed three major challenges experienced by non-STEM students: limited or missing background in mathematics, difficulty adjusting to college-level mathematics, and constant comparison with STEM peers. These challenges contributed to feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, and academic pressure. Despite these struggles, participants employed various coping strategies such as self-directed learning, motivation and mindset building, and emotional regulation to persist in the program. Their reflections also highlighted two key insights: the value of self-growth and the importance of bridging learning gaps within the curriculum. Participants described the program as transformative, noting improvements in discipline, perseverance, and confidence.
Arnie Boy O. Guitguit· European Journal of Educatio...· 0 citations
At a private, liberal arts university, our goal is to foster a culture wherein assessment is an instrument to reduce disparities in student success. Empowering students to participate in planning assessment and generating findings is a suggested equity-minded practice (Montenegro & Jankowski 2020). During the Spring 2023 semester, we recruited and trained a team of four Student Partners in Assessment (SPAs).
Complementing Pacific’s quantitative assessment of critical thinking, the inaugural SPA team completed a qualitative research project examining students’ perceived opportunities and challenges for developing critical thinking skills. Our team met weekly, and SPAs worked 4-8 paid hours weekly. We first taught SPAs about learning outcomes and assessment: generally, and at Pacific. They then explored possible research questions related to critical thinking. While introducing qualitative research methods, we simultaneously guided the team in choosing a research question and data collection method.
The SPAs developed a survey and analyzed students’ responses. They constructed themes and recommendations emphasizing how accepting new challenges helps develop critical thinking, and how physical and mental health and a trusted learning environment set a foundation for accepting challenges. SPAs shared their findings at Pacific’s annual assessment conference and distributed a paper brochure and digital resources on campus. With current and future SPA teams, we aim to improve transparency in university-wide assessment processes and expand how students’ experiences inform assessment practices and recommendations. As we improve how we recruit and train student partners, we will continue learning how this partnership structure can serve students and varied institutional goals.
Carla Strickland-Hughes, Nicholas McConnell· Journal of Assessment in Hig...· 0 citations
