An investigation of the early factors which influence women's career choices in physical science and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, Anneliese

The composition of the workforce has begun to undergo a change. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that women, minorities, and immigrants will constitute 80 percent of the additions to the labor force between 1987 and the year 2000 (Oakes, 1990). The National Science Foundation projects that the United States may have a shortfall of 400,000 scientists and over 250,000 engineers by the year 2006 (Argonne, 1990). Since women are among those who are significantly underrepresented among individuals preparing for a career in science, thirty women who are currently pursuing a successful career in physical science and technology were interviewed. This study determined participants' perceptions of the factors that first influenced an early interest in physical science and technology. The investigation included perceptions regarding: (1) whether certain identifiable events or experiences influenced the decision to pursue science as a career and what those events and experiences were; (2) at what age these events occurred; (3) whether an adult(s) was influential and which adult(s) it was; and (4) identification of where these events and experiences occurred. The interview technique was selected as the best research method for collecting the qualitative and demographic data needed for this study. The results represent the participants' recollections of out-of-school and in-school activities, family, friends and teacher support, self-image during the formative years, parents as the most important factor which influenced an interest in physical science, and major obstacles that had to be overcome by the participants in order to pursue successful careers in physical science and technology. Also included is participants' advice to parents and teachers who want to encourage females to pursue a career in physical science and technology.

Mitchell Receives 2013 Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Science: Citation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinnon, William B.

2014-07-01

The Greeley Early Career Award is named for pioneering planetary scientist Ronald Greeley. Ron was involved in nearly every major planetary mission from the 1970s until his death and was extraordinarily active in service to the planetary science community. Ron's greatest legacies, however, are those he mentored through the decades, and it is young scientists whose work and promise we seek to recognize. This year's Greeley award winner is Jonathan L. Mitchell, an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Jonathan received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and after a postdoc at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, he joined the UCLA faculty, where he holds a joint appointment in Earth and space sciences and in atmospheric sciences.

Concerns of early career agricultural science teachers and the perceived effectiveness of educator preparation programs in addressing those concerns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Camilla E.

Little is known about the concerns and needs of early career agricultural teachers associated with the various routes to certification and how these routes address those concerns. The purpose of this study is to determine how selected early career agriculture teachers perceive their teacher preparation program and how effective their programs were at addressing these concerns during their first year of teaching. The sample consisted of secondary agricultural teachers in Texas FFA Areas V and VI, who self-identified themselves as an early career agricultural teacher in their first 3 years of teaching. The first phase included a web-based survey administered to assess the concerns of early career agricultural teachers. Two Likert-type scales were used, and these were used to assess the perceived importance of problems faced by early career agricultural teachers and the frequency in which they encounter those problems. The second phase included a qualitative interview to better understand the perceived relationship between participants' undergraduate preparation, experiences in agriculture and related organizations, and other related activities in preparing them as agriculture science teachers. The teachers interviewed in this study indicated that overall, they were pleased with their preparation. Teacher educators from both programs should address the concerns presented from all teachers to further prepare them for issues faced by early career teachers because it is evident that these issues are not going away.

The role of science self-efficacy, science career efficacy, science career interest, and intentions to enroll in nonrequired science courses in the future selection of science-related careers for high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballard, Sherri Patrice

1998-12-01

Underrepresentation of non-Asian minority groups and women in science and math related professions has been an area of concern for many years. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of career selection variables for African-American and European-American students on future aspirations of pursuing a science-related career. Other examined variables included gender, academic track and socioeconomic status. A survey was completed by 368 high school students in rural settings in the Southeastern portion of the United States. Gender, race, tracking, and socioeconomic differences in career selection variables and future aspirations of pursuing a science-related career were explored using a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 MANOVA. Multiple regression was used to examine the predictiveness of career selection variables relative to future career aspirations of pursuing a science-related career. Results indicated that African-Americans reported higher total science career interest, and higher science career efficacy. European-American students reported higher levels of science self-efficacy relative to making a B or better in science courses and solving science-related problems. Also, European-Americans reported higher levels of interest in science-related tasks, a subscale on the science career interest variable. When the effect of gender was examined across the total sample, no differences were found. However, when gender was examined by race, European-American females reported higher levels of science career interest than European-American males. Students from high academic tracking groups reported greater efficacy for completing science-related technical skills. Science career interest was predictive of future career selection for this sample.

Determining discourses: Constraints and resources influencing early career science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grindstaff, Kelly E.

This study explores the thinking and practices of five early-career teachers of grades eight to ten science, in relation to their histories, schools, students, and larger cultural and political forces. All the teachers are young women, two in their fourth year of teaching, who teach together in an affluent suburb, along with one first-year teacher. The other two are first-year teachers who teach in an urban setting. All of these teachers most closely associated good science teaching with forming relationships with students. They filtered science content through a lens of relevance (mostly to everyday life) and interest for students. Thus they filtered science content through a commitment to serving students, which makes sense since I argue that the primary motivations for teaching had more to do with working with students and helping people than the disciplines of science. Thus, within the discourse of the supremacy of curriculum and the prevalence of testing, these teachers enact hybrid practices which focus on covering content -- to help ensure the success of students -- and on relevance and interest, which has more to do with teaching styles and personality than disciplines of science. Ideas of good teaching are not very focused on science, which contradicts the type of support they seek and utilize around science content. This presents a challenge to pre- and in-service education and support to question what student success means, what concern for students entails and how to connect caring and concern for students with science.

Early Careers of Recent U.S. Social Science PhDs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Emory; Rudd, Elizabeth; Nerad, Maresi

2011-01-01

In this article, we analyse findings of the largest, most comprehensive survey of the career paths of social science PhD graduates to date, "Social Science PhDs--Five+Years Out (SS5)". "SS5" surveyed more than 3,000 graduates of U.S. PhD programmes in six social science fields six to ten years after earning their PhD. The…

Career Cartography: From Stories to Science and Scholarship.

PubMed

Wilson, Deleise S; Rosemberg, Marie-Anne S; Visovatti, Moira; Munro-Kramer, Michelle L; Feetham, Suzanne

2017-05-01

To present four case scenarios reflecting the process of research career development using career cartography. Career cartography is a novel approach that enables nurses, from all clinical and academic settings, to actively engage in a process that maximizes their clinical, teaching, research, and policy contributions that can improve patient outcomes and the health of the public. Four early-career nurse researchers applied the career cartography framework to describe their iterative process of research career development. They report the development process of each of the components of career cartography, including destination statement, career map, and policy statement. Despite diverse research interests and career mapping approaches, common experiences emerged from the four nurse researchers. Common lessons learned throughout the career cartography process include: (a) have a supportive mentorship team, (b) start early and reflect regularly, (c) be brief and to the point, (d) keep it simple and avoid jargon, (e) be open to change, (f) make time, and (g) focus on the overall career destination. These four case scenarios support the need for nurse researchers to develop their individual career cartography. Regardless of their background, career cartography can help nurse researchers articulate their meaningful contributions to science, policy, and health of the public. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

The Early-Career Development of Science Teachers from Initial Training Onwards: The Advantages of a Multifaceted Five-Year Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Julian; Howarth, Sue; King, Chris; Perry, John; Tas, Maarten; Twidle, John; Warhurst, Adrian; Garrett, Caro

2014-01-01

If a programme were to be devised for the early-career development of science teachers, what might such a programme look like? This was the focus of a meeting of science educators interested in developing such a structure, from the start of initial teacher training onwards. The contributions, modified and written up here, include a suggested…

Improving Communication Skills in Early Career Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saia, S. M.

