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Diversity has been shown to improve the ability of groups to problem solve and make predictions, as well as guarding against groupthink and overconfidence. Marginalized groups within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are still largely underrepresented despite various efforts to increase diversity in STEM. This study focused on the gap in representation of Hispanics/Latinxs in the STEM fields. While most science programs focus on directly encouraging students to pursue STEM careers as a way to increase Latinx representation, our study focused on Latinx parents. This study explored the types of informal science activities Latinx parents engage in with their children. In order to connect with Latinx parents, we organized 15 family science night events in a small city in central Texas that has a large Hispanic population. At the events, parents completed a parental involvement survey to find out what types of informal science activities they are involved in with their children. We utilized common household items or materials that were inexpensive in designing the activities for the family science events to ensure they were accessible to all families. Eighteen Latinx parents participated in the study. On the parental involvement survey, Latinx parents identified 27 science activities that they have performed with their children, with 63% of those being structured and indoor activities and 59% being free activities. In terms of parent participation, the majority of Latinx parents (73%) preferred free activities. This study outlines the design of family science events and can help inform school districts, principals, teachers, and informal science education organizations on strategies for increasing Latinx parents' involvement in their childrens' science education.

The purpose of this three-year study was to examine middle school female and male students' attitudes about science in four different categories before and after being with PhD science graduate students, "resident scientists," in their classrooms every week. The study was based upon a National Science Foundation (NSF) program called "Project Flowing Waters," a five-year NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program. This study covers the final two years of the program, Year 4, Year 5, and also includes a control year, Year 6, that occurred after the program and thus, lacked resident scientists. In Year 4 and 5, the program funded 17 doctoral students, known as NSF GK-12 fellows, who served as bi-weekly resident scientists in science classrooms in local schools. A newly developed science attitude survey, "My Attitude Toward Science Scale" (MATS) (Hillman, Zeeman, Tilburg & List 2016) was used to survey student attitudes in four categories. Matched pre- and post- student attitude surveys were obtained. Seventeen resident scientist/teacher partnerships were analyzed, involving [n=1075 students] in the 2011/12 (Year 4) and 2012/13 (Year 5) school years and 366 students in 2015/16 (Year 6-Control) school years using the survey. Results indicated significant gender differences in attitudes only in Year 5, with male students being more positive than female students about their attitudes towards science, desire to be a scientist, value of science to society and holding less stereotypical perceptions of scientists.

The purpose of this three-year study was to examine secondary school students' attitudes about science in classrooms with "resident scientists" who had been trained in inquiry science teaching. The study was based upon a National Science Foundation (NSF) program called Project Flowing Waters, a five-year NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program. The program funded 26 doctoral students, known as NSF GK-12 Fellows, who served as bi-weekly resident scientists in science classrooms in local schools. We analyzed 15 teacher-resident scientist partnerships involving 609 secondary students using a mixed-methods design. We surveyed student attitudes in three categories: (a) science and scientists, (b) student abilities in science, and (c) importance and usefulness of science. We found significant differences in positively changing student attitudes, in the category "science and scientists," in 3 of the 15 partnerships although with small Cohen's d effect sizes. We found a significant difference in a positive direction in one partnership in the category "attitudes about own science ability," with a medium Cohen's d effect size. We also surveyed, using open-ended questions, students' perspectives about their resident scientists and what they had learned. Students indicated that resident scientists had affected their learning with 72% of the responses being positive. The five most common responses concerning resident scientists were: "helps me understand science better", "made it more interesting", "easier to understand", "I have learned new things", "helpful and helps with the labs." We also found common themes in student comments concerning what they had learned from their resident scientists including endangered species such as blind salamanders.

The purpose of this research was to investigate collaboration between agricultural science teachers and Extension agents in Texas from the perspective of successful collaboration. Programs, leaders, and participants in both agricultural education and Extension can be impacted positively through collaboration. However, successful collaboration ultimately rests upon the commitment of individuals and the willingness of these individuals to work together and "collaborate" with one another. This study examined factors indicated in the literature as enablers of collaboration in the context of collaboration among agricultural science teachers and Extension agents in an effort to document best practices. Specific objectives included: (a) documentation of the environment in which successful collaboration was taking place, (b) description of areas of collaboration, (c) description of the impact of Internet-based technologies, and (d) identification of the major factors influencing collaboration. Findings provided insight into factors that can facilitate collaboration. (Contains 6 tables.)

