Science of Learning STEM

Overview

<p>PROGRAM GOAL: To enhance the persistence and success of students in STEM majors and programs through the improvement of STEM pedagogies that incorporate evidence-based principles of how people learn and account for differences in achievement among student groups, e.g., race/ethnicity and gender. Strategy: This program is transitioning from a focus on studying patterns of undergraduate entrance, attrition, and persistence in STEM majors to helping institutions improve student learning and better prepare undergraduates for graduate study and careers in STEM fields.<br>Emphasis will continue on hypothesis-driven projects that are sensitive to the heterogeneity of STEM disciplines, attentive to differences in student demographics and motivations, and concerned with the dissemination of findings and the portability of lessons learned to other institutions.<br>Pre-2010, when the program was called “Student Retention,” grantmaking focused on encouraging universities to collect and use information on student pathways through STEM fields, including retention rate and time-to-degree.</p>