Youth Unemployment, Education and Job Training: An Analysis of PLFS Data in India

This paper highlights the changes in the unemployment rate across different age cohorts among young people in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study observes that the youth unemployment rate increased at a much higher rate in urban areas both for male and female youth during the initial phase of pandemic. To understand the severity of the effects of pandemic on unemployment across different age groups among the youth, this study enquires into the nature and causes of unemployment among them. The probit estimates of unemployment function for the youth reveals that the likelihood of youth being unemployed is less in upper age cohorts within the young age range. An inverse relationship is observed between general education and employment among the youth in the Indian youth labour market. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

The Status of Women in STEM in Higher Education in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review 2020-2022

This study seeks to answer the question: What effects did COVID-19 have on the status of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in higher education in the United States? It presents a thematic review of the current literature regarding the social and professional impacts of the pandemic on this group from 2020 to 2022. The research briefly examines the challenges women in STEM faced pre-pandemic and then explores the repercussions of the pandemic to date. It reviews the literature published from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to present day. Recommendations for STEM librarians serving this population are discussed.

Out-of-the-Box Learning: Digital Escape Rooms as a Metaphor for Breaking Down Barriers in STEM Education

The traditional lecture-based model of teaching and learning has led to the exploration of innovative approaches including digital escape rooms. Digital escape rooms offer an immersive and engaging experience that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, making them a unique opportunity to address the challenges of STEM education, which is often perceived as difficult, boring, and intimidating. In this study, the goal is to explore the application of digital escape rooms as an innovative practice in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education in Europe. More specifically, the study aims to evaluate the influence of digital escape rooms on student engagement and learning outcomes in mathematics education as well as to provide valuable insights into the efficacy of this approach as a means of teaching mathematics and fostering active and experiential learning in STEAM education. In order to investigate the potential of digital escape rooms as a metaphor for breaking down barriers and escaping from the ”box” in STEM education, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding the pedagogical value of digital escape rooms in STEM education. It outlines the design process, including learning paths and scenarios, storyline, puzzles, challenges, and feedback mechanisms, and presents a concept of escape room design patterns. An example case study of a digital escape room designed to teach mathematics to university students is also presented, providing insights into the effectiveness of this approach. By using digital escape rooms as a metaphor for breaking down barriers in STEM education, a more inclusive, engaging, and impactful learning environment can be created to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Crowd work in STEM‐related fields: A window of opportunity from a gender perspective?

After the Global Financial Crisis (2008) many people found new job opportunities on crowd platforms. The COVID‐19 crisis reinforced this trend and virtual work is expected to increase. Although the working conditions of individuals engaged on these platforms is an emerging topic, of research, the existing literature tends to overlook the gendered dimension of the gig economy. Following a quantitative approach, based on the statistical analysis of 444 profiles (platform Freelancer.com in Spain and Argentina), we examine the extent to which the gig economy reproduces gender inequalities such as the underrepresentation of women in STEM‐related tasks and the gender pay gap. While the findings reveal lower participation of women than men, this gap is not higher in Argentina than in Spain. Moreover, gender variations in hourly wages are not as marked as expected, and such differences disappear once STEM skill levels are controlled for. Asymmetry in individuals' STEM skill level provides a better explanation than gender of the hourly wage differences. This finding opens a window of opportunity to mitigate the classical gender discrimination that women face in technological fields in traditional labor markets. Finally, the paper identifies some issues concerning the methodological bias entailed by the use of an application programming interface in cyber‐research, when analyzing gender inequalities.

Targeted marketing to the underserved: Examining the factors that influence college intent and choice for minority male high school students in Edgecombe County, North Carolina

