The project proposes a definition of scientific literacy as: an understanding of the nature and development of scientific research and knowledge; knowledge of the interdisciplinary nature of STEM; possessing the ability to evaluate scientific evidence and explanations; having the ability to participate productively in scientific discourse; demonstrating an aptitude for quantitative literacy/reasoning, scientific reasoning and critical thinking; possessing a relevant knowledge of career opportunities in STEM; possessing a scientist identity and STEM self-efficacy, as well as other relevant attitudes and behaviors for success in STEM; and finally, the ability to participate in team learning and discovery.
To assess for a students' critical scientific thinking and understanding, such as a student's ability to participate effectively in scientific discourse requires development of better assessment tools. This proposed project has two major research questions: 1) What is the level of scientific literacy of pre and early freshmen STEM majors as it relates to individual STEM competencies, and what is the relationship between the level of scientific literacy and student success, gender and ethnicity? And 2) What are the most effective educational/pedagogical methods for students to learn scientific literacy?
The study will be conducted at different types of institutions of higher education, and research will be conducted to develop an appropriate scientific literacy assessment tool that specifically assesses STEM competencies (e.g, conceptual knowledge, abilities, aptitudes, behaviors and STEM self-efficacy) that facilitate completion of a STEM major. Data will be collected over a network of 15 higher education institutions representing a broad range of race and ethnicities, especially African American male students.
The development of an inclusive, nationally recognized assessment tool, in addition to the proposed tested educational strategies for the instruction of scientific literacy concepts, has the potential to improve the success and graduate rate of students from both majority and minority populations interested in STEM careers.
A Scientific Literacy Survey for College Success in STEM (SLSCS-STEM) was developed and designed to predict the academic preparedness of incoming freshman STEM majors and thus their success in STEM majors. The definition of scientific literacy for pre and early freshman STEM majors is: 1) understanding the nature and development of scientific research and knowledge; 2) ability to evaluate scientific evidence and explanations; 3) ability to participate in scientific discourse; 4) aptitude for scientific reasoning and critical thinking; 5) knowledge of the various fields and career opportunities in STEM; 6) possessing STEM self-efficacy; and 7) ability to participate in team learning. Within the context of the definition of scientific literacy SLSCS-STEM allowed independent assessment of three dimensions: a) attitudinal and behavioral domains of scientific literacy; b) content knowledge of scientific concepts; and c) scientific reasoning skills. The first major outcome of this study presents the theoretical framework for the development of the scientific literacy scale along with supporting data on its validity and reliability. The participant pool consisted of 1349 undergraduate students who self-identified as first semester biological, chemical, physical, or engineering science majors. Participants were recruited from 7 different institutions of higher education from across the United States. Each subscale of the SLSCS-STEM demonstrated statically significant reliability including tests of internal consistency and instrument stability over time. Furthermore, content validity, tested with expert science faculty members, demonstrated that the content knowledge sections were relevant for freshman STEM majors. Finally, item analysis verified appropriate item difficulty level and item discrimination. The SLSCS-STEM score results for the knowledge and reasoning subsections (n=1,349) are as follows: biology-68%; chemistry-73%; physical science-58%; nature of science-78%; and scientific reasoning-57%. In the knowledge and reasoning sections combined score, 61% of the students scored less than 68%, which is considered relatively low. As it relates to the attitudinal/behavioral domains of scientific literacy, the average student response when asked to agree or disagree (on a scale from 1-5) were as follows: commitment to science-4.01; confidence as a scientist-3.82; identity as a scientist-3.37; participation in scientific discourse-3.87; and team learning-3.82. To study the levels of scientific literacy relative to gender and ethnicity differences, data from students, who self-identified as male or female, or African American, White, or Hispanic were utilized in this study. Significant differences in mean scores between males (n=825) and females (n=499) were evident on all three domains (attitude/behavior, knowledge and scientific reasoning) of the SLSCS-STEM; however, the differences were relatively small indicated by Cohen’s D, except for physical science. Mean differences were seen in physical science with males scoring moderately higher than females. In addition ethnicity studies indicated that white students scored significantly higher than African American and Hispanic students. The SLSCS-STEM was also studied to determine is predictive validity, i.e. can this instrument be used to predict success and retention in the STEM major of incoming freshmen. It was definitively determined that the SLSCS-STEM instrument can predict the success of students in STEM majors; the higher the scientific literacy score, the greater the probability the student will be successful in introductory STEM courses and remain in the major after the sophomore year. This Scientific Literacy research project resulted in three manuscripts: 1) Scientific Literacy Survey for College Success in STEM; 2) Gender and Ethnicity Differences in the Scientific Literacy of Freshman STEM Majors; 3) Predictive Validly of a Scientific Literacy Scale for College Success. In addition, a detailed Scientific Literacy curriculum was developed and evaluated for student impact. Data indicated that this scientific literacy curriculum increased retention of at-risk STEM majors by 30%. This curriculum was then made public by placing it in an extensive Scientific Literacy Center website (www.scientificliteracycenter.org). The Scientific Literacy Center’s mission is to promote student knowledge, interest and successful pursuit of STEM majors; enhance student cognitive and non-cognitive skills needed for success in the STEM major; provide a scientific literacy curriculum that is specifically designed to increase STEM retention; promote increased student awareness of career opportunities in STEM; provide a scientific literacy assessment; and study this instrument to continue to research the scientific literacy of pre and early freshman STEM majors. For the U.S. to remain competitive in the global STEM economy, we must produce the next generation of STEM professionals. Increasing the level of scientific literacy of freshman STEM majors, as well as high school students interested in STEM will potentially increase retention in STEM majors, increase STEM workforce, and produce a positive impact on America’s global economic strength and competitiveness. A scientifically literate population of pre and early STEM majors will help solve the current problem that one out of every two freshman STEM majors in college do not graduate with a STEM degree.
