ERIC Number: ED659961
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 76
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Micro-Credentials in Strengthening STEM Teaching and Learning: An Evaluation of the Louisiana STEM Micro-Credentials Project
Christopher Joseph Doss; Rebecca L. Wolfe; Miray Tekkumru-Kisa; Karen Christianson; Michelle D. Ziegler; Julia H. Kaufman
Grantee Submission
Micro-credentials are increasingly being adopted across a variety of industries and countries, including the kindergarten through grade 12 education system in the United States, as a way to identify workers with specific skills, knowledge, and competencies. This report presents the results of a study conducted by RAND researchers who investigated the implementation and impact of teacher micro-credentials intended to improve high school science, technology, engineering, and math teaching and learning in Louisiana. The creation, design, and implementation of micro-credentials was undertaken through a collaboration between the Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana State University, and BloomBoard. RAND researchers designed and executed a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of micro-credentials and an implementation study. The study indicated that teachers' engagement with micro-credentials was relatively low and that micro-credentials did not lead to an increase in student achievement. That said, participating teachers reported that the micro-credentials were well aligned with their courses and supported their teaching practice. Study implications include that micro-credential providers and stakeholders should clearly communicate the value proposition and time requirements of micro-credentials to teachers, as well as provide ample peer and asynchronous supports to teachers for undertaking them.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Program Evaluation, Credentials, Program Implementation, Program Effectiveness, Educational Improvement, High Schools, College School Cooperation, Partnerships in Education, State Universities, State Departments of Education, Educational Cooperation, Academic Achievement, Faculty Development, Fidelity, Attendance, Guided Pathways
Related Records: ED631773
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) (ED), Education Innovation and Research (EIR)
Authoring Institution: RAND Education and Labor
Identifiers - Location: Louisiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: U411C190127