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This paper contains historical views and will demonstrate how issues related to identity impact the stigmatization and marginalizing that underlie the underrepresentation of Black people in the STEM fields. In this paper, identity is defined within the educational context and a framework is provided for exploring how STEM students and professionals author and perceive their own identities in relation to their educational and professional aspirations. This paper will also demonstrate how these authored identities are impacted by those with whom they share the STEM learning and work environments. The authors will present their own data to further demonstrate how a focus on STEM identity development results in significantly enhanced STEM academic outcomes for Black students.

Imputation or likelihood-based approaches to handle missing data assume the data are missing completely at random (MCAR) or missing at random (MAR). However, little research has examined the missingness pattern before using these imputation/likelihood methods. Three missingness mechanisms -- MCAR, MAR, and not missing at random (NMAR) -- can be tested using information on research design, disciplinary knowledge, and appropriate methods. This study summarized six commonly used statistical methods to test the missingness mechanism and discussed their application conditions. We further applied these methods to a two-wave longitudinal dataset from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 18,747). Health measures met the MAR assumptions although we could not completely rule out NMAR. Demographic variables provided auxiliary information. The logistic regression method demonstrated applicability to a wide range of scenarios. This study provides a useful guide to choose methods to test missingness mechanisms depending on the research goal and nature of the data.

Increasing the number of transfers and graduates in engineering who start at community colleges (CC) requires strategic partnering between institutions. Reflecting on the results of a five-year partnership between a large, multi-location CC and a large four-year university, we present the goals, conceptual framework, specific results, and best practices for developing and sustaining STEM partnerships to increase the number of transfers and graduates in engineering. There were four foundational practices to this partnership: (1) inter-institutional collaboration, (2) creating a CC engineering orientation course, (3) developing an engineering admissions partnership program for CC students, and (4) data collection and analysis for informed decision making. The specific foundational practices described in this paper are part of a larger effort to increase the persistence of CC transfers in engineering by creating or enhancing a transfer-friendly environment, a community of practice through partnerships, greater awareness about engineering and engineering careers, student-faculty interaction, and new datasets for research and evaluation. Results of the partnership include a notable increase in the number of pre-engineering students, the number of students participating in the engineering admissions partnership program, the number of students transferring to the university, the number of transfer students participating in a learning community, and an increase in first-year retention rates of CC transfer students in engineering.

Background: More than two million U.S. families receive home visiting services each year, yet little is known about the content and process of home visit interventions. Home visit observations are a recommended tool to address this gap in knowledge, but guidance regarding how much observation time is needed to provide a trustworthy picture of home visits is not available. Objective: This study estimated the length of observation needed to provide a reliable description of the content and process of home visits delivered through an Early Head Start (EHS) home-based program. Methods: Observations of 555 home visits involving 88 families and 17 home visitors were coded with the Home Visit Observation Form--Revised (HVOF-R). The HVOF-R describes the proportions of time spent among several subcategories within each of three major categories: Primary Interaction Partners, Content of Interactions, and Nature of the Home Visitor's Interactions. The psychometric theory of test reliability guided use of bootstrap resampling and the Spearman-Brown prediction formula to estimate the duration of observation necessary to achieve conventional psychometric standards of reliability (r = 0.90 and r = 0.80). Results: Results showed that 40-60 min of a home visit observation yields a reliable estimate of the proportion of time spent on most key features of home visits, especially those behaviors observed most frequently, including interactions among the home visitor, parent, and/or child. Conclusion: Fairly brief observations yield reliable description of home visit activities, and use of observation is recommended to guide program implementation efforts and enhance program quality.

The main purpose of the current study was to develop and validate a scale of perceived attributes of the interactive whiteboard (IW) for the mathematics class. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations Theory served as the theoretical framework. Two groups of participants in Turkey were employed in this study. The first group consisted of 350 middle school students (177 female, 173 male). The second group consisted of 557 high school students (288 female, 269 male). The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported construct validity. However, not enough evidence was available to support its convergent and discriminant validity. The results of multigroup analysis supported measurement invariance across two schools--one middle school and one high school. The perceptions of students toward IW were generally positive. We believe that the scale developed for this study can be used in schools in which IW has been implemented and may contribute to educational technology reform efforts by providing metrics for the degree of success in implementing IW specifically and possibly other forms of instructional technology.