2013-12-01

The AGU fall meeting is a time for scientists to share what we have been hard at work on for the past year, to share our trials and tribulations, and of course, to share our science (we hope inspirational). In addition to sharing, the AGU fall meeting is also about collaboration as it brings old and new colleagues together from diverse communities across the planet. By sharing our ideas and findings, we build new relationships with the potential to cross boundaries and solve complex and pressing environmental issues. With ever emerging and intensifying water scarcity, extreme weather, and water quality issues across the plant, it is especially important that scientists like us share our ideas and work together to put these ideas into action. My vision of the future of water sciences embraces this fact. I believe that better training is needed to help early career scientists, like myself, build connections within and outside of our fields. First and foremost, more advanced training in effective storytelling concepts and themes may improve our ability to provide context for our research. Second, training in the production of video for internet-based media (e.g. YouTube) may help us bring our research to audiences in a more personalized way. Third, opportunities to practice presenting at highly visible public events such as the AGU fall meeting, will serve to prepare early career scientists for a variety of audiences. We hope this session, ';Water Sciences Pop-Ups', will provide the first steps to encourage and train early career scientists as they share and collaborate with scientists and non-scientists around the world.

COMETS Profiles. Career Oriented Modules to Explore Topics in Science. 24 Biographical Sketches of Women in Science Careers plus Accompanying Language Arts Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noyce, Ruth, Ed.

Twenty-four biographical sketches of women in scientific professions are included in this COMETS Profiles package. Each biography relates to a science topic dealt with in one of the instructional modules of COMETS Science (Career Oriented Modules to Explore Topics in Science). The purpose of these materials is to demonstrate to early adolescents…

Challenges facing early career academic cardiologists.

PubMed

Tong, Carl W; Ahmad, Tariq; Brittain, Evan L; Bunch, T Jared; Damp, Julie B; Dardas, Todd; Hijar, Amalea; Hill, Joseph A; Hilliard, Anthony A; Houser, Steven R; Jahangir, Eiman; Kates, Andrew M; Kim, Darlene; Lindman, Brian R; Ryan, John J; Rzeszut, Anne K; Sivaram, Chittur A; Valente, Anne Marie; Freeman, Andrew M

2014-06-03

Early career academic cardiologists currently face unprecedented challenges that threaten a highly valued career path. A team consisting of early career professionals and senior leadership members of American College of Cardiology completed this white paper to inform the cardiovascular medicine profession regarding the plight of early career cardiologists and to suggest possible solutions. This paper includes: 1) definition of categories of early career academic cardiologists; 2) general challenges to all categories and specific challenges to each category; 3) obstacles as identified by a survey of current early career members of the American College of Cardiology; 4) major reasons for the failure of physician-scientists to receive funding from National Institute of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute career development grants; 5) potential solutions; and 6) a call to action with specific recommendations. Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increasing retention of early career female atmospheric scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, L. M.; Hallar, A. G.; Avallone, L. M.; Thiry, H.

2010-12-01

Atmospheric Science Collaborations and Enriching NeTworks (ASCENT) is a workshop series designed to bring together early career female scientists in the field of atmospheric science and related disciplines. ASCENT uses a multi-faceted approach to provide junior scientists with tools that will help them meet the challenges in their research and teaching career paths and will promote their retention in the field. During the workshop, senior women scientists discuss their career and life paths. They also lead seminars on tools, resources and methods that can help early career scientists to be successful and prepared to fill vacancies created by the “baby boomer” retirees. Networking is a significant aspect of ASCENT, and many opportunities for both formal and informal interactions among the participants (of both personal and professional nature) are blended in the schedule. The workshops are held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, home of a high-altitude atmospheric science laboratory, Storm Peak Laboratory, which also allows for nearby casual outings and a pleasant environment for participants. Near the conclusion of each workshop, junior and senior scientists are matched in mentee-mentor ratios of two junior scientists per senior scientist. Post-workshop reunion events are held at national scientific meetings to maintain connectivity among each year’s participants, and for collaborating among participants of all workshops held to date. Evaluations of the two workshop cohorts thus far conclude that the workshops have been successful in achieving the goals of establishing and expanding personal and research-related networks, and that seminars have been useful in creating confidence and sharing resources for such things as preparing promotion and tenure packages, interviewing and negotiating job offers, and writing successful grant proposals.

Mentors, networks, and resources for early career female atmospheric scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallar, A. G.; Avallone, L. M.; Edwards, L. M.; Thiry, H.; Ascent

2011-12-01

Atmospheric Science Collaborations and Enriching NeTworks (ASCENT) is a workshop series designed to bring together early career female scientists in the field of atmospheric science and related disciplines. ASCENT is a multi-faceted approach to retaining these junior scientists through the challenges in their research and teaching career paths. During the workshop, senior women scientists discuss their career and life paths. They also lead seminars on tools, resources and methods that can help early career scientists to be successful. Networking is a significant aspect of ASCENT, and many opportunities for both formal and informal interactions among the participants (of both personal and professional nature) are blended in the schedule. The workshops are held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, home of a high-altitude atmospheric science laboratory - Storm Peak Laboratory, which also allows for nearby casual outings and a pleasant environment for participants. Near the conclusion of each workshop, junior and senior scientists are matched in mentee-mentor ratios of two junior scientists per senior scientist. An external evaluation of the three workshop cohorts concludes that the workshops have been successful in establishing and expanding personal and research-related networks, and that seminars have been useful in creating confidence and sharing resources for such things as preparing promotion and tenure packages, interviewing and negotiating job offers, and writing successful grant proposals.

From Student of Physics to Historian of Science: T.S. Kuhn's Education and Early Career, 1940-1958

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hufbauer, Karl

2012-12-01

I first show that Kuhn came to have doubts about physics soon after entering college but did not make up his mind to leave the discipline until 1947-1948 when a close association with Harvard's President James B. Conant convinced him of the desirability of an alternative career in the history of science. I go on to maintain that it was realistic for Kuhn to prepare for such a career in essentially autodidactic ways both because he enjoyed Conant's patronage and because he could expect that his credentials in physics would be an asset in this relatively young interdisciplinary specialty. I then suggest that it was through his work as a teacher, researcher, and journeyman gatekeeper in the history of science that Kuhn gradually came to identify with the field. Finally, I argue that his training in physics, his teaching of general-education courses, and his hopes of influencing current philosophy of science helped shape his early practice as a historian of science. By way of epilogue, I briefly consider Kuhn's path from his tenuring at Berkeley in 1958 to the appearance of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions in 1962.

Career Orientation: Grade 7 and 8: A Unified Approach: Science Careers. Activity Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cincinnati Public Schools, OH.

Career orientation in the science curriculum introduces students to science-related careers and opportunities and enables them to prepare an educational program if they choose a science career. The curriculum guide is designed to aid junior high school science teachers in relating the seventh and eighth grade science curriculum to careers in…

Outreach Opportunities for Early Career Scientists at the Phoenix ComiCon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.; Walker, S. I.; Forrester, J. H.

2014-12-01

The Phoenix ComiCon (PCC) is a rapidly growing annual four-day pop culture event, featuring guests, costuming, exhibits, and discussion panels for popular sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and anime franchises. In 2013, PCC began experimenting with science discussion panels. The popularity of the science programming resulted in an expansion of the track for 2014, which Horodyskyj was responsible for coordinating. Thirty hours of programming were scheduled, including 25 discussion panels, NASA's FameLab, and a Mars room. Panelists included industry specialists, established scientists, STEM outreach enthusiasts, and early career scientists. The majority of the panelists were early career scientists recruited from planetary sciences and biology departments at ASU and UA. Panel topics included cosmology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, space exploration, astrobiology, and the cross-linkages of each with pop culture. Formats consisted of Q&A, presentations, and interactive game shows. Although most panels were aimed at the general audience, some panels were more specialized. PCC 2014 attracted 77,818 attendees. The science programming received rave reviews from the audience, the PCC management, and the panelists themselves. Many panel rooms were filled to capacity and required crowd control to limit attendance. We observed the formation of science "groupies" who sought out the science panels exclusively and requested more information on other science public events in the Phoenix area. We distributed surveys to several select sessions to evaluate audience reasons for attending the science panels and their opinion of the scientists they observed. We will present the results of these surveys. As the PCC continues to grow at an exponential rate, the science programming will continue to expand. We will discuss ideas for continued expansion of the PCC science programming both to serve the public and as a unique public outreach opportunity for early career scientists.