Over the course of the student teaching experience, a student teacher's intention to teach can increase, decrease, or remain the same. The purpose of this study was to explore differences in student teachers that were representative of each category. Teaching intention of 103 student teachers at four universities in 2005-2006 exhibited little change from the beginning of student teaching to the middle of the experience. There was a 7% increase in those who indicated they did not intend to teach from the beginning of student teaching to the end of the experience. The researchers recommend that decision to teach be monitored early in the preservice teaching career to determine when this decision is typically made as well as including other efficacy variables for determinants of career choice. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

The purpose of this study was to perform a longitudinal examination of the teaching self-efficacy of preservice agricultural education teachers. Data were collected for two years at The University of Georgia and Texas A&M University during the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 and the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 semesters (N = 102). Data were collected at the following three collection points: (1) before methods class, (2) after methods course/before student teaching, and (3) after student teaching. Teacher efficacy scores in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management improved at each point of data collection. Preservice teachers were the most efficacious in instructional strategies and classroom management and the least efficacious in student engagement. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to determine if placing two teachers at the same school had an influence on teaching efficacy. Bandura's Model of Triadic Reciprocality and self-efficacy theory guided the inquiry. The population of interest was all student teachers at Texas A&M University. This study was conducted using data collected from a sample of student teachers during a two-year (four-semester) period from 2004 to 2006. The typical student teacher was a white female pursuing certification as part of an undergraduate degree. Student teachers began the field experience efficacious about their teaching ability, then were less efficacious during the middle of the experience, and finally rebounded to higher levels of efficacy at the end of the experience. It was concluded that there is no difference in teaching efficacy between student teachers placed alone and those placed in pairs. Therefore, this sample was not consistent with Bandura's theory of the positive influence of peer models. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

The purposes of this study were to determine changes in teaching efficacy of student teachers over the course of the student teaching semester and to determine if similar trends occur at different institutions. The population of interest for this study was agricultural science student teachers at Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, and Oklahoma State University. The accessible sample of the population was student teachers during the Spring 2005 at Tarleton, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech Universities and the Fall 2005 semester at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State Universities (n = 99). Using the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale instrument (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), efficacy in student engagement, efficacy in instructional strategies, and efficacy in classroom management, and overall teaching efficacy were measured: 1) the first day of the 4-week on-campus portion of the student teaching semester; 2) the last day of the 4-week on-campus block; 3) the middle of the 11-week student teaching experience; and 4) the final day of the student teaching experience. It was concluded that overall teaching efficacy changed. Student teachers had "Quite a Bit" of teaching efficacy at the beginning of the semester, which increased slightly 4-weeks later, then decreased to its lowest level at the middle of the 11-week student teaching experience, and then increased to its highest levels at the end of the experience. (Contains 6 tables and 4 figures.)

The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships exist between teaching efficacy and personality type of student teachers. The population of interest was all agricultural science student teachers at Texas A&M University. The sampling frame included all student teachers during the spring and fall semesters of 2005 (n= 72). Teaching efficacy was measured using the long form of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator[R] (MBTI[R]) Form M was used to assess personality type. The typical student teacher was a 22 year old white female who had enrolled in agricultural science courses in high school and who was currently completing an undergraduate degree. Student teachers exhibited "Quite a Bit" of teaching efficacy throughout the student teaching semester. Student teachers were more extroverted (E), sensing (S), feeling (F), and judging (J). The two most commonly observed personality types were ESFJ and ENFP. Personality type of student teachers is negligibly related to teaching efficacy. Efficacy in instructional strategies is negatively related with sensing (S) and efficacy in classroom management is positively related to judging (J). (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to determine barriers, roles, and information source preferences for teaching agricultural biotechnology topics. Agricultural science teachers were described primarily as 37 year-old males who had taught for 12 years, had bachelor's degrees, and had lived or worked on a farm or ranch. Equipment was perceived as the only major barrier to teaching biotechnology. Administration acceptance and community support were considered minor barriers. Teachers acknowledged responsibilities for educating consumers, farmers, and students about biotechnology and involving students in biotechnology-related SAE projects. Teachers disagreed that it was their role to develop instructional materials and lesson plans on biotechnology. Workshops, video tapes, and the Internet constituted teachers' preferred biotechnology information sources. No significant relationships were found between years of teaching experience (teachers with 15 or more years and teachers with less than 15 years of teaching experience) and perceived barriers, beliefs, or information sources. Similarities between teachers allows for new strategies to be shared among all teachers, without a need for tailoring materials to specific teacher age groups. (Contains 4 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to determine if a need exists to establish an organization specifically for preservice agricultural science teachers and if so, the attributes of such an organization. Selected peer preservice agricultural education programs were examined and focus groups were conducted with preservice and inservice teachers. Results indicated that there was a need for an organization and that it should affiliate with the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas. The primary purpose of the organization was determined to be the professional development of its members through activities such as (but not limited to): guest speakers, field trips, partnering with local agricultural science programs, attending the state FFA convention, and attending the Texas agricultural science teachers conference.