This mixed-methods study investigates the real and perceived barriers that African American male Edgecombe County high school students face when considering college enrollment to inform potential interventions to improve college enrollment of this market segment. Phase I of the study design included a survey of current, African American, male college students to determine potential barriers African American high school students may face when considering college. Phase II included semi-structured group interviews of African American male Edgecombe County high school students. "Uncertainty" and "frustration" were revealed as the main barriers these students face when considering postsecondary enrollment. Participants indicated uncertainty about college majors, college cost, paying for college, student loans, money, and self-efficacy. Additionally, participants indicated frustration related to course choices in college programs, mathematics classes, as well as their high school GPA not being an accurate indicator of their ability. Phase III included the development of career and technical education (CTE) certificates to create more dual enrollment options for underserved students. Finally, a focus group review of 9-14 pathway samples by African American male students was used to develop a student-informed template for future 9-14 pathways utilized by Edgecombe Community College. Responses from study participants and subsequent meetings with key stakeholders show opportunities to improve the college approach to recruiting students from this demographic. More dual-enrollment certificate options and clearly defined educational pathways (from high school through college) with job market analysis incorporated in those pathways were tools that this study has indicated may help create more postsecondary opportunities for African American male high students in the Edgecombe Community College service area. Additionally, financial aid literacy initiatives for both students and parents and increased recruiting visits to area high schools as the Novel Corona Virus pandemic begins to wane were also indicated as outreach and recruitment strategies. The findings of this study helped develop intentional, dual enrollment certificate options and 9-14 educational pathways the college will utilize to create more postsecondary opportunities for African American males and other underserved groups of students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring students' experiences of technical and vocational learning in University Technical Colleges during the pandemic

University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are newly established (since 2010–11) technical and vocational secondary schools in England, catering for young people aged 14–19. The schools focus strongly on delivering vocational, alongside Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-focused academic, qualifications. The colleges have been introduced as a new means of improving technical and vocational education and training—a sector which in England has faced problems of low quality and low esteem—and in a wider international context of STEM-trained worker shortages. University Technical Colleges have been advertised as offering state-of-the-art vocational learning, involving access for students to the latest equipment and technologies in key industrial sectors, alongside extensive project-based learning in partnership with employers. However, how have UTC students fared in these respects since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns in 2020? In this paper we report on results from a survey of 252 students across two UTCs in England, exploring the technical and vocational learning experiences of these students during the exceptional 2019–20 academic year. Findings from the survey reveal lost learning and training opportunities during the pandemic, particularly where courses with practical elements relied on specific equipment and facilities that became inaccessible during lockdown. The survey also highlights disruptions to apprenticeship arrangements, work experience plans and other engagement with employers. Students in some instances have been effectively forced to stay on in education owing to reduced apprenticeship and employment opportunities for school-leavers. We find evidence of students adapting their aspirations and career goals to the new economic circumstances. © 2023 The Authors. British Educational Research Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Educational Research Association.

Teaching STEM online at the tertiary level during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic not only impacted people's lives globally, but also pushed faculty to quickly adapt to an online teaching environment and continue it until the end of the school or academic year. This study is urgently needed to gain an understanding of the challenges STEM faculty members face during the COVID-19 era as they make the transition to teaching online, while many of them engage in this shift for the first time. The initial results of an online survey of 101 International STEM faculty members showed that online evaluation and pedagogy are the most disrupted dimensions of e-learning when instructors struggled to re-orchestrate their teaching during such an unprecedented event. In addition, while the affective domain of teaching is identified as the missing dimension of an e-learning framework, adoption of the new technology is rated as the area of least concern for teaching STEM online.

Targeted marketing to the underserved: Examining the factors that influence college intent and choice for minority male high school students in Edgecombe County, North Carolina

This mixed-methods study investigates the real and perceived barriers that African American male Edgecombe County high school students face when considering college enrollment to inform potential interventions to improve college enrollment of this market segment. Phase I of the study design included a survey of current, African American, male college students to determine potential barriers African American high school students may face when considering college. Phase II included semi-structured group interviews of African American male Edgecombe County high school students. "Uncertainty" and "frustration" were revealed as the main barriers these students face when considering postsecondary enrollment. Participants indicated uncertainty about college majors, college cost, paying for college, student loans, money, and self-efficacy. Additionally, participants indicated frustration related to course choices in college programs, mathematics classes, as well as their high school GPA not being an accurate indicator of their ability. Phase III included the development of career and technical education (CTE) certificates to create more dual enrollment options for underserved students. Finally, a focus group review of 9-14 pathway samples by African American male students was used to develop a student-informed template for future 9-14 pathways utilized by Edgecombe Community College. Responses from study participants and subsequent meetings with key stakeholders show opportunities to improve the college approach to recruiting students from this demographic. More dual-enrollment certificate options and clearly defined educational pathways (from high school through college) with job market analysis incorporated in those pathways were tools that this study has indicated may help create more postsecondary opportunities for African American male high students in the Edgecombe Community College service area. Additionally, financial aid literacy initiatives for both students and parents and increased recruiting visits to area high schools as the Novel Corona Virus pandemic begins to wane were also indicated as outreach and recruitment strategies. The findings of this study helped develop intentional, dual enrollment certificate options and 9-14 educational pathways the college will utilize to create more postsecondary opportunities for African American males and other underserved groups of students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Supporting Future Teachers to Promote Computational Thinking Skills in Teaching STEM—A Case Study

