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In this paper we describe our investigation of underrepresented high school students’ interests, engagement, and experiences in design-based Information and Communications Technology (ICT) summer workshop activities; with the goal of identifying activities, aspects, and/or elements of the program that can be tailored or improved upon to attract, engage, educate, and retain high schoolers who have historically been underrepresented in ICT. Our primary research question is “which activities are most engaging for students typically underrepresented in ICT careers and programs,” and we additionally report on underrepresented students’ experiences and psychosocial changes across the summer workshops. A total of 139 high school students (of which 98 identified as being underrepresented female and/or racially minoritized students) participated in the ICT workshops hosted across three consecutive summers at a large, public, urban university in the Midwestern region of the United States. Employing a mixed methods design, our quantitative results and qualitative findings suggest that underrepresented students in our sample found the summer workshops’ group projects and hands-on courses to be the most engaging activities. Implications of our results/findings are further discussed.

In this article, we describe some of the common misconceptions guests have expressed while visiting a Museum of Natural History and Science, along with ways in which museum educators had re...

Abstract Males and females often have divergent evolutionary interests, generating sexual conflicts. This is particularly true in organisms that exhibit facultative sexuality, whereby females are capable of reproducing without fitness costs of mating. Here, we provide the first documented evidence with quantitative tracking showing that sex interacts with social context to determine space-use of females, in a pattern resembling predator avoidance. To achieve this, we labelled Daphnia magna with fluorescent nanoparticles and utilized a 3-D tracking platform to record pairs of individuals swimming. The recordings comprised either same-sex or opposite-sex pairings. We found that females swam faster, deeper, more horizontally, and more linearly when exposed to males than when exposed to females. Simultaneously, we found that male behavior did not differ depending on swimming partner and, importantly, we observed no sexual dimorphism in swimming behaviors when swimming with the same sex. Our results suggest that the presence of males in a population has the potential to influence the distribution of individuals, similarly to known threats, such as predation. This highlights that sexual conflict has clear spatial consequences and should be considered in such ecological frameworks, like the Landscape of Fear (LOF) concept. In a broader context, the connection of the evolutionary and social concept of sexual conflict and the ecological concept of LOF may improve our understanding of population dynamics and the spatial and temporal distribution of individuals in natural ecosystems. Significance statement Despite the wealth of studies that detail how predators affect their prey’s spatial behaviors, studies on the role of sex and social context on spatial behavior are rare. Addressing this dearth of information, we studied the swimming behaviors of an organism that can reproduce with or without sex, when exposed to an individual of either the same or opposite sex. We found no difference between the sexes in swimming behaviors; however, we revealed that females avoided males by swimming deeper in the water column, reminiscent of the response to predation. Our results highlight that social conflict between the sexes strongly affects the demographics of a population and may therefore have a substantial role in the spatial ecology of organisms in the wild.

This article argues that the intergenerational implications of mass incarceration have promoted the educational demobilization of primarily marginalized groups. Using the Howard B. Kaplan Multigenerational data set, this article makes clear temporal links between parental incarceration (G1T7) and educational outcomes into adolescence (G2T2) and emerging adulthood (G2T3). Intergenerational theories of strain and stigma are argued to be mechanisms in the transmission of reduced educational mobility. The findings of this study reveal that net of prior disadvantage adolescents who have a once incarcerated parent have significantly lower school performance, and have 58.2% lower odds of being happy in the school setting than their counterparts not experiencing parental incarceration. Further, into emerging adulthood those having a once incarcerated parent have significantly less educational attainment than their counterparts. Interactions between parental incarceration and race, as well as gender, are found to be non-significant suggesting the effect of parental incarceration does not vary by these terms. However, due to the disproportionate likelihood of experiencing incarceration for poor black and Latino males, the parental incarceration effect is more concentrated among this group. The need for restoration to these groups due to the intergenerational outcomes outlined in this study, even with an end of mass incarceration, is discussed.

In this paper we describe our investigation of underrepresented high school students’ interests, engagement, and experiences in design-based Information & Communications Technology (ICT) summer workshop activities; with the goal of identifying activities, aspects, and/or elements of the program that can be tailored or improved upon to attract, engage, educate, and retain high schoolers who have historically been underrepresented in ICT. Our primary research question is “which activities are most engaging for students typically underrepresented in ICT careers and programs,” and we additionally report on underrepresented students’ experiences and psychosocial changes across the summer workshops. A total of 139 high school students (of which 98 identified as being underrepresented female and/or racially minoritized students) participated in the ICT workshops hosted across three consecutive summers at a large, public, urban university in the Midwestern region of the United States. Employing a mixed methods design, our quantitative results and qualitative findings suggest that underrepresented students in our sample found the summer workshops’ group projects and hands-on courses to be the most engaging activities. Implications of our results/findings are further discussed. Accepted version

This article analyses the relationship between impostor phenomenon and motivation in academic women. These highly successful academics often express feelings of self-doubt, lack of belongingness, a...