The computer is part of the information and communication age, and the Internet today is the most used communication tool. Studies have shown that there is a relationship between problematic Internet use and loneliness. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between problematic Internet use sub-scales and loneliness. In this study, data were collected from the college students at an Anatolian University in Turkey. The participants of this study consisted of 392 undergraduates. Of the participants, 43% are male (n = 167) and 57% female (n = 225). The average age for the participants is 22 years old. The Problematic Internet Use Scale and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale were used as data collection instruments. In the present study, structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures are used to explore the relationships that exist among the variables. The findings of the study revealed that while university students' social benefit/social comfort of Internet has a direct effect on their excessive Internet use and negative consequences, it is related to the loneliness level indirectly. In addition, it is seen in the research model that with an increase in the negative consequences of the Internet, the loneliness level was raised. Another result from the study is that when university students' excessive Internet use increased, their loneliness level decreased.

This study uses a unique synthesized set of data for community college students transferring to engineering by combining several cohorts of longitudinal data along with transcript-level data, from both the Community College and the University, to measure success rates in engineering. The success rates are calculated by developing Kaplan-Meier survival curves measuring retention in engineering over time by grades received in Calculus and Physics courses at both institutions. For each course, survival curves are compared to determine if statistically significant differences exist between levels of grades received. The levels of course grades at which statistically significant differences in retention rates exist are documented. To validate these findings the actual graduation rates in engineering for the same groups of students are estimated using grades received in Calculus and Physics. Policy recommendations based on these findings, including the best time to transfer for this group of community college students, are incorporated.

Various inquiry approaches have been promoted in science classrooms as a way for students to engage in, and have a deeper understanding of scientific discourse. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to suggest how children's actions and engagement in these approaches, or "practical epistemologies" (Sandoval, Science Education 89(4): 634-656, 2005), may contribute to the development of their "personal epistemologies", or their views about the nature of knowledge and knowing and the nature of learning. This paper puts forth the conceptualization and development of the Practical Epistemology in Science Survey (PESS) instrument, a 26-item Likert-scale self-assessment which measures how students view their individual and social participation in the classroom scientific community. Data were collected from 4th-6th-grade students (n = 1019) in the USA and a psychometric evaluation of the reliability, validity, and dimensionality of the instrument was conducted. The Cronbach's alpha value indices for all subsets of items of the PESS suggest a strong reliability of the instrument (a = 0.80). The development of the PESS may be useful in science education research to (a) detect changes to students' beliefs about knowledge and knowledge development; (b) identify dispositions and beliefs which may or may not be in line with the aims and values of various pedagogical approaches; (c) monitor the process of change, e.g., time it takes for students to change their approaches and beliefs with respect to teacher practice; and, (d) overall, to provide an understanding of how students' formal epistemologies are developed and informed by the affordances in science classrooms.

We identified gaps in safe food handling practices that may be placing older adults at increased risk of food-borne illness. A convenience sample of 1,019 older adults completed the Food Safety Behavior Questionnaire. Majority groups among participants were those who were female, those who were White, and those who were widowed. Participants had lower adherences to safe practices related to temperature control, attention to sell-by/use-by dates on food packages, and cross-contamination. Adherences were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by gender, race/ethnicity, age, marital status, and education. Our findings suggest the need for older adult-focused safe food handling education related to temperature control, product selection practices, and cross-contamination. [Additional support for this research was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.]

The main purpose of the current study was to develop a 50-item personality scale in Turkish and Spanish based on Big Five Model of Personality and to assess its construct validity and reliability. We also compared the personality of pre-service teachers enrolled in the department of elementary education in Turkey and Spain. The participants were 555 pre-service teachers enrolled in elementary education programs at a Turkish university (280) and at a Spanish university (275). Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the scale in both samples. However, 10 items had low factor loadings in their respective dimensions. Thus, they were removed from the scale. Findings regarding the comparison of Turkish and Spanish pre-service teachers revealed that they share similar personality traits; however, significant personality differences between Turkish and Spanish pre-service elementary school teachers emerged. Results of "t" tests on each dimension of personality revealed that the Turkish pre-service teachers' Openness and Neuroticism scores were statistically higher than the Spanish pre-service teachers. On the other hand, the Spanish pre-service teachers' Conscientiousness score was found to be statistically higher than that of the Turkish pre-service teachers.