In recent years, teachers in various fields, such as science, mathematics, linguistics and others, have been interested in alternative learning strategies as opposed to traditional activities, in order to help students to examine their learning progress. The integration of computational thinking in teaching activities, after returning to face-to-face activities, can meet the needs of students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this research, two samples of students in their first year of study were recruited for the teacher training program validation for computational skills in STEM education. The training model offers an explanation for the differences between the following two sets of data: the CT modules used in a substantial number of teacher workshops, and the results obtained, which are closely related to the argument that teachers can support students’ lifelong learning by developing computational thinking activities. The results related to the students’ scores may have contributed to their improvement in computational thinking skills and it could be one of the best examples of how to change the ways of learning about 21st century skills and sustainable education.

Enriching STEM Curricula with Electronic Resources for Teaching Online

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed many aspects of people’s lives, including all forms of education. Online studies and distance learning have become a reality across the globe. This study offers a detailed review of the effectiveness of “traditional” virtual class activities (online lectures with recordings, video conferencing, and virtual lab demonstrations) as well as openly-accessed educational resources (digital libraries, collections of the digitized films and videos, free-license software tools, hands-on lab tutorials, and project-development environments and infrastructures) that could be effectively used by instructors and students to enrich STEM educational activities. The case studies overview the necessity of improving students’ self-study skills, online tutoring, faculty training, new partnerships between academic institutions and high-tech companies, the role of multimedia platforms, and financial-support opportunities. The challenges of unresolved issues (remote internship, constraints of old-style professional certification examinations and learning-outcome assessments, and violations of students’ privacy in Cloud and social-media communications) are addressed.

Closing the Achievement Gap by Bringing STEM Kits Home

According to Quinn and Polikoff (2017), "summer slide" is a phenomenon in which students' academic skills regress over the summer. To assist students who do not have internet connectivity during extended breaks, the authors created STEM kits in which educational materials and directions are placed in a bag and provided to students who would be most at risk of falling behind academically. Because these activities were aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS;NGSS Lead States 2013) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS-M;NGAC and CCSSO 2010), the STEM kits helped students to continue their academic progress through hands-on activities. In these cases, teachers can have materials available, and students can help package them before leaving for break. [...]the STEM kits can also be used to complement instruction in an online or hybrid format. [...]the authors encouraged students to use their cell phones to create a short video or share

Career and technical education high school teachers perceptions of social, emotional, and academic learning in the COVID-19 pandemic during remote and hybrid learning