Influenza is an important public health issue and schools play an important part in preventing influenza outbreaks. However, little is known about teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward influenza and vaccination. The purposes of this project were to assess preservice and early career teachers' knowledge and attitudes of influenza, evaluate the effectiveness of a refutational text on increasing teachers' attitudes towards and knowledge of influenza and vaccination, and evaluate the effects of participant epistemology, motivation, and cognitive engagement on influenza attitudes and knowledge. We implemented an experimental intervention with 64 pre-service and early career teachers on the effects of a refutational text in remedying influenza misconceptions. Teachers in this sample have vaccination rates (36% received five vaccines in a five-year period) consistent with other US adults. Pre-intervention knowledge scores were moderate and attitudes were slightly positive. Positive attitudes were correlated with increased vaccination. We found refutational texts are effective in eliciting more positive attitudes toward influenza vaccination. We found cognitive engagement was positively correlated to change in attitude. Refutational texts provide an effective mode of influenza and vaccination education.

Aims and Objectives Varicocele embolization is a growing treatment modality owing to the safety, efficacy, and quick return to work following the procedure. The internet is the most dominant source of information for many. We aimed to assess the quality of information accessible by patients considering treatment. Materials and Methods A list of applicable, commonly used searchable terms was generated. Each term was assessed across the five most-used English language search engines to determine the two most commonly used terms. These two terms were then investigated across each search engine, with the first 25 web pages returned by each engine included for analysis. Duplicate web pages, nontext content such as video or audio, and web pages behind paywalls were excluded. Web pages were analyzed for quality and readability using validated tools including DISCERN score, JAMA Benchmark Criteria, HONcode Certification, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, and Gunning–Fog Index. Secondary features including age, rank, author, and publisher were recorded. Results The most common applicable terms were “Testicular embolization” (378,300 results) and “Varicocele embolization” (375,800 results). Mean DISCERN quality of information provided by websites is “fair”; Adherence to JAMA Benchmark Criteria was 13.5%. Flesh–Kincaid readability tests demonstrated an average “9th grade” reading level. Scientific journals showed the highest quality scores, but were least up to date with an average web page age of 11.2 years. Web pages produced by “for-profit” organizations were the second most current (average age 2.7 years), but displayed the lowest quality of information scores. Conclusion While quality of online information available to patients is “fair,” adherence to JAMA benchmark criteria is poor. “For-profit” organization websites are far more numerous and significantly more up-to-date, yet showed significantly lower quality of information scores. Scientific journals were unsurprisingly of higher quality, yet more challenging for the general public to read. These findings call for the production of high-quality and comprehensible content regarding interventional radiology, where physicians can reliably direct their patients for information.

Crustacean copepods in high-latitude lakes frequently alter their pigmentation facultatively to defend themselves against prevailing threats, such as solar ultraviolet radiation ( UVR) and visually oriented predators. Strong seasonality in those environments promotes phenotypic plasticity. To date, no one has investigated whether low-latitude copepods, experiencing continuous stress from UVR and predation threats, exhibit similar inducible defences. We here investigated the pigmentation levels of Bahamian 'blue hole' copepods, addressing this deficit. Examining several populations varying in predation risk, we found the lowest levels of pigmentation in the population experiencing the highest predation pressure. In a laboratory experiment, we found that, in contrast with our predictions, copepods from these relatively constant environments did show some changes in pigmentation subsequent to the removal of UVR; however, exposure to water from different predation regimes induced minor and idiosyncratic pigmentation change. Our findings suggest that low-latitude zooplankton in inland environments may exhibit reduced, but non-zero, levels of phenotypic plasticity compared with their high-latitude counterparts. CC BY 4.0

In this article, we present 2 studies with the primary objectives of (a) identifying college-aged students’ perceived costs for their academic studies and (b) exploring college students’ descriptions of “beneficial” aspects of costs. In Study 1, 10 cost concepts were identified from 2 focus groups, including stress, lost opportunities, effort, financial, and lost interest, to name a few. In Study 2, 98 undergraduates were surveyed on their perceptions about possible “beneficial” aspects of cost. Some of the beneficial aspects of costs that were reported included gained rewards and the development of time management skills. Implications of our findings are further discussed, along with avenues for future research.

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate a proposed model between learner motivation, attention allocation, cognitive engagement, and conceptual change. We hypothesized that task-value orientation (i.e., utility and attainment values) would positively influence learners' attention allocation and level of cognitive engagement which, in turn, would influence opportunities for conceptual change. A total of 291 undergraduates participated in this study. Results indicated task values were strongly associated with engagement and engagement with conceptual change. Results of structural equation modeling showed attention allocation having a direct effect on cognitive engagement, which in turn was predictive of conceptual change. Implications of our findings are further discussed along with directions for future research.

