[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research.] With the current growth in quantum information science and technology (QIST), there is an increasing need to prepare precollege students for postsecondary QIST study and careers. This mixed methods, explanatory sequential research…

Since its inception in 2003, the IWCA Summer Institute (SI) has been understood within the writing center field to be an important professional development opportunity for new and experienced writing center professionals (WCPs). Publications on the SI to date have focused on anecdotal perceptions of the benefits to leaders and participants or on a…

This study explored the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) attitudes and self-efficacy of secondary students identifying as Black South African, multi-racial or Afrikaans South African, or Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe nationals who participated in a non-formal STEM education camp programme. Using Bandura's social cognitive…

This multi-methods study explores changes in engineering interest and identity of middle and high school students (n = 79) attending introductory-level engineering summer camps at a large western land grant university. Middle school is a critical time when student interest, identity, and subsequently career choice begin to emerge and hence it is…

College options for students with intellectual disabilities continue to grow. However, there is a gap among students and families about available college opportunities. This study provides evidence of a weeklong summer academy that bridges the gap between high school and college. Results showed the summer academy increased participants' awareness…

In this "Perspective on Practice," we describe an application of recommendations made in "Formative Assessment in Secondary ­Mathematics: Moving Theory to Recommendations for Evidence-Based Practice" (Kenney et al., 2022), which was recently published in this journal. The authors made recommendations for mathematics teacher…

The purpose of the study was to examine the most critical dimensions of summer enrichment programs (SEPs) for gifted students. The researchers conducted the study in Saudi Arabia with students from grades nine to 11 at a gifted summer program in a public university. The total number of students was 172 gifted students (62 female and 110 male). The…

Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics is a four-week summer enrichment program where high school students study a variety of STEM topics. This article explores how participation in the Mathematical Evolution course affected students' skills in research, communication, and scientific reasoning and changes in self-efficacy towards STEM. Data…

Nearly 80% of the total American population lives within the urban sprawl, where rapid urbanization has contributed to an immense reduction of green space. Loss of woods, fields, and other green areas, in conjunction with adolescent preference for indoor and screen-based activities, has led to decreased time spent outdoors. However, studies show…

A challenge for using evaluation data to improve climate change education in schools is access to an instrument for teachers to measure behavioral changes and their antecedents. We report on teachers' implementation of a brief survey measuring climate-related beliefs, self-efficacy, intention to act, action, and anxiety before and after their…

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate student motivation before and after the summer internship, in other words, to evaluate whether the summer internship affects male and female motivations differently. Design/methodology/approach: Investigating whether the motivation score predicts grade point average was included by adopting a quantitative…

Computational thinking (CT) skills are critical for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, thus drawing increasing attention in STEM education. More curricula and assessments, however, are needed to cultivate and measure CT for different learning goals. Maker activities have the potential to improve student CT, but…

Nature-based interventions (NBI) have demonstrated positive effects on a range of student outcomes, including enhanced prosocial behaviors, decreased levels of stress, and improved mood and concentration. Further, school-aged children's participation in NBIs supports students' reconnection with the natural world. Although schools represent an…

Self-efficacy is seen as a barrier for youth, females in particular, to enter computer science (CS). In this study, I presented a near-peer mentoring model that focused on changing the mentee's self-efficacy in CS. The present study had three objectives: (a) to design a near-peer mentoring model (i.e., a conceptual model) around the sources of…

Out-of-school-time (OST) programs and their funders rely on sound data to make decisions about everything from professional development and student recruitment to the selection of activities to offer students. Programs operate at a range of times (before and after school, weekends, summer) and in a variety of locations (e.g., schools,…