Early Field Experience in Career and Technical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smalley, Scott Walter

2011-01-01

The purpose of the three studies in this dissertation was to enhance career and technical education in the area of agriculture, business, and family and consumer sciences. This dissertation contains three papers: (1) a Delphi study identifying the purpose, expected outcomes, and methods of documenting preservice teacher early field experience…

Parents' and children's beliefs about science and science careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telfer, Jo Ann

Science has become an essential part of our cultural, social and technological lives. Around the world economic policies are giving high priority to the production of new knowledge generated by scientists. Unfortunately, gender equality in science-related careers has not been achieved. Women who possess high intellectual and personal abilities are succeeding in many occupational areas previously closed to all but the most impervious women, but females are still largely underrepresented in physical science and mathematics related careers. The purpose of the current study was to examine the reasons for this underrepresentation of women in science-related careers. Participants included a subset of mothers (n = 174), fathers (n = 132) and children (n = 186) from a larger study at the University of Calgary entitled Gender Differences in Student Participation and Achievement in the Sciences: Choice or Chance ? Telephone interview and survey questionnaire data were examined for gender and achievement level differences, focusing on high achieving girls who are most likely to succeed in science-related careers. Relationships between parents' and children's responses were also examined using the theoretical construct of Eccles' Model of Achievement Related Choices. Gathered data were studied using factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, analysis of variance as well as categorical analysis of qualitative results. Girls and boys achieved similar grades on all academic measures except the Alberta Science Achievement Test, where boys scored significantly higher than girls. Mothers, fathers, and children indicated positive attitudes towards science, no gender stereotyping about science and science careers, and gender neutral beliefs about science achievement. Gender differences were found in expressed possibility of future career choice. Science/Professional Careers were viewed as male occupations by mothers and children, but as gender neutral occupations by fathers

Exploring the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Career Commitment among Early Career Agriculture Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in career commitment and perceived efficacy among early career agriculture teachers as well as the relationships between early career agriculture teachers' perceived efficacy and career commitment. Five areas of self-efficacy were investigated among early career agriculture teachers in…

The Astrobiology Primer - an Early Career Scientist Education, Outreach and Professional Development Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, K. E.; Domagal-Goldman, S. D.

2011-12-01

We are early-career scientists jointly leading a project to write 'The Astrobiology Primer', a brief but comprehensive introduction to astrobiology, and we are using the process of producing the document as an innovative way of strengthening the international community of early-career astrobiologists. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in our universe. It includes not just study of life on Earth, but also the potential for life to exist beyond Earth, and the development of techniques to search for such life. It therefore incorporates geological and earth sciences, life sciences, chemistry, astronomy and planetary sciences. This requires astrobiologists to integrate these different disciplines in order to address questions such as 'How did Earth and its biosphere originate?', 'How do life and the physical, chemical and geological cycles on Earth interact, and affect each other?' and so 'What does life on Earth tell us about the habitability of environments outside Earth?'. The primer will provide a brief but comprehensive introduction to the field; it will be significantly more comprehensive than a normal review paper but much shorter than a textbook. This project is an initiative run entirely by early-career scientists, for the benefit of other early-career scientists and others. All the writers and editors of the primer are graduate/post-graduate students or post-doctoral fellows, and our primary target group for the primer is other early-career scientists, although we hope and expect that the primer will also be useful far more broadly in education and outreach work. An Astrobiology Primer was first published in 2006(Ref1), written and edited by a small group of early-career astrobiologists to provide an introduction to astrobiology for other early-career scientists new to the field. It has been used not only by the target group for private study, but in formal education and outreach settings at universities and

EGU's Early Career Scientists Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts Artal, L.; Rietbroek, R.

2017-12-01

The EGU encourages early career scientists (ECS) to become involved in interdisciplinary research in the Earth, planetary and space sciences, through sessions, social events and short courses at the annual General Assembly in April and throughout the year. Through division-level representatives, all ECS members can have direct input into matters of the division. A Union-wide representative, who sits on the EGU Council, ensures that ECS are heard at a higher level in the Union too. After a brief introduction as to how the network is organised and structured, this presentation will discuss how EGU ECS activities have been tailored to the needs of ECS members and how those needs have been identified. Reaching and communicating opportunities to ECS remains an ongoing challenge; they will be discussed in this presentation too, as well as some thoughts on how to make them more effective. Finally, the service offered to EGU ECS members would certainly benefit from building links and collaboration with other early career networks in the geosciences. This presentation will outline some of our efforts in that direction and the challenges that remain.

Role models and professional development in dentistry: an important resource: The views of early career stage dentists at one academic health science centre in England.

PubMed

Mohamed Osama, O; Gallagher, J E

2018-02-01

The importance of role models, and their differing influence in early, mid- and late careers, has been identified in the process of professional development of medical doctors. There is a paucity of evidence within dentistry on role models and their attributes. To explore the views of early career dentists on positive and negative role models across key phases of professional development, together with role models' attributes and perceived influence. This is a phenomenological study collecting qualitative data through semi-structured interviews based on a topic guide. Dentists in junior (core training) hospital posts in one academic health science centre were all invited to participate. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. Twelve early career stage dentists, 10 of whom were female, reported having role models, mainly positive, in their undergraduate and early career phases. Participants defined role models' attributes in relation to three distinct domains: clinical attributes, personal qualities and teaching skills. Positive role models were described as "prioritising the patient's best interests", "delivering learner-centred teaching and training" and "exhibiting a positive personality", whilst negative role models demonstrated the converse. Early career dentists reported having largely positive dentist role models during- and post-dental school and report their impact on professional values and aspirations, learning outcomes and career choice. The findings suggest that these early career dentists in junior hospital posts have largely experienced and benefitted from positive role models, notably dentists, perceived as playing an important and creative influence promoting professionalism and shaping the career choices of early career stage dentists. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Four Argonne National Laboratory scientists receive Early Career Research

Science.gov Websites

Media Contacts Social Media Photos Videos Fact Sheets, Brochures and Reports Summer Science Writing Writing Internship Four Argonne National Laboratory scientists receive Early Career Research Program economic impact of cascading shortages. He will also seek to enable scaling on high-performance computing

Training Early Career Scientists in Flight Instrument Design Through Experiential Learning: NASA Goddard's Planetary Science Winter School.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bleacher, L. V.; Lakew, B.; Bracken, J.; Brown, T.; Rivera, R.

