Using College Mentors to Facilitate Informal STEM Learning Enhanced by Entrepreneurship Training in Middle Schools

• In Event: Supporting Learning of Science and Technology Through Novel Applications of Technology

Abstract

STEM-Inc, an NSF ITEST project, pursues the overarching goal of engaging middle school students in STEM related fields through the use of entrepreneurship practices. A collaboration between the Anaheim Union High School District and California State University of Fullerton, the program utilizes college engineering and business students that serve as mentors, to inspire and teach the middle school participants the fundamentals of engineering, computer science, and business entrepreneurship. Our pedagogical approach is designed to develop participant's skills in STEM, while simultaneously introducing them to the world of an entrepreneur. This paper discusses the importance of utilizing college mentors to improve middle school participant's self-efficacy towards STEM and to aid in the professional development of mentors in teaching STEM subjects at informal settings. Data collection from STEM-Inc included after-school site visits consisting of interviews and focus groups; fall (pre)/spring (post) surveys and mid-year formative surveys on attitude and self-efficacy toward STEM with participating students; and student learning outcome assessments consisting of engineering/computer science and business concepts measured by students’ end of year self-assessment and rubric scores from advisory board members, mentors and teachers. According to data collected in STEM-Inc, the use of college mentors proved to play an important role in retaining interest from participants to pursue STEM related fields. At the end of the program, mentors also reported being confident in teaching STEM subjects and engineering design process to middle school students.

Author

• Jidong Huang, California State University - Fullerton