Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Engaging Young Scholars in Science: A Study of a Summer Enrichment Experience for Middle
School Students
Meredith Mitchell
Organizations such as the Partnership for 21st Century Learning, and many other
research based organizations, have begun to highlight the necessity of refocusing our
educational system on the significant issue of equipping students with the skillsets they need to
be productive in todays global economy (Kay & Greenhill, 2011; Voogt & Roblin, 2012).
Their research suggests that it is not rote memorization of facts and content knowledge, which
is what the majority of mandated national and state standardized assessments currently
measure, that matters; it is the ability to create, collaborate, communicate and think critically
that will allow young scholars to be equipped with what they need in todays job market
(Supovitz, 2009; Kay & Greenhill, 2011; Voogt & Roblin, 2012). As the body of research on
21st century teaching and learning gains momentum, many school districts have adopted
measures and practices to commit to teaching these educational ideals, which is an important
first step in reforming education (Gunn & Hollingsworth, 2013). While the explicit adoption
of a shared vision of 21st century learning is important, merely stating our intention of better
equipping students for the future cannot and will not suffice.
educators may reach students from diverse contextual backgrounds. Educational research
often points to the ways in which economically, racially, and linguistically diverse students are
often more susceptible to the ills of our educational system, including a more narrowed
curriculum and overemphasis of fact memorization (Anderson, 2009; Au, 2009). There is
minimal research on exploring 21st century learning and the effects of Problem Based Learning
(PBL) instruction in minority populations (De La Paz, 2013; Black, 2009) which is a problem
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for educational leaders who should be knowledgeable advocates for all kinds of student
a diverse population of students as they engage in a 21st century skill rich summer science
experience. By tapping into the opinions, attitudes, and experiences of these students both at
the start and end of their experience, it will be possible to show how these enrichment
experiences benefit students and provide support and awareness for educational leaders to seek
This research will be significant in that it aims to not only explore a particular
phenomenon within education today, the inclusion of 21st century learning skills in the
classroom, but will also help clarify what this reform will mean for marginalized populations.
Currently, significant research would suggest creativity, communication, critical thinking, and
collaboration are skillsets that are important for all our students (Kay & Greenhill, 2011;
Jacobsen-Lundeberg, 2013), but it would be shortsighted and nave to say that the reform will
reach all students in the same way regardless of their individual contexts. If we can
understand the perceived effects of a reform on students, we can better understand how to
implement the reform in a variety of educational settings and contexts. Practically speaking, it
will be important to understand whether promoting specific initiatives of 21st century skill
Methods
lower socioeconomic status and higher rates of English language learners relative to the rest of
the district has driven me to pursue findings for the following research question: What are the
Research Design
to gain insight on the experiences and effects on students as they engage in a summer science
Sample Selection
Site Selection. The study was conducted within a school district that will be referred
to as Large Mid-Atlantic County. Large Mid-Atlantic County is named for its actual
geographic location and demographics, and was selected not only for convenience purposes,
but also because it has recently adopted a vision and mission at the district level to provide
students with more frequent and authentic 21st century learning experiences. Within this 21st
century learning initiative, there is a specific program called Young Scholars that specifically
serves underrepresented students with enrichment experiences. The district identifies bright,
inquisitive students as Young Scholars if they are students who are racially or linguistically
circumstance they have overcome. This study utilizes purposeful selection because it is based
students.
Participants. Young scholars are sixth through eighth grade students who come from
12 different school site locations across the county and represent a diverse range of
demographics. Their individual programs are managed by site supervisors and are run by
teachers within the district who have been specifically trained on one of four JASON learning
units: Terminal Velocity, Resilient Planet, Infinite Potential, and Seas of Change. I contacted
teachers and site supervisors directly via email in order to facilitate data collection throughout
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the study. By including all of the available school sites, there was some element of maximum
variation sampling because a range of teachers were delivering the program across multiple
Data Collection
research study. Teachers of the Young Scholars science program were initially contacted via
email, with directions on how to direct their students to access a Google Forms survey during
the first week of the summer science program. I followed up with correspondence with
particular school sites and compiled student work samples, videos, and photos from each
school site. Each participant was given and asked to complete an informed assent statement
included in Appendix B. Informed assent serves to protect the privacy of informants and
explain the intents and purposes of the study (Glesne, 2011). Students who did not assent to
Each participant completed an initial Google Form survey that asked them to describe
their attitudes, feelings, and perspectives on science during the first few days of the three week
long summer program. This survey is included in Appendix C. The first question, which was
analyzed quantitatively, asked students to mark all feelings they experience when thinking
about science. The subsequent questions required students to type out a response regarding
their experiences and attitudes in science as well as explain the skillsets they need to be an
effective scientist.