2017-01-01

The NASA Goddard Planetary Science Winter School (PSWS) is a Goddard Space Flight Center-sponsored training program, managed by Goddard's Solar System Exploration Division (SSED), for Goddard-based postdoctoral fellows and early career planetary scientists. Currently in its third year, the PSWS is an experiential training program for scientists interested in participating on future planetary science instrument teams. Inspired by the NASA Planetary Science Summer School, Goddard's PSWS is unique in that participants learn the flight instrument lifecycle by designing a planetary flight instrument under actual consideration by Goddard for proposal and development. They work alongside the instrument Principal Investigator (PI) and engineers in Goddard's Instrument Design Laboratory (IDL; idc.nasa.gov), to develop a science traceability matrix and design the instrument, culminating in a conceptual design and presentation to the PI, the IDL team and Goddard management. By shadowing and working alongside IDL discipline engineers, participants experience firsthand the science and cost constraints, trade-offs, and teamwork that are required for optimal instrument design. Each PSWS is collaboratively designed with representatives from SSED, IDL, and the instrument PI, to ensure value added for all stakeholders. The pilot PSWS was held in early 2015, with a second implementation in early 2016. Feedback from past participants was used to design the 2017 PSWS, which is underway as of the writing of this abstract.

A Multicase Study of the Impact of Perceived Gender Roles on the Career Decisions of Women in Science-Related Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hren, Stephen Frank

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how perceived gender roles developed throughout childhood and early adulthood impacted the career decisions of women in science-related career fields. An additional purpose was to determine if my experiences as I analyzed the data and the propositions discovered in the study would become a transformative…

A multicase study of the impact of perceived gender roles on the career decisions of women in science-related careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hren, Stephen Frank

The purpose of this study was to determine how perceived gender roles developed throughout childhood and early adulthood impacted the career decisions of women in science-related career fields. An additional purpose was to determine if my experiences as I analyzed the data and the propositions discovered in the study would become a transformative agent for me. A multicase framework was utilized so that within and between case analyses could be achieved. Four women who showed early promise in science were chosen as the case study participants. The relationship of gender roles to the career decisions made by the four cases were arbitrated through three areas: (a) supports, which came from parents, immediate family members, spouses, teachers, mentors, and collaborators; (b) opportunities, which were separated into family experiences and opportunities, school and community opportunities, and postsecondary/current opportunities; and (c) postmodern feminism, which was the lens that grounded this study and fit well with the lives of the cases. As seen through a postmodern feminist lens, the cases' social class, their lived experiences tied to their opportunities and supports, and the culture of growing up in a small rural community helped them develop personas for the professions they chose even where those professions did not necessarily follow from the early promise shown for a science-related career. In addition, as related to my transformation as a male researcher, being a male conducting research in a realm most often shared by women, I was able to gain greater empathy and understanding of what it takes for women to be successful in a career and at the same time maintain a fruitful family life.

The Effects of Doctoral Teaching Development on Early-Career STEM Scholars' College Teaching Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Mark R.; Lee, You-Geon; Savoy, Julia N.

2018-01-01

To help prepare future faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to teach undergraduates, more research universities are offering teaching development (TD) programs to doctoral students who aspire to academic careers. Using social cognitive career theory, we examine the effects of TD programs on early-career STEM…

AGU Student and Early Career Leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolan, A. M.; Tamalavage, A.; Crumsey, J.; Klima, K.; Lechner, H. N.; LLera, K.; Oaida, C.; Okoro, M. H.; Riker, J.; van Emmerik, T. H. M.; Enderlein, C.

2017-12-01

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is the largest single organization dedicated to the advancement of geophysics in order to promote discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. AGU unites scientists across disciplines by promoting collaborative advances in Earth, atmospheric, oceanic, hydrologic, space, and planetary sciences. One critical strand of AGU is the volunteer leaders who work together with AGU staff to ensure that the voice of the AGU membership is heard in all forms of decision making within the organization. Volunteer leaders include the president and president elect of individual Section and Focus groups, and importantly Student and Early Career (S/EC) representatives from across the AGU landscape. Here, we will describe the roles of past and current AGU S/EC leaders and how these roles have evolved from the onset of student and early career scientist representation on the AGU Council. We will also discuss current plans for solidifying the relationship between S/EC leaders and other S/EC volunteers within AGU (e.g. those who sit on the executive committees of Section or Focus groups). We will describe the process for becoming an AGU S/EC leader and the roles that current S/EC leaders fulfill on the AGU Council, the Board, the Council Leadership Team, and on various committees that enable decision making and progress within AGU (e.g. the Governance Committee, the Centennial Committee, and the Ethics Committee). Including S/EC volunteers within AGU leadership ensures that the organization indeed progresses forward to achieve the vision of AGU: to galvanize a community of Earth and space scientists that collaboratively advances and communicates science and its power to ensure a sustainable future.

Is Science for Us? Black Students' and Parents' Views of Science and Science Careers.

PubMed

Archer, Louise; Dewitt, Jennifer; Osborne, Jonathan

2015-03-01

There are widespread policy concerns to improve (widen and increase) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics participation, which remains stratified by ethnicity, gender, and social class. Despite being interested in and highly valuing science, Black students tend to express limited aspirations to careers in science and remain underrepresented in post-16 science courses and careers, a pattern which is not solely explained by attainment. This paper draws on survey data from nationally representative student cohorts and longitudinal interview data collected over 4 years from 10 Black African/Caribbean students and their parents, who were tracked from age 10-14 (Y6-Y9), as part of a larger study on children's science and career aspirations. The paper uses an intersectional analysis of the qualitative data to examine why science careers are less "thinkable" for Black students. A case study is also presented of two young Black women who "bucked the trend" and aspired to science careers. The paper concludes with implications for science education policy and practice.

A Pragmatic Approach to Getting Published: 35 Tips for Early Career Researchers

PubMed Central

Glover, Natasha M.; Antoniadi, Ioanna; George, Gavin M.; Götzenberger, Lars; Gutzat, Ruben; Koorem, Kadri; Liancourt, Pierre; Rutowicz, Kinga; Saharan, Krishna; You, Wanhui; Mayer, Philipp

2016-01-01

It is trite to say “publish or perish,” yet many early career researchers are often at a loss on how to best get their work published. With strong competition and many manuscripts submitted, it is difficult to convince editors and reviewers to opt for acceptance. A pragmatic approach to publishing may increase one's odds of success. Here, we – a group of postdocs in the field of plant science – present specific recommendations for early career scientists on advanced levels. We cannot provide a recipe-like set of instructions with success guaranteed, but we come from a broad background in plant science, with experience publishing in a number of journals of varying topics and impact factors. We provide tips, tricks, and tools for collaboration, journal selection, and achieving acceptance. PMID:27242817

Early outreach: career awareness for health professions.

PubMed

Lourenço, S V

1983-01-01

"Early outreach" may be defined as a long-term, talent-development strategy designed to prepare a well qualified pool of disadvantaged and underrepresented minority applicants for entry into health professions schools, particularly medical schools. The concept of early outreach is to prepare, motivate, and educate talented, economically disadvantaged junior high or secondary school students to gain the necessary academic qualifications to make high school graduation, college attendance, and health careers a reality. In this paper the author defines the problem to which early outreach is addressed and discussed the contextual and historical background of the concept. A number of programs at the Health Sciences Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago designed and implemented to provide a model to achieve the concept of early outreach are described.

Women in science's family and career expectations, intentions and decisions: How do they evolve over the graduate and early career years?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Sarah

A wide body of research has documented that women drop out of science at each successive stage of education and career, a phenomenon known as the leaky pipeline (Goulden, Frasch & Mason, 2009). This phenomenon is especially evident in Atmospheric Science (ATS), a group that loses women at a higher rate than other geoscience fields (NSF, 2013). One reason for this loss is the stress of education and career on family planning and vice versa (Thiry, 2011). This conflict is particularly intense for women in dual-career relationships, perhaps related to a socialized pressure to prioritize their relationships over their careers (Canetto, Trott, Thomas, & Wynstra, 2012; Larocque, 1995). One limitation of prior studies is that they are cross-sectional. No previous research has longitudinally examined the work and family choices and experiences of female ATS graduate students. This study will do so by investigating how female graduate students in ATS think about commitment to one's partner and make decisions about job location.