During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and teachers had to change how they taught overnight. Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers had a particularly difficult task of shifting their classes to an online format due to the hands-on nature of the courses. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of high school CTE teachers and how their students were impacted socially, emotionally, and academically during the pandemic. The overarching research question that guided this study was: "What are CTE teachers' perceptions of how their students were impacted socially, emotionally, and academically during the COVID-19 pandemic?" The research was conducted in the Midwest part of the United States in one suburban high school with CTE teachers. These teachers all taught during the COVID-19 pandemic in a remote and/or hybrid model. The theoretical framework for the research, which helped in making sense of the data, was from Bandura's social cognitive theory and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Framework. This study involved virtual one-on-one interviews and a virtual focus group to gather data. The findings from the data resulted in three themes: Social Interactions, Emotional Disconnect, and Academic Expectations Shifted. Practical implications from the results of this study provide an overview for school districts on the perceptions of CTE teachers and how students are impacted. It will allow teachers and school leaders to re-evaluate how students access Tier 1 supports in the school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Benchmarking the assessment of barriers to the admission of management education in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose>This paper proposes a decision-making framework for assessing various dimensions and barriers that have affected the admission process in management educational institutions during the ongoing pandemic. The framework considers the interrelationship between the obstacles and highlights the importance of each barrier.Design/methodology/approach>An integrated method based on decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory and analytical network process is proposed to structure the barrier assessment framework. Results obtained from the study are validated by comparing them against the conventional analytical hierarchy process.Findings>The results obtained from this study indicate four significant dimensions that hinder admission in Indian management institutes, namely, governmental, financial, sectoral, institutional and market. The top five barriers are demand shift towards technical (alternative) skills, acceptance of the graduated students, lack of industry–institute collaboration, lack of long-term vision and opening new Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) and Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs).Research limitations/implications>During this ongoing pandemic, many educational institutes have been forced to shift from the traditional classroom to a virtual teaching model. In this regard, this study helps identify and assess the barriers to admission in Indian management institutes during this epidemic and thus, contribute to the literature. The findings will assist all stakeholders and policymakers of management institutions design and develop appropriate managerial strategies. The study is conducted in the Indian management educational institute context and can be extended to technical education institutions for deeper insights.Originality/value>The paper develops an assessment framework for analysing the barriers to admission in Indian management institutes during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Research implications are discussed in the context of a developing country.

Adaptive Individual Differences in Math Courses

A higher education that can be defined as sustainable ensures the acquisition of competencies that are necessary to address the current and future needs of the society in which it exists. Because math competencies are an essential component of college students’ academic and professional success, poor performance outcomes are particularly problematic in the context of an education that aims to be sustainable. This research sought to identify dispositions that are predictive of math performance in the post-pandemic world to develop an early detection system for at-risk students of an understudied population (college students of Middle Eastern descent from Saudi Arabia). It specifically targeted female and male students in STEM or non-STEM majors who were enrolled in a math course of the general education curriculum. During the second semester of a return to entirely face-to-face instruction, their self-efficacy, math learning anxiety, math evaluation anxiety, and preference for morning or evening study activities were surveyed. In the post-pandemic world of this understudied population, the math performance of STEM male and female students was hurt by concerns about learning math. The math performance of non-STEM male students benefited from self-efficacy, whereas that of non-STEM female students was unaffected by any of the dispositions surveyed in the present investigation. These findings suggest that individual difference measures can inform early interventions intended to address performance deficiencies in selected groups of students with the overreaching goal of ensuring a sustainable education for all.

Experimental Mathematics - A Course-Based Research Experience in Machine Learning

Efforts to expand the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce have been topics of United States policy action for more than 50 years (Hira 2010). Unfortunately, among U.S. undergraduate curricula, STEM has one of the highest attrition rates (Tinto 1993) with less than half of students in the U.S. that enroll in an undergraduate STEM program ultimately receiving a degree in a STEM field (Hayes 2009). Naturally, the high rate of attrition is a topic of persisting concern. Many programs have been designed and implemented to model best practices in retaining students in STEM disciplines. One retention strategy is to engage STEM undergraduates in research experiences, and a number of programs have been implemented to provide such experiences. The Towson University Research Enhancement Program (TU REP) is one such program. This cohort-based program supports faculty in the development of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). In this note we describe a CURE in machine learning offered by the Towson University Department of Mathematics whose development was supported by TU REP. We categorize this course along the spectrum of traditional, inquiry, CURE and internship in each of the five dimensions characteristic of a CURE.

“Thanks for helping me find my enthusiasm for physics”: the lasting impacts “research in schools” projects can have on students, teachers, and schools

Using 6 years of evaluation data, we assess the medium- and long-term impacts upon a diverse range of students, teachers, and schools from participating in a programme of protracted university-mentored projects based on cutting-edge space science, astronomy, and particle physics research. After having completed their 6-month-long projects, the 14–18-year-old school students report having substantially increased in confidence relating to relevant scientific topics and methods as well as having developed numerous skills, outcomes which are corroborated by teachers. There is evidence that the projects helped increase students' aspirations towards physics, whereas science aspirations (generally high to begin with) were typically maintained or confirmed through their involvement. Longitudinal evaluation 3 years later has revealed that these projects have been lasting experiences for students which they have benefited from and drawn upon in their subsequent university education. Data on students' destinations suggest that their involvement in research projects has made them more likely to undertake physics and STEM degrees than would otherwise be expected. Cases of co-created novel physics research resulting from Physics Research in School Environments (PRiSE) has also seemed to have a powerful effect, not only on the student co-authors, but also participating students from other schools. Teachers have also been positively affected through participating, with the programme having influenced their own knowledge, skills, and pedagogy, as well as having advantageous effects felt across their wider schools. These impacts suggest that similar “research in schools” initiatives may have a role to play in aiding the increased uptake and diversity of physics and/or STEM in higher education as well as meaningfully enhancing the STEM environment within schools.