The student artifacts which were collected throughout the duration of the study were
catalogued in a Google Drive folder and accessible to program administrators for future use in
training and disseminating information about the summer program. The purpose of this
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additional data collection was also to triangulate information for when post survey information
was collected from students. During the third and final week of the summer program, I
contacted teachers and site supervisors with the post survey, included in this report as
Appendix D. Students again responded to quantitative and qualitative measures which were
nearly identically constructed. The purpose of a similar question set was to facilitate
answering the question of how students feelings and attitudes had changed over the duration
Data Analysis
I began data analysis concurrently with data collection. After the first initial survey
was completed, I began searching through the data for themes and patterns (Glesne, 2011,
p.187). I started with the process of open coding to sort data and information into categories
(Merriam, 2009). I inductively derived three themes after an initial reading of all survey
responses and then reread the survey responses, organizing pertinent information into an
analytic file (Glesne, 2011). Finally, I categorized the responses within a data analysis matrix
After the follow up surveys were completed, I used quantitative methods to analyze
how feelings about science changed between the pre program survey and the post program
survey. I calculated effect sizes using Cohens d in order to measure the magnitude of the
differences that occurred before and after the three week summer enrichment program. The
I reviewed all post survey responses and coded them within the same thematic
categories as the pre program surveys, attending to any differences or new occurrences from
this round of data collection. These adjusted themes were compiled in a data analysis matrix
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in Appendix G. Finally, I coded and sorted data relating to the final element of the post
survey: student responses to the 21st century skill utilization and development. These results
are organized in a separate data analysis matrix in Appendix H. The data responses and my
analysis were peer reviewed by coordinators in the Young Scholars program office as well as
While the purpose of this research study is not necessarily intended for generalization,
rather an evaluation of the utility of a 21st century enrichment program within a particular
population, it is important to ensure that my study was carried out in such a way to maximize
its validity and reliability (Glesne, 2011). Of the eight strategies Maxwell proposes for
promoting validity and reliability, this research study used four strategies including extensive
engagement with data, reflexivity, peer review, and maximum variation (Merriam, 2009,
p.229). While these techniques cannot eliminate sources of bias or ensure absolute truth, I
endeavored with due diligence to produce a study that reflects the beliefs and experiences of
the participants. In addition, after open coding and determining themes, I read through surveys
Throughout the entire research process, the practice of reflexivity remained in the
inquiring into their own biases, subjectivity, and value-laden perspectives or into the
appropriateness of their research methodology and methods, including concerns regarding data
Researcher Biases
For the purposes of this study, it is important to clarify that I have approached this
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research with a firm belief in the need for reform within our educational system by
emphasizing the skillsets required for students to achieve in the 21st century and
content knowledge. Furthermore, I come from the viewpoint that educational leaders should
advocate for marginalized students who are often underserved in terms of enriching academic
experiences. Lastly, it is worth noting that I had personally taught this summer program
before, which inevitably shaped my perceptions of its utility and value for the students it
serves. As noted previously, these biases were carefully considered throughout the research
process.
Discussion of Findings
The purpose of this study was to explore both quantitatively and qualitatively the
program. To understand the effects of this summer program on students attitudes towards
science quantitatively, the effect sizes of the mean differences were calculated for each feeling
Table 1
Effect Sizes of Mean Differences of Students Feelings about Science Pre and Post Program
Four of the feeling constructs that were reported by students changed between the pre
and post survey with at least a small effect size: happy, excited, unsure, and successful. The
proportion of students reporting they felt happy about and successful in science increased after
the program by a small magnitude, and the proportion of students who felt excited by science
after the experience increased by a moderate magnitude. The proportion of students who felt
unsure about science decreased by the end of the program by a small effect. While all other
feeling constructs changed in educationally desirable directions (an increase in the proportion
of positive feelings and a decrease in the proportion of negative feelings), no other feeling
constructs changed with an effect size large enough to be considered to have practical
significance.
In looking at the qualitative data, student responses can be organized within three
major themes that demonstrate some minute differences from the pre program survey to the
post program survey. The first theme, the utility and application of science, first emerged in
the pre program survey and can be characterized as students understanding that there are
problems to be solved in the world and things yet to be discovered that science may help
achieve. One student noted, [science] helps me learn how to improve the community around
us and how to develop our future. Many students also noted that issues such as global
warming, extinction, and pollution were science related problems that were in need of
solutions. Finally, students alluded to science being useful in the future, but lacked concrete
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descriptions of in what ways this were possible. In the post program survey, the application
and utility of science became more personal; students wrote when I grow up, I want to be a
doctor [and] science can help me cure and help my patients and when I get older, science is
going to help me a lot when I get a job as [an] engineer. These personalized applications of
Another theme which emerged is the spectrum of emotions tied to the sciences.