Evaluating Career Development Resources: Lessons from the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogan, M.; Laursen, S. L.

2010-12-01

Retention of geoscientists throughout the professional pipeline is especially challenging in the case of groups that are already underrepresented in science, including racial minorities and women. The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) is a professional network of early-career female geoscientists that provides its members with a variety of career resources, through both informal, online and in-person networking and formal career development workshops. The group’s members are of diverse nationalities and racial/ethnic backgrounds, of various age cohorts and career stages, but primarily graduate students, postdocs, and early-career researchers. With funding from an NSF ADVANCE grant to ESWN, we have conducted a detailed survey of ESWN members as part of an evaluation-with-research study that aims to determine the career needs of young geoscientists. The survey data provide information about members’ personal and professional situations, their professional development needs, and obstacles they face as young women scientists. ESWN members indicated a variety of areas of professional growth that would advance their scientific careers, but at all career stages, members chose expanding their professional networks as among their top career needs. Professional networking has established benefits for retention of people from groups underrepresented in science, including women: it introduces young scientists to career best practices and advancement opportunities, provides access to role models, and creates a sense of community. ESWN members strongly indicate that their professional networks benefited from their involvement with the Network. The community aspect of network-building is especially important for people from underrepresented groups, as they often feel alone due to the lack of role models. The intimate character of the ESWN discussion list greatly contributes to its members’ sense of community. Moreover, personal concerns and professional success are

The Accidental Toxicologist: A Career in the Science of ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This PowerPoint presentation is part of a Health Science Career fair for Wake County, NC high school students. The purpose is to familiarize students with careers in the health sciences and the education necessary to be eligible for those careers. This presentation is part of a Health Science Career fair for Wake County, NC high school students. The purpose is to familiarize students with careers in the health sciences and the education necessary to be eligible for those careers.

Career education attitudes and practices of K-12 science educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Walter S.

A random sample of 400 K-12 science educators who were members of the National Science Teachers Association were surveyed regarding their attitude toward and practice of career education in their science teaching. These science teachers rejected a narrowly vocational view, favoring instead a conception of career education which included self-perception, values analysis, and vocational skills objectives. The science educators affirmed the importance of career education for a student's education, asserted career education ought to be taught in their existing science courses, and expressed a willingness to do so. Fewer than one-third of the science teachers, however, reported incorporating career education at least on a weekly basis in their science lessons. The major impediment to including more career education in science teaching was seen to be their lack of knowledge of methods and materials relevant to science career education, rather than objections from students, parents, or administrators; their unwillingness; or their evaluation of career education as unimportant. Thus, in order to improve this aspect of science teaching, science teachers need more concrete information about science career education applications.

Science Career Exploration for Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Walter S.; Stroup, Kala M.

The main body of this pamphlet presents science career exploration activities for women in the form of six modules. Complete modules can be used as presented or activities may be adapted or borrowed to suit individual situations. The modules are titled: (1) Turning A Girl Onto Science Careers; (2) What Do I Want Out of Life?; (3) How Do Parents…

Building an early career network through outreach projects: The "mon océan & moi" example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbieux, M.; Scheurle, C.; Ardyna, M.; Harmel, T.; Ferraris, M.; Jessin, T.; Lacour, L.; Mayot, N.; Organelli, E.; Pasqueron De Fommervault, O.; Penkerc'h, C.; Poteau, A.; Uitz, J.; Ramondec, S.; Sauzède, R.; Velluci, V.; Claustre, H.

2016-02-01

The ocean plays an important role in the global processes of our planet, from climate change to sea level rise, uptake of carbon dioxide to fisheries stocks. In addition, its scientific importance, extraordinary beauty and public fascination provide perfect ingredients for both education and public outreach. Four years ago, after the launch of the "mon océan & moi" outreach project, an early career network (Ph.D. students and postdocs) has been formed to "promote collaborations/exchanges between the scientific and educational worlds in order to co-elaborate a teaching method for raising the awareness of school children on marine environments". Scientists are pursuing new research yielding improved knowledge and new documentation resources. However, they lack the communication skills to make the subject accessible to the general public. On the other hand, teachers must be informed of recent discoveries and of new resources for educational purposes. To fill this gap, the early career scientists developed, in collaboration with a school authority and an experienced science communicators team, both a trail education program tested directly in middle and high schools and innovative supporting material (i.e., animations, educative video clips and experiments, interactive maps and quizzes). Here we outline a set of guidelines as to how to improve science outreach across a variety of disciplines (e.g., science, technology, engineering) and how this may impact the experience of early career scientists. These tips will be useful for other early career scientists and science outreach projects, large or small, regional, national or international. Such novel outreach initiatives will help educate current and next generations about the importance of ocean environments and the relevance of ocean sciences for the society, and may serve as an example of teamwork for other young scientists.

Enhancing international collaboration among early career researchers.

PubMed

Carroll, Jennifer K; Albada, Akke; Farahani, Mansoureh; Lithner, Maria; Neumann, Melanie; Sandhu, Harbinder; Shepherd, Heather L

2010-09-01

The European Association of Communication in Healthcare (EACH) Early Career Researchers Network (ECRN) aims are to (1) promote international collaboration among young investigators and (2) provide a support network for future innovative communication research projects. In October 2009, Miami, USA at a workshop facilitated by the ECRN at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH) hosted by the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare we explored common facilitators and challenges faced by early career researchers in health communication research. Attendees introduced themselves, their research area(s) of interest, and listed one facilitator and one barrier for their career development. EACH ECRN members then led a discussion of facilitators and challenges encountered in communication research projects and career development. We discussed potential collaboration opportunities, future goals, and activities. Having supportive collegial relationships, institutional support, job security, and funding are critical facilitators for early career investigators. Key challenges include difficulty with time management and prioritizing, limited resources, and contacts. International collaboration among early career researchers is a feasible and effective means to address important challenges, by increasing opportunities for professional support and networking, problem-solving, discussion of data, and ultimately publishing. Future AACH-EACH Early Career Researcher Networks should continue to build collaborations by developing shared research projects, papers, and other scholarly products. Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Enhancing international collaboration among early-career researchers

PubMed Central

Carroll, Jennifer K; Albada, Akke; Farahani, Mansoureh; Lithner, Maria; Neumann, Melanie; Sandhu, Harbinder; Shepherd, Heather L

2010-01-01

Objective The European Association of Communication in Healthcare (EACH) Early Career Researchers Network (ECRN) aims are to (1) promote international collaboration among young investigators and (2) provide a support network for future innovative communication research projects. In October 2009, Miami, USA at a workshop facilitated by the ECRN at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH) hosted by the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare we explored common facilitators and challenges faced by early career researchers in health communication research. Methods Attendees introduced themselves, their research area(s) of interest, and listed one facilitator and one barrier for their career development. EACH ECRN members then led a discussion of facilitators and challenges encountered in communication research projects and career development. We discussed potential collaboration opportunities, future goals, and activities. Results Having supportive collegial relationships, institutional support, job security, and funding are critical facilitators for early career investigators. Key challenges include difficulty with time management and prioritizing, limited resources, and contacts. Conclusion International collaboration among early career researchers is a feasible and effective means to address important challenges, by increasing opportunities for professional support and networking, problem-solving, discussion of data, and ultimately publishing. Practice Implications Future AACH-EACH Early Career Researcher Networks should continue to build collaborations by developing shared research projects, papers, and other scholarly products. PMID:20663630

Is Science for Us? Black Students’ and Parents’ Views of Science and Science Careers