This study's purpose was to determine the youth leadership life skills of Texas 4- H, FFA, and FCCLA members participating as school tour guides. Descriptive characteristics were evaluated to determine those affecting leadership life skills development. School tour guides participating in the exit-meeting during the 2004 San Antonio Livestock Exposition were asked to complete the questionnaire. This resulted in 1,691 responses and a 94% response rate. The questionnaire was a 28- item survey that was based on the scales: working with groups, understanding self, communicating, making decisions, and leadership. Conclusions showed that school tour guides were developing leadership life skills. The most influential descriptive characteristics were gender, previous leadership experiences, and ethnicity. Females and those participants who had previous leadership experiences reported stronger perceptions of their leadership life skills. In addition, African and Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Anglos all had stronger perceptions of their leadership life skills when compared to Native Americans.

This study investigated safety in Texas secondary school science laboratory, classroom, and field settings. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) drew a random representative sample consisting of 199 secondary public schools in Texas. Eighty-one teachers completed Incident/Accident Reports. The reports were optional, anonymous, and open-ended; thus, they are unique in capturing the strengths and weaknesses of safety practices in school science settings as perceived by the teachers. Pertinent findings include: a) incidents and accidents (mishaps) increased from 8% to 62% as the class enrollment increased from less than 14 students to greater than 24 students (p less than 0.05), b) mishaps increased from 11% to 66% as classroom space per student decreased from greater than 60 ft[superscript 2] per student to less than 45 ft[superscript 2] per student (p less than 0.05), c) mishaps increased from 11% to 47% as room size decreased from greater than 1200 ft[superscript 2] to less than 800 ft[superscript 2] (p less than 0.05), d) 35% of teachers did not have adequate safety training within the last year, and e) 69% of teachers had a written safety policy. The findings of this study can be used to develop science classroom, lab, and field safety guidelines on a classroom, school, district, state, and a national level.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between teaching efficacy and personality type of agricultural science cooperating teachers. The target population was agricultural science teachers who served as cooperating teachers. A convenience sample of those teachers who attended an optional cooperating teacher meeting at Texas A&M University was used in this study (n = 41). Teaching efficacy was determined using the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy instrument and personality type was assessed using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Participants exhibited "Quite a Bit" of efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management. Accordingly, they also exhibited "Quite a Bit" of overall teaching efficacy. Teachers were equally divided between extroversion (E) and introversion (I), mostly sensing (S), equally divided between thinking (T) and feeling (F), and more judging (J). The most prevalent personality type was ISTJ, followed by ESTJ,, ENFJ,, and ESFJ. Extroversion was substantially related to overall teaching efficacy and, consequently, to all three subscales (student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management). Additionally, judging (J) was positively related to efficacy in classroom management and sensing (S) was negatively related to efficacy in student engagement. Based on the findings, recommendations and implications were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which explored the trends of state constitutional adjudication at the Texas Supreme Court between 1989 and 1998. Methodology for deciding issues implicating the Texas and Federal constitutions; Discussion on freedom of speech and right to privacy and equal protection and due course; Conclusion.

Growth in Medicaid enrollment combined with diminishing access to healthcare providers has increased pressure on non-expansion states where higher uninsured populations already strain state budgets. Since Texas continues to have the highest percentage of uninsured residents in the country (Ura, 2014), it is likely to face the greatest pressure from these combined challenges. Understanding what it is like to work with Medicaid from a provider perspective can help policy makers in non-expansion states like Texas as they work to address these issues. Using in-depth interviews with community healthcare personnel working within a midsize Texas community, and representing numerous health service types (dental, optometry, ophthalmology, family practice, and mental health), this study gives a provider perspective on working with Texas Medicaid. These data suggest that, while financial reimbursements may play a part in (de)motivating healthcare providers to accept Medicaid, healthcare workers are significantly challenged through their interactions with Medicaid personnel and policies, their perceptions of Medicaid enrollment practices, and from Medicaid patients themselves. Looking into nonmonetary challenges facing Medicaid healthcare providers could provide low-cost incentives to meet current and increasing healthcare demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]