Using Hands-on Experiences including Various Forms of ARTS to Increase Ninth-Grade Female Students' Interest in STEM - Final Results

Abstract

Due to the ever-growing number of employment opportunities in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields, increasing emphasis is placed on STEM education at all levels. This paper reports on research on increasing STEM interest and awareness in ninth-grade minority female students. Thirty-seven female students from a low socioeconomic background participated in this research study. They attended fifteen hour-long sessions of STEM-infused hands-on workshops presented by university professors in the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. The workshops took place during school hours, adding to their regular curriculum. The school does not currently have an arts program, although the founder of the school is a music artist. Therefore, the workshops incorporated the arts as the central theme, while the lessons were delivered in biology, chemistry, engineering, and mathematics.