PubMed Central

DEWITT, JENNIFER; OSBORNE, JONATHAN

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT There are widespread policy concerns to improve (widen and increase) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics participation, which remains stratified by ethnicity, gender, and social class. Despite being interested in and highly valuing science, Black students tend to express limited aspirations to careers in science and remain underrepresented in post‐16 science courses and careers, a pattern which is not solely explained by attainment. This paper draws on survey data from nationally representative student cohorts and longitudinal interview data collected over 4 years from 10 Black African/Caribbean students and their parents, who were tracked from age 10–14 (Y6–Y9), as part of a larger study on children's science and career aspirations. The paper uses an intersectional analysis of the qualitative data to examine why science careers are less “thinkable” for Black students. A case study is also presented of two young Black women who “bucked the trend” and aspired to science careers. The paper concludes with implications for science education policy and practice. PMID:28579645

Professional behaviors, sense of belonging, and professional socialization of early career clinical laboratory scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schill, Janna Marie

Professional socialization is a process that individuals experience as members of a profession and consists of the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences that influence and shape their professional identity. The process of professional socialization has not been studied in the clinical laboratory science profession. Clinical laboratory science is an allied health profession that is faced by a workforce shortage that has been caused by a decrease in new graduates, decreased retention of qualified professionals, and increased retirements. Other allied health professions such as nursing, athletic training, and pharmacy have studied professional socialization as a way to identify factors that may influence the retention of early career professionals. This mixed method study, which quantitatively used Hall's Professionalism Scale (1968) in addition to qualitative focus group interviews, sought to identify the professional attitudes and behaviors, sense of belonging, and professional socialization of early career clinical laboratory scientists. Early career clinical laboratory scientists were divided into two groups based upon the amount of work experience they had; new clinical laboratory science graduates have had less than one year of work experience and novice clinical laboratory scientists had between one and three years of work experience. This study found that early career clinical laboratory scientists have established professional identities and view themselves as members of the clinical laboratory science field within four proposed stages of professional socialization consisting of pre-arrival, encounter, adaptation, and commitment. New CLS graduates and novice clinical laboratory scientists were found to be at different stages of the professional stage process. New CLS graduates, who had less than one year of work experience, were found to be in the encounter stage. Novice clinical laboratory scientists, with one to three years of work experience, were found to

How high school science-related experiences influenced science career persistence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Andrew D.

The events of 9/11 brought into focus two ongoing trends that were present before this tragedy and have continued since: (1) The United States needs more scientists if it is to ensure its freedoms and maintain its economy. (2) The number of scientists in the "pipeline" is declining because of the diminished presence of foreign scientists (they are wanted in their own countries), the under-representation of minorities and women, and the reduced numbers of students able and willing to take on the scholastic rigors necessary for a science or engineering degree. Though much has been written about improving science education, and numerous projects have been conducted to promote it, few education researchers have questioned the scientists themselves about the experiences, practices, and people that positively influenced them, particularly during their pre-college years. Towards this end, thirty-two scientists were interviewed in order to address four research questions: (1) How did practicing scientists' personal relationships with their science teachers influence their decision to pursue a career in science? (2) What pedagogical methods (e.g. lectures, demonstrations, "hands-on" work, problem solving, small groups) used in their high school science courses, if any, played a significant role in propelling certain students towards a career as a practicing scientist? (3) What high school science-related support structures (e.g. labs, equipment, textbooks, technology), if any, played a significant role in propelling certain students towards a career as a practicing scientist? (4) What high school science-related educational activities (e.g. science fairs, clubs, summer internships), if any, played a significant role in propelling certain students towards a career as a practicing scientist? Some of the scientists reported that they knew they were headed towards a career in science before they even entered high school, while others did not make a decision about a science

Undergraduate female science-related career choices: A phenomenological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curry, Kathy S.

This qualitative phenomenological study used a modified Groenewald's five steps method with semi-structured, recorded, and transcribed interviews to focus on the underrepresentation of females in science-related careers. The study explored the lived experiences of a purposive sample of 25 senior female college students attending a college in Macon, Georgia. Ten major themes emerged from the research study that included (a) journey to a science-related career; (b) realization of career interest; (c) family support (d) society's role; (e) professors' treatment of students; (f) lack of mentors and models; (g) gender and career success; (h) females and other disadvantages in science-related careers; (i) rewards of the journey; and (j) advice for the journey. The three minor themes identified were (a) decision-making; (b) career awareness; and (c) guidance. The key findings revealed that females pursuing a science degree or subsequent science-related career, shared their experience with other females interested in science as a career choice, dealt with barriers standing in the way of their personal goals, lack role models, and received little or no support from family and friends. The study findings may offer information to female college students interested in pursuing science-related careers and further foundational research on gender disparities in career choice.

Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science

PubMed Central

Shin, Soo Yeon; Parker, Loran Carleton; Adedokun, Omolola; Mennonno, Ann; Wackerly, Amy; SanMiguel, Sandra

2015-01-01

This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students’ aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of science. The curriculum was developed by a research-based university program and has been put into practice in two early elementary classrooms in an urban school in the Midwest. An attitudinal rating survey and the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) were used to assess pre to post changes in student attitudes toward science, perceptions of scientists, perceived relevance of science, and aspiration for science careers. Findings indicated that the implementation of this curriculum contributed positively to student attitudes toward science, decreased students’ stereotypical images of scientists, and increased student aspirations to become a scientist. PMID:26726271

Networking Skills as a Career Development Practice: Lessons from the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastings, M. G.; Kontak, R.; Holloway, T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Adams, A. S.; de Boer, A. M.; Staudt, A. C.; Fiore, A. M.

2010-12-01

Professional networking is often cited as an important component of scientific career development, yet there are few resources for early career scientists to develop and build networks. Personal networks can provide opportunities to learn about organizational culture and procedures, expectations, advancement opportunities, and best practices. They provide access to mentors and job placement opportunities, new scientific collaborations, speaker and conference invitations, increased scientific visibility, reduced isolation, and a stronger feeling of community. There is evidence in the literature that a sense of community positively affects the engagement and retention of underrepresented groups, including women, in science. Thus women scientists may particularly benefit from becoming part of a network. The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) began in 2002 as an informal peer-to-peer mentoring initiative among a few recent Ph.D.s. The network has grown exponentially to include over 1000 women scientists across the globe. Surveys of our membership about ESWN report positive impacts on the careers of women in Earth sciences, particularly those in early career stages. Through ESWN, women share both professional and personal advice, establish research collaborations, communicate strategies on work/life balance, connect with women at various stages of their careers, and provide perspectives from cultures across the globe. We present lessons learned through the formal and informal activities promoted by ESWN in support of the career development of women Earth scientists.

A systems theory approach to career development: Exploring factors that affect science as a career choice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liskey, Brian K.

This research project was designed to examine the factors that affect students' choice in a career. Specifically, the factors of (a) achievement, (b) interest, (c) self-efficacy, (d) perceived preparation for a career, and (e) being informed about a career will be under investigation. Of key importance to the study is how these factors can affect a student's perception about choosing a science career. A quantitative analysis of secondary data from the 2006 and 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) international assessment and attitudinal questionnaire provided data on student perceptions and aptitude in science. The sample from PISA included over 400,000 15 year-old students from 57 countries. From the 57 countries, 30 countries, comprised by Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD), were isolated for analysis. Within this group of 30, 11 were selected for comparison based on their questionnaire response to expectations for a career in science at age 30. The Institute for Educational Science's, International Data Explorer was utilized to acquire and analyze data from the 2006 and 2009 PISA international tests and questionnaires to determine significance between scaled scores and PISA indices. Variables were chosen as factors affecting student's perception on various systems outlined by the Systems Theory of Career Development (Patton & McMahon, 1997) and the Systems Theory of Career Development Framework (Patton & McMahon, 1999). Four country groups were established based on student responses to question 30a from the 2006 PISA attitudinal questionnaire, which asks what career students expected to have at age 30. The results from comparing country groups showed that countries in Group A, which showed the highest values for students expecting a career in science, also had the highest average values for achievement on the PISA science literacy assessment. Likewise, countries that had the lowest values for expecting a career in

Science Career Magazine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halsey, Linda B., Ed.; Sweeley, Charles C., Ed.