Students reported their own conflicting feelings about being both interested and engaged in the
sciences, but also often feeling bored or stressed about science. In the pre program survey,
students often cited the boredom experienced from routine classroom procedures such as
listening to lectures, note taking, and completing assessments. One student wrote I do not like
the boring work, like long talks about things I dont want to learn about while another said
what they did not like about science included [taking] long tests about science because it
sometimes... can get stressful because you may forget. Others reported their dissatisfaction
with no moving and we dont have projects. Students overwhelming pointed to hands on
experiences as positive experiences in the classroom, illustrated by these quotes from students:
For me, going out and performing an experiment or simulation helps me understand
When you start a [science] project it takes you to a whole other world.
You get to explore and do experiments that some people cant do but it is fun to do
These positive experiences with hands on experiments and activities were even more prevalent
in the post program surveys. One participant responded, at first I was like science is
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boring but now that I came to this summer program, every time we were going to do
something with science I get very excited. The differences in the summer experience
compared to the regular classroom experiences were especially highlighted: you dont get to
do much of it [at] school, its really fun to see how the experiment ended. Many students
were glad that they got to do science through the summer program, not be passive recipients
of information. One student noted, since I dont get to do science very often, it gives me all
The final theme that emerged from the surveys was the recognition of a broad range
of skills that are needed to be proficient scientists. In both the pre and post program surveys,
students noted that there are certainly cognitive factors, like intelligence, that play a role in
scientific endeavors, but also emotionally based skillsets that contribute to success in the field.
In both the pre and post program surveys, students noted that commitment, resiliency, and
motivation played a large part of being a scientist. After recognizing the broad range of
participant responses in the initial survey, I asked students to specifically reflect on the
skillsets defined by the districts vision of 21st century learning: communication, collaboration,
creativity, critical thinking, goal setting, and ethical/global thinking. Over half of the
integral to their scientific process throughout the summer, and expanded upon the ways in
which these skillsets were used throughout the various project and activities they took on.
While both the quantitative and qualitative data point to some nuanced ways in which
students beliefs and attitudes about science have changed as a result of participating in the
summer program, it is important to consider the limitations of the study that shape the
discussion of these findings. The most prevalent limitation is the lack of rich descriptions
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provided by participants in the open ended qualitative survey items. Although students were
given ample space to write within the Google Form surveys in an expandable text box, many
students may have felt that a short, vague answer was sufficient, despite prompts for details
and examples. If this study were to be completed again, I would likely change either the
format of the survey or set sentence minimums in order to probe more description out of the
participants. Alternatively, if the structure or timeframe of the program better allowed for it, I
would have conducted open ended interviews with participants that would allow for me to
have prompted more elaboration and details. Another possible limitation to the study is the
dramatically reduced participant response rate from the pre to post surveys. The study began
with 264 assenting participants, however, only 193 participants followed through in the post
survey. It would have been feasible to conduct a paired analysis through matching students
pre and post survey responses, however, I opted for the larger breadth of responses by looking
at the data unmatched. A final limitation to consider is the fact that many of these students
have been participants in the Young Scholars program for several years, and have had
may have lessened the novelty or impact of this years summer program in particular, as
compared to a group of students who are experiencing these types of extracurricular activities
Conclusion
Students will need 21st century learning skills to be successful in their futures and by
offering enrichment opportunities to students through engaging experiences, we can share with
students something that they may not be experiencing in the classroom. The contextual factors
of socioeconomic status and language proficiency impact student learners, and it will be
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important to explicitly understand, monitor, and advocate for these students access to
engaging and relevant curriculum. This study may inform future studies on the long term
exploration of how these opportunities ultimately impact academic performance and future
career choices. As the body of research related to 21st century skills grows, it is my hope that
the reform will contribute to transformational experiences in the lives of students, regardless of
References
York: Routledge.
Glesne, C. (2011). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (4th ed.). Upper Saddle
Gunn, T. & Hollingsworth, M. (2013). The implementation and assessment of shared 21st
Kay, K. & Greenhill, V. (2011). Twenty-first century students need 21st century skills. In G. Wan
& D. Gut (Eds.), Bringing schools into the 21st century (pp. 41-65). Netherlands:
Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0268-4_3
Maxwell, J. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd ed.). Thousand
Supovitz, J. (2009). Can high stakes testing leverage educational improvement? Prospects from
the last decade of testing and accountability reform. Journal of Educational Change, 10,
211-227.