China launched a comprehensive health reform in 2009 to increase access to healthcare services and coverage rates. This study examined the associations of New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) and Urban Employment/Resident Basic Medical Insurance (UE/URBMI) with smoking and alcohol consumption among Chinese older adults. We extracted data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted on the total sample (n = 9797) to examine smoking and drinking history. Negative binomial regression was performed on a subsample (n = 1442) to assess current daily cigarette usage. Gamma regression was employed on another subsample (n = 1422) to predict daily alcohol consumption. In the 2018 CLHLS sample, 15.69%, 30.38%, 14.51%, and 25.34% were current smokers, former smokers, current drinkers, and former drinkers, respectively. For current smokers, the mean daily cigarette consumption was 12.51 (SD = 8.99), and for current drinkers, the mean daily alcohol consumption was 2.57 liang (SD = 2.37). UE/URBMI coverage showed a statistically significant association with both smoking and drinking status prediction (all p < 0.001). However, there was no significant association between NCMS coverage and any of the outcomes. No significant associations were observed between major coverage of healthcare expenses and number of cigarettes smoked per day and daily alcohol consumption. The Chinese central government should incorporate health promotion benefits related to smoking and alcohol cessation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study compared care source typologies for older adults in China and the United States. Data from the 2014 U.S. Health and Retirement Study and the 2013 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were used. The respondents included community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older with at least one limitation in activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental ADLs (IADLs) (N China = 2476, N US = 2898). Respondents reported whether they received assistance from spouse, child/grandchild, relatives, others, and formal helpers. Latent class analysis and multinomial logistic regression were applied. Four classes were identified in China and the U.S, separately. In both countries, ADLs and IADLs were strong determinants of care source typologies. Care sources were more diverse and included formal assistance among older Americans. Older Chinese relied largely on their spouses and children/grandchildren for support. Policy efforts are needed to expand formal long-term services and supports, particularly in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study endeavors to uncover the intricate nexus among pertinent variables, including self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, parental education levels, and gender, and their relationship with mathematics performance. To achieve this objective, several hypotheses were tested, and a path model was estimated. The study cohort comprised 117 8th-grade students (64 females, 53 males) enrolled in a secondary school in Turkey. Results, in general, supported research hypotheses and the path model. Males' mathematics self-efficacy was found to be higher than females. No significant gender difference was found in the mathematics performance score in the initial analysis. Nevertheless, gender made a significant contribution to the prediction of mathematics performance beyond the effects of other variables in the hierarchical regression analysis. Consistent with theoretical predictions, females' mathematics self-efficacy expectations were unrealistically low compared to males. However, the effect of self-efficacy on performance was found to be invariant across gender. Perceived usefulness was found to be moderately correlated with performance but made little contribution to the prediction of performance above and beyond the effects of other variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Program for International Student Achievement (PISA) 2009 data we study the transfer of knowledge among reading, mathematics, and science among Turkish students. Both Science and Reading are significant predictors of Mathematics scores, although clearly Science is a much stronger predictor; the transfer from Science to Mathematics is much greater than is the transfer from Reading to Mathematics. SCHOOLID is the single strongest predictor of Mathematics outcomes, likely reflecting the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available to students. Both Mathematics and Reading are significant predictors of Science scores, although Mathematics is a stronger predictor; the transfer from Mathematics to Science is greater than is the transfer from Reading to Science. SCHOOLID is a weaker predictor of Science outcomes than are Mathematics scores, suggesting that the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available to students may have slightly less consequence for Science outcomes than does the transfer effect from Mathematics to Science. Both Science and Mathematics are significant predictors of Reading scores, but the transfer from Science to Reading is much more robust than the transfer from Mathematics to Reading. SCHOOLID and Science are nearly identically strong predictors of Reading outcomes, suggesting that the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available is on a par with the Science transfer to Reading. Implications of these findings are discussed.