This magazine is designed for teachers and students in junior and senior high schools. It is intended to help students become more aware about what scientists and engineers do, what's new and exciting in the fields of science and engineering, and what satisfactions might be expected from a career in one of the many different areas of science and…

Gender, Families, and Science: Influences on Early Science Training and Career Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, Sandra L.

This research examines the effects of gender and a number of family experiences on young people's chances of going into postsecondary science training and science occupations in the years immediately following high school. Data came from the nationally representative, longitudinal High School and Beyond survey. Results show that gender plays a significant role in choices involving early science training and occupations - especially training. Amongst young men and women with comparable resources and qualifications, young women are less likely to make the science choice. The family experiences and expectations examined here are not a major factor in understanding gender differences in access to science training and occupations. Although much of the literature describes the domains of science and of family as being at odds, results from this research suggest that family experiences play a rather minimal role in predicting who will enter science training or occupations in the early post-high school years. When family variables do have an effect, they are not always negative and the nature of the effect varies by the time in the life cycle that the family variable is measured, by type of family experience (orientation vs. procreation), by outcome (science major vs. science occupation), and by gender.

Careers in Science and Technical Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kastens, Kim

2007-01-01

This article provides practical guidance for science teachers to help students who love both science and writing, and are struggling to find a career that will allow them to combine these disparate talents and interests. It includes descriptions of career paths, suggestions for exploratory steps, and links to sources of additional information. The…

Careers in Airway Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Aviation Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated the Airway Science curriculum as a method of preparing the next generation of aviation technicians and managers. This document: (1) discusses the FAA's role in the Airway Science program; (2) describes some of the career fields that FAA offers to Airway Science graduates (air traffic control…

Career Advancement Outcomes in Academic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): Gender, Mentoring Resources, and Homophily

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang Eun

This dissertation examines gender differences in career advancement outcomes among academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scientists. In particular, this research examines effects of gender, PhD advisors and postdoctoral supervisors mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on the career advancement outcomes at early career stages. Female academic scientists have disadvantages in the career progress in the academic STEM. They tend to fall behind throughout their career paths and to leave the field compared to their male colleagues. Researchers have found that gender differences in the career advancement are shaped by gender-biased evaluations derived from gender stereotypes. Other studies demonstrate the positive impacts of mentoring and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads. To add greater insights to the current findings of female academic scientists' career disadvantages, this dissertation investigates comprehensive effects of gender, mentoring, and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on female scientists' career advancement outcomes in academic science. Based on the Status Characteristics Theory, the concept of mentoring, Social Capital Theory, and Ingroup Bias Theory, causal path models are developed to test direct and indirect effects of gender, mentoring resources, and gender homophily on STEM faculty's career advancement. The research models were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with data collected from a national survey, funded by the National Science Foundation, completed in 2011 by tenured and tenure-track academic STEM faculty from higher education institutions in the United States. Findings suggest that there is no gender difference in career advancement controlling for mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads and other factors including research productivity and domestic caregiving responsibilities. Findings also show that the positive relationship between

Early Career Boot Camp: a novel mechanism for enhancing early career development for psychologists in academic healthcare.

PubMed

Foran-Tuller, Kelly; Robiner, William N; Breland-Noble, Alfiee; Otey-Scott, Stacie; Wryobeck, John; King, Cheryl; Sanders, Kathryn

2012-03-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a pilot mentoring program for Early Career Psychologists (ECPs) working in Academic Health Centers (AHCs) and synthesize the lessons learned to contribute to future ECP and AHC career development training programs. The authors describe an early career development model, named the Early Career Boot Camp. This intensive experience was conducted as a workshop meant to build a supportive network and to provide mentorship and survival tools for working in AHCs. Four major components were addressed: professional effectiveness, clinical supervision, strategic career planning, and academic research. Nineteen attendees who were currently less than 5 years post completion of doctoral graduate programs in psychology participated in the program. The majority of boot camp components were rated as good to excellent, with no component receiving below average ratings. Of the components offered within the boot camp, mentoring and research activities were rated the strongest, followed by educational activities, challenges in AHCS, and promotion and tenure. The article describes the purpose, development, implementation, and assessment of the program in detail in an effort to provide an established outline for future organizations to utilize when mentoring ECPs.

Political Science Careers at Comprehensive Universities: Building Balanced Careers at "Greedy" Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrickson, Ryan C.; Mueller, Melinda A.; Strand, Jonathan R.

2011-01-01

A considerable amount of research exists about political science careers at community colleges and liberal arts institutions, as well as about training and hiring practices across different types of institutions. However, there is virtually no commentary available on political science careers at comprehensive institutions, where a significant…

Early-career experts essential for planetary sustainability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lim, Michelle; Lynch, Abigail J.; Fernández-Llamazares, Alvaro; Balint, Lenke; Basher, Zeenatul; Chan, Ivis; Jaureguiberry, Pedro; Mohamed, A.A.A.; Mwampamba, Tuyeni H.; Palomo, Ignacio; Pliscoff, Patricio; Salimov, R.A.; Samakov, Aibek; Selomane, Odirilwe; Shrestha, Uttam B.; Sidorovich, Anna A.

2017-01-01

Early-career experts can play a fundamental role in achieving planetary sustainability by bridging generational divides and developing novel solutions to complex problems. We argue that intergenerational partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration among early-career experts will enable emerging sustainability leaders to contribute fully to a sustainable future. We review 16 international, interdisciplinary, and sustainability-focused early-career capacity building programs. We conclude that such programs are vital to developing sustainability leaders of the future and that decision-making for sustainability is likely to be best served by strong institutional cultures that promote intergenerational learning and involvement.

DIALOG: Fostering Early Career Development Across the Aquatic Sciences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caroline Susan Weiler, PhD

2004-11-14

increasing numbers of graduates take advantage of the opportunity to be part of this international collection, and more scientists, employers and administrators use this resource to identify recent graduates and get an overview of their work. Dissertation abstracts are submitted on line and immediately posted on the ASLO web site in a format that can be searched by year, name, and key words (www.aslo.org/phd.html). In addition to the recognition, program participants receive a compilation of abstracts, a directory, and a demographic profile of their cohort. An electronic distribution list keeps recent grads informed about job opportunities, resources, recent advances across the aquatic sciences, and-other research and professional news. Finally, the interdisciplinary symposium offers a unique opportunity for grads to get to know each other and share common experiences, and address the challenges and opportunities facing new professionals. The DIALOG Program is a long-term investment in human resources and science infrastructure. The most interesting and important questions in aquatic and other sciences are increasingly interdisciplinary and this program brings together scientists from across the full spectrum of biologically relevant aquatic science. The DIALOG database will become increasingly useful as more graduates participate. While the full impact of the program will probably not be realized for many years, there have already been many tangible results. Several interdisciplinary (including some international) research collaborations have been started; an international student exchange program has been set up at two institutions; several workshops and meeting sessions have been organized; and the entire group continues to communicate about research, education, and science policy issues via an electronic distribution list. The goal of the DIALOG symposium is to foster cross-disciplinary and international understanding and interactions at an early career stage, so that

Graduates "Doing Gender" as Early Career Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nystrom, Sofia

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how early career professionals "do gender" in their new professional context. Specifically, it explores how two groups of graduates, psychologists and political scientists, "do gender" as early career professionals with a particular emphasis on how they acquire legitimacy in…

Factors Affecting the Retention of First-career and Second-career Science Teachers in Urban High Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rak, Rosemary C.