Voogt, J. & Roblin, N. (2012). A comparative analysis of international frameworks for 21st
Appendix A
Jan- May 2016 - Ensure funding and secure grant for program
June 28th- June 30th - Set up breakfast for professional development attendees
program
July 11th July 29th - Initial communication with program teachers and site
supervisors
needed
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Appendix B
The following letter was sent electronically to all participants prior to completing the
survey. Participants were asked to review the information and respond electronically if they
agreed to the terms and conditions. All participants in the study responded affirmatively and
We are asking the following questions in order to research your thoughts and feelings
about science. Your responses are voluntary, and will help us understand how this summer
program can be a great experience for students like you. Feel free to ask your teacher any
questions while you complete the survey. Please write down examples and reasons for each one
of your answers. You do not have to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable. Thank
you for your time and thoughtful answers! Do you agree to participate?
o Yes
o No
SCIENCE ENRICHMENT 18
Appendix C
The following survey was distributed to assenting participants during the first week of the
School A
School B
School C
School D
School E
School F
School G
School H
School I
School J
School K
School L
School M
School N
Happy
Excited
SCIENCE ENRICHMENT 19
Interested
Scared
Nervous
Bored
Unsure
Curious
Successful
Motivated
Appendix D
The following survey was distributed to assenting participants during the final week of the
summer program through a Google Form. The questions are nearly identical to the initial
survey, however two follow up questions were added at the end to delve deeper into the students
experience with the utilization of 21st century skills during the summer program.
School A
School B
School C
School D
School E
School F
School G
School H
School I
School J
School K
School L
School M
School N
2. When I think about science I NOW feel (check all that apply):
Happy
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Excited
Interested
Scared
Nervous
Bored
Unsure
Curious
Successful
Motivated
8. I used these skills during Young Scholars Summer Camp (check all that apply):
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
Goal Setting
Critical Thinking
Ethical/Global Citizenship
9. Of the items you checked above, HOW did you practice these skills during your time in
Young Scholars Summer Camp? Please give examples to explain your thinking.
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Appendix E
Appendix F
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .3674 .48302
POST 193 .00 1.00 .5181 .50097
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= 0.3071
95% CI= (0.1204, 0.4938)
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .4848 .50072
POST 193 .00 1.00 .6788 .46817
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= 0.3982
95% CI= (0.2107, 0.5856)
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .8030 .39846
POST 193 .00 1.00 .8083 .39467
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= 0.0134
95% CI= (-0.1723, 0.199 )
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .0227 .14932
POST 193 .00 1.00 .0207 .14283
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Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= -0.0136
95% CI= (-0.1993, 0.172)
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .1402 .34780
POST 193 .00 1.00 .1244 .33084
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= -0.065
95% CI= (-0.2507, 0.1207)
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .2008 .40133
POST 193 .00 1.00 .1554 .36327
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= -0.1177
95% CI= (-0.3035, 0.0681)
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .2424 .42936
POST 193 .00 1.00 .1503 .35825
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= -0.2297
95% CI= (- 0.416, -0.0435)
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .6477 .47859
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Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .2197 .41483
POST 193 .00 1.00 .3420 .47560
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= 0.277
95% CI= (0.0905, 0.4635 )
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
PRE 264 .00 1.00 .3447 .47617
POST 193 .00 1.00 .3938 .48986
Valid N
193
(listwise)
Cohens d= 0.1019
95% CI= (-0.0839, 0.2876 )
SCIENCE ENRICHMENT 27
Appendix G
Students recognize the Students were engaged with Students recognize that a
opportunity in science driven hands on experiences and variety of skills are needed to
careers and understand how experiments during the be scientists. Students again
their future work in the summer enrichment program cited emotional factors such
science can benefit others. which built confidence in as resiliency and motivation
themselves and interest in the as well as cognitive factors
sciences. Students noted that like intelligence. More than
classroom experiences dont half of students felt they
always allow for this level of employed communication,
hands on activity and collaboration, creativity, and
engagement. critical thinking in their
summer experience.
I get to be aware of what's going i feel like science is fun where listening, patience, observant,
on in the world so that I can try to you can expirament and learn at and the ability to be open
do something about it. the same time which for me thats minded. any variable can change
a 2 in one at any time and will not always
when I get older, science is going go according to plan.
to help me a lot when I get a job I learned new and interesting
as a engineer. thing and got to do hands on 1. You need to have an
experiments open mind 2. You have
to have a sense of
when I grow up, I want to be a
curiosity 3. You need to
doctor a science can help me I know more than I knew before be very good in math
cure and help my patients. so I feel better about science.
Collaboration, creativity, morals,
I used to not like science that
and critical thinking
much but I more attention and I
realized that science is sorta fun
A strong thinking skills, good
when you actually put some
hypothesis , improvise , critical
effort in it.
thinking, and to use all of your
five senses really well.
Since i don't get to do science
very often, it gives me all of these
be committed, smart, and
good emotions to get up and
curious.
work hard at the experiment!
Appendix H
terminology)
I communicated by talking to
the people around me when we
were stuck, I collaborated by
working as a team with others, I
was creative by thinking of
ideas that might help me and
my table partners get far in the
project, I set goals by thinking
before getting cocky and make
a mistake, I think critically by
"thinking before I speck" and i
show ethical and global
citizenship by helps others
when they need some help.