Work-In-Progress: Hybrid Education: From Telecommuting with e-Learning to Broadcasting Ourselves

The popularity of Distance Learning during the Covid-19 lockdowns, apart from adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism as a serviceable amenity for societies deprived of their natural outlets for mental effort, has also served as a forerunner for services and activities that could reshape the formal manner for conveying professional training. In the sphere of Educational TV, the exchange of standardized high-level emissions regulating the transfer of skills and knowledge on specific subjects has been plagued by phrenic pursuits to cling online learning material, designed for use in an Institute’s training courseware, as a de facto substitute compelling the thoroughness or comprehensiveness of regular study material. This research examines how this stance fits in accordance with facts or reality. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Evaluating the Online Learning Experience at Higher Education Institutions

In light of recent COVID-19 pandemic, universities had to cope by resorting to online learning without previous preparation. This paper tries to investigate students’ satisfaction with online learning. The literature review identified seven factors that influence satisfaction (quality, interaction, information technology, academic experience, comprehension, student support, and assessment), with four demographic factors (grade point average (GPA), gender, nationality, and major classification). All variables were significant predictors of satisfaction except assessment. Only GPA was a significant predictor among the four demographic factors. Mean comparisons on the level of satisfaction indicated that no difference between females and males, nationals possessed higher levels of satisfaction, and non-STEM students possessed higher satisfaction level. The study utilized a sample of 2,354 students from a public university in the Gulf region. The coefficient of determination for the regression model was 0.723. Conclusions and implications are reported at the end of the paper.

Unplugged Activities in Cross-Curricular Teaching: Effect on Sixth Graders’ Computational Thinking and Learning Outcomes

There is a debate about the way to introduce computational thinking (CT) in schools. Different proposals are on the table;these include the creation of new computational areas for developing CT, the introduction of CT in STEM areas, and the cross-curricular integration of CT in schools. There is also concern that no student should be left behind, independently of their economic situation. To this effect, an unplugged approach is the most cost-effective solution. In addition, this topic is interesting in the context of a pandemic situation that has prevented the sharing of materials between students. This study analyzes an unplugged cross-curricular introduction of CT in the Social Sciences area among sixth grade students. A group of 14 students was selected to carry out an unplugged intervention design—where they were required to program an imaginary robot on paper—in the Social Sciences area. Their CT development and academic results were compared to those of 31 students from the control group who continued attending regular classes. Results showed that an unplugged teaching style of CT in Social Sciences lessons significantly increased CT (p < 0.001) and with a large effect size (d = 1.305) without differences in students’ academic achievement. The findings show that children can potentially develop their CT in non-STEM lessons, learning the same curricular contents, and maintaining their academic results.

Interstate Drone League (iDrone National) to promote hands-on remote STEM learning using cloud-based virtual meeting platforms in the global pandemic (COVID-19)

[...]of technological improvements, e-learning platforms are rapidly evolving and becoming a fundamental tool for many educational activities worldwide to gain a competitive edge (Sanchez, R. & Hueros, A., 2010). The main advantage of Google Sites (Google Sites, 2020) is the versatility to develop a course website using the existing templates. [...]a user can build their own project hubs, team sites, and public-facing websites by dragging content where needed. Zoom's video-first, unified communication platform is an excellent alternative to hosting an in-person event during the global pandemic (COVID-19). Since Zoom offers a solution tailored to fit our planned online camp, we took full advantage of the existing technology to maximize our impactful digital event, iDrone Online. According to the survey results, about 70% of participants from both in-person (offline) and virtual (online) camps classified themselves as having a strong STEM identity.