Sift and See: Why Examining Precursor Non-Cognitive Variables is Critical to Improving STEM Teaching and Learning

17 May Sift and See: Why Examining Precursor Non-Cognitive Variables is Critical to Improving STEM Teaching and Learning

At the Gender Summit 15-Europe (GS15) in London, several of my colleagues and I had the privilege of foregrounding an exciting new study on the importance of examining peer-led team learning and non-cognitive variables in STEM education research (Monrose-Mill et al., 2020). In short, the study examines non-cognitive variables among undergraduate STEM majors. While this may not be as headline-making as Katherine Johnson’s mathematical genius in bringing a NASA astronaut safely back to Earth, the study’s preliminary findings may be just what every educator needs to identify what Katherine Johnson had: self-efficacy and more.

The study offered some significant outcomes. However, its true power was realized through the ideological shift as our team prepared to share the impact of these outcomes at the summit. Impact. It’s a small word with broad shoulders. And the difference between the amateur and the expert is just that: impact.

To Bake Up Lasting Impact, You Need the Right Ingredients

Now, it may seem like there couldn’t possibly be a connection between impact and baking, but let’s take a look at what it takes to become an expert baker. A baker’s ability to get a cake to rise to its highest level directly results from the impact of one proven step in the baking process: sifting.

But you don’t need to be a baker to taste the difference between a cake baked by a hobbyist and one crafted by an expert. If I were an amateur baker striving to rise to the next level, I’d want to know the techniques the expert used that made the difference. Expert bakers know that when baking a cake, sifting dry products like flour and baking soda ensures uniform mixing and results in a high-quality finished product. Unfortunately, it’s a step amateur bakers often skip. Too many students’ experiences in science and mathematics classrooms are “baked” into the results.

Teaching and learning experts are no different. Their perspectives about some students are baked right in. Some educators and academic leaders understand that the “sift” in learning is done through the examination of pre-existing non-cognitive variables in students and in themselves. These variables are contextual and experiential rather than the “traditional” intelligence measures on which our current educational system is based. Think of them as the building blocks of student achievement and success – in essence, what’s already there at the beginning of a learning experience.

Before introducing new curriculum concepts, expert educators know that examining non-cognitive variables is important. As anybody who has tried to learn something new can attest, our existing mental framework can sometimes get in the way of learning. We may have a preconceived notion of how something works that doesn’t quite match reality, or we may be resistant to change. As teachers, it’s important to consider these mental blocks and address them head-on. This might involve providing students with a more accurate mental model or actively encouraging them to let go of their old ways of thinking. By taking this extra step, we can help ensure that students not only understand the concepts being taught but can also apply them in the real world.

An educator’s ability to determine non-cognitive variables directly correlates with their success in the classroom. Inexperienced educators, and, unfortunately, some experienced ones as well, skip the non-cognitive variable assessment step all too often, leaving them with the same lackluster results an amateur baker would produce. STEM education researchers, until recently, have not investigated non-cognitive variables, relegating factors such as sense of belonging, anxiety, self-concept, and efficacy to the social ‘soft’ science stack. They aren’t as hardwired to engage in this as the ‘hard sciences.’ And, once again, the story is “baked’ into the results.

Non-Cognitive Variables in the Recipe to STEM Education Success

As we readied our presentation, the significance of our findings and the impact they would have on the STEM educator’s ability to recognize a little Katherine Johnson sitting in their classroom became even more exciting. We realized that presenting a strongly supported ‘why’ and a clearly defined ‘how’ to measure non-cognitive variables appropriately could move the needle for inexperienced educators, not-too-interested STEM disciplinary researchers, and, ultimately, for students.

So, what exactly is this study, and why is it important? Read the full research study here to learn more.

How to Shift from Inexperienced Educator to Academic Leader and STEM Education Researcher

Much as the high-quality outcome of the expert baker reflects a deeper knowledge of baking ingredients and the baking process, our study supports the rationale for culturally appropriate engagement, feedback, and oral communication with students. With this ideological shift, university faculty know where to focus teaching improvements. By acknowledging and implementing the necessary sifting in the classroom, inexperienced educators and researchers become experts in their delivery. With that change comes a decrease in students’ anxiety and an increase in commitment to mastering mathematics content.

You know, when you think about it, this isn’t rocket science. It’s actually much more difficult than that. But, given the right environment, anyone can understand it. As we took to the stage at the Gender Summit 15-Europe (GS15), we hoped for the future. No longer should students fear the “dreaded” mathematics class. No longer should they be anxious about STEM-related education.

The right ingredients, the proper environment, and appropriate support result in more high-quality, confident STEM-educated graduates. And, like Katherine Johnson, they are sure to make a difference in the world.