The STEM Education Alliance conducts multi-dimensional analysis of change in student beliefs, knowledge, attitude, and awareness using a project developed instrument, the STEM Student Awareness and Attitude Scale (STEM SAAS). This instrument provides measurement of eight dimensions of STEM attitude and awareness. To date, the instrument has been used to collect over 30,000 data points.
Students who attended the 2012 Dahlgren summer academy resulted in improvement in student attitudes towards both engineering and technology. Despite the short time frame of the intervention, the intensity of the intervention may be related to improved student attitude and awareness of engineering. The effect sizes for the impact of the summer academy are higher than those of the school year intervention, which is consistent with results from previous summer academies. Higher effect sizes imply larger changes in attitudes. For example, a student may change their opinion of science more after participating in a summer academy versus an in-school program.
After attending the 2012 Quantico summer academy, students indicated that they were more likely to pursue a career in science, or engineering than they were prior to participating in the summer academy.
Students who attended the 2012 Hampton Roads Summer Academy indicated that they were more likely to pursue a career in math than they were prior to participating in the summer academy.