We tested a theoretical model of college students’ ratings of messengers of resilience and models of resilience, students’ own perceived resilience, regulatory strategy use and achievement. A total of 116 undergraduates participated in this study. The results of a path analysis indicated that ratings of models of resilience had a direct effect on students’ perceived resilience and that perceived resilience directly influenced regulatory strategy use (i.e. effort regulation, self-regulation and time management), which influenced academic achievement (as measured by grade point average). The implications of our findings are further discussed, along with avenues for future research.

Recently, conceptual change research has been experiencing a warming trend (G. M. Sinatra, 2005) whereby motivational and affective factors are being explored in the conceptual change process. The purpose of this study is to explore the 2 × 2 framework of achievement goal theory in relation to students’ conceptual change learning for a specific topic in biology, HIV/AIDS. The authors hypothesized that those with approach goals (mastery approach and performance approach) would demonstrate greater posttest conceptual change in their understanding of HIV/AIDS than those with avoidance goals. Participants were 206 undergraduates in introductory-level college biology courses. Participants were provided a 1,004-word HIV/AIDS text and were pre- and posttested on their conceptual knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Results of an analysis of covariance indicated that approach-oriented students demonstrated greater conceptual HIV/AIDS change at posttest than avoidance-oriented students. Results are discussed in light of...

Many scholars have argued that motivation is dynamic and malleable across time and contexts. In this article, we investigated changes in undergraduates' task value and self-efficacy across an academic semester. Sixty three undergraduate students completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire across five time points in their introductory educational psychology class. We predicted that, across the semester, students' expressiveness of these constructs would change. Using growth curve modeling, we found both constructs to fluctuate in a cubic fashion. The implications of these findings are discussed.

In this paper we present the results of a study meant to investigate whether traditional and nontraditional students differ in their achievement goals as described by the 3 × 2 framework of Achievement Goal Theory. A total of 121 traditional and 36 nontraditional students were assessed using the 3 × 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire. The traditional students endorsed other-approach and other-avoidance goals to a greater degree than nontraditional students. Other-avoidance goals were negatively related to students’ cumulative GPA. We discuss the implications of our findings concerning differences in traditional and nontraditional students’ achievement goals, along with avenues for future research.

This study explored the relationship between task values, engagement, and conceptual change. One hundred and sixty-six under graduate students were randomly assigned to one of three task value instructional inductions (utility, attainment, and control) to determine whether induced task values would result in different degrees of engagement and conceptual change when reading a refutation text about the common cold. It was hypothesized that the participants in the utility, attainment, and control conditions would differ in their engagement, and degree of conceptual change. Statistical differences were observed among the participants in the task value and control conditions on perceived engagement as well as conceptual change. The results indicate that the participants who were in the utility condition rated their engagement as significantly higher than those in the control condition. Furthermore, participants in the utility condition demonstrated the greatest degree of conceptual change. The usefulness of task value inductions for facilitating engagement and conceptual change is discussed.

We surveyed 178 undergraduates to investigate whether differences exist between traditional and nontraditional students' goal orientations and/or coping strategies and to investigate relationships between goal orientations and coping strategies. Using the variables age, marital status, parental status, and whether time was ever taken off from school, a cluster analysis was used to identify traditional and nontraditional students. Results from a MANOVA indicated that the traditional student cluster scored significantly higher on emotion-oriented coping than did the nontraditional cluster. The implications derived from the results and additional relationships are discussed, along with avenues for future research.

Conceptual change can be a challenging process, particularly in science education where many of the concepts are complex, controversial, or counter-intuitive. Yet, conceptual change is fundamental to science learning, which suggests science educators and science education researchers need models to effectively address and investigate conceptual change. Consideration of the current research and extant models of conceptual change reflect a need for a holistic, comprehensive, and dynamic model of conceptual change. In response, we developed the Dynamic Model of Conceptual Change (DMCC), which uses multiple lines of research that explore the variables influencing conceptual change and the dynamic interactions that take place during the conceptual change process in science teaching and learning. Unique to the DMCC is the potential for iterations, regression, enter and exit points at various stages of the conceptual change process, and the influences of message recognition, message engagement and processing, and the nature of the resulting conceptual change. The DMCC contains elements from extant models along with previously un-emphasized influential conceptual change variables such as culture, society, attitude, practices, and personal epistemology. We constructed the DMCC to provide science educators and researchers a more holistic framework for exploring conceptual change in science instruction and learning.

Football performances are an imperfect measure of abilities, and consequently exaggerate differences in abilities. The skills of those football teams that perform the best and the worst are not really that far from average; thus their future performances regress to the mean. Betting data indicate that gamblers do not fully account for this regression. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.