The turnover of high school science teachers is an especially troubling problem in urban schools with economically disadvantaged students. Because high teacher turnover rates impede effective instruction, the persistence of teacher attrition is a serious concern. Using an online survey and interviews in a sequential mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the perceptions of high school science teachers regarding factors that contribute to their employment decisions. The study also compares first-career and second-career science teachers' perceptions of retention and attrition factors and identifies conditions that urban school leaders can establish to support the retention of their science teachers. A purposeful sample of 138 science teachers from urban area New England public high schools with 50% or more Free and Reduced Price Lunch-eligible students participated in the survey. Twelve survey respondents were subsequently interviewed. In accord with extant research, this study's results suggest that school leadership is essential to fostering teacher retention. The findings also reveal the importance of autonomy, professional community, and adequate resources to support science instruction. Although mentoring and induction programs receive low importance ratings in this study, career-changers view these programs as more important to their retention than do first-career science teachers. Second-career interviewees, in particular, voice the importance of being treated as professionals by school leaders. Future research may examine the characteristics of mentoring and induction programs that make them most responsive to the needs of first-career and second-career science teachers. Future studies may also investigate the aspects of school leadership and professional autonomy that are most effective in promoting science teacher retention. Keywords: career-changers; school leaders; science teachers; second-career teachers; teacher retention; teacher turnover

[Secondary Career Education Activities: Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radford City Schools, VA.

The guide is one of a series developed in a pilot project to integrate career education concepts with subject matter in secondary grades. The units are designed to reveal career orientation aspects of traditional topics within five major subject areas: English, social studies, mathematics, science, and health and physical education. The lesson…

Facilitating career advancement for women in the Geosciences through the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastings, M. G.; Kontak, R.; Holloway, T.; Kogan, M.; Laursen, S. L.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.

2011-12-01

The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN) is a network of women geoscientists, many of who are in the early stages of their careers. The mission of ESWN is to promote career development, build community, provide informal mentoring and support, and facilitate professional collaborations, all towards making women successful in their scientific careers. ESWN currently connects over 1000 women across the globe, and includes graduate students, postdoctoral associates, faculty from a diversity of colleges and universities, program managers, and government, non-government and industry researchers. ESWN facilitates communication between its members via an email listserv and in-person networking events, and also provides resources to the broader community through the public Earth Science Jobs Listserv that hosts over 1800 subscribers. With funding from a NSF ADVANCE PAID grant, our primary goals include growing our membership to serve a wider section of the geosciences community, designing and administering career development workshops, promoting professional networking at major scientific conferences, and developing web resources to build connections, collaborations, and peer mentoring for and among women in the Earth Sciences. Recognizing that women in particular face a number of direct and indirect biases while navigating their careers, we aim to provide a range of opportunities for professional development that emphasize different skills at different stages of career. For example, ESWN-hosted mini-workshops at national scientific conferences have targeted skill building for early career researchers (e.g., postdocs, tenure-track faculty), with a recent focus on raising extramural research funding and best practices for publishing in the geosciences literature. More concentrated, multi-day professional development workshops are offered annually with varying themes such as Defining Your Research Identity and Building Leadership Skills for Success in Scientific Organizations

Career Activities in Science: Grades 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sleep, Gerald; And Others

The curriculum guide attempts to assemble select activities that represent skills related to careers in science. These learning activities are designed to give junior and senior high school students opportunities to explore concepts and processes in many science-related careers. The broad areas covered are biology, chemistry, physics, and earth…

SET Careers: An interactive science, engineering, and technology career education exhibit. Final report to the United States Department of Energy Science Museum Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cole, P.R.

1994-04-01

The New York Hall of Science in collaboration with the Educational Film Center and the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications developed and pilot tested a unique interactive, video-based/hypermedia series on energy related and other science and engineering careers for middle and junior high school students. The United States Department of Energy Science Museum Program supported the development of one energy-related career profile (Susan Fancy--mechanical engineer) and the development and printing of 100 copies of a career-related workbook. Additional funding from the National Science Foundation and the Sloan Foundation resulted in the development of 3 additional career profiles, a relatedmore » Data Base and Career Match Self Assessment for 16 careers, available both on screen and in print in this pilot phase. The SET CAREERS Exhibit is a video-based/hypermedia series which contains profiles of people working in Science, Engineering and Technology fields, interactive opportunities for users including interviews with profiled persons, opportunities to attempt work-related tasks through animated simulations, a Data Base of career-related information available both on-screen and in print, and a Career Match Self Assessment. The screen is in an attract loop mode, inviting visitors to interact with the exhibit. A menu of choices is provided so that users may begin by selecting a profiled person, choosing the Career Match Self Assessment or the Data Base. The Data Base is available in print if the user chooses that mode.« less

Science Careers and Disabled Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jagoda, Sue; Cremer, Bob

1981-01-01

Summarizes proceedings and student experiences at the 1980 Science Career Workshop for Physically Disabled Students at the Lawrence Hall of Science (University of California). Includes a description of the key-note speaker's topics, and other workshop activities. (DS)

Family inspiration for my career(s) in transdisciplinary science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plumlee, Geoffrey S.

2014-01-01

I have been fortunate to spend the last 31 years working for an organization that has allowed me to make multiple career shifts across earth science disciplines and to collaborate with people in fields well beyond the earth sciences. Many inspirational colleagues have guided me along this transdisciplinary science path, but perhaps my biggest source of inspiration has been my family.

Exploring the epididymis: a personal perspective on careers in science.

PubMed

Turner, Terry T

2015-01-01

Science is a profession of inquiry. We ask ourselves what is it we see and why our observations happen the way they do. Answering those two question puts us in the company of those early explorers, who from Europe found the New World, and from Asia reached west to encounter Europe. Vasco Núñez de Balboa of Spain was such an explorer. He was the first European to see or "discover" the Pacific Ocean. One can imagine his amazement, his excitement when he first saw from a mountain top that vast ocean previously unknown to his culture. A career in science sends each of us seeking our own "Balboa Moments," those observations or results that surprise or even amaze us, those discoveries that open our eyes to new views of nature and medicine. Scientists aim to do what those early explorers did: discover what has previously been unknown, see what has previously been unseen, and reveal what has previously been hidden. Science requires the scientist to discover the facts from among many fictions and to separate the important facts from the trivial so that knowledge can be properly developed. It is only with knowledge that old dogmas can be challenged and corrected. Careers in science produce specific sets of knowledge. When pooled with other knowledge sets they eventually contribute to wisdom and it is wisdom, we hope, that will improve the human condition.

Opportunities in Biological Sciences Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Charles A.

This book offers a panoramic view of the diversity of careers which the future may offer to those trained in the biological sciences. It discusses the scope and organization of the biological sciences, focusing on the various specialties such as microbiology, genetics, entomology, ecology, wildlife biology, and the biomedical sciences such as…

Sripathi Receives 2009 Sunanda and Santimay Basu Early Career Award

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-03-01

Samireddipalle Sripathi has been awarded the AGU Sunanda and Santimay Basu Early Career Award in Sun-Earth Systems Science. The award recognizes an individual scientist from a developing nation for making outstanding contributions to research in Sun-Earth systems science that further the understanding of both plasma physical processes and their applications for the benefit of society. Sripathi's thesis is entitled “VHF radar studies of E-region plasma irregularities at low latitude.” He was formally presented with the award at the Space Physics and Aeronomy section dinner during the 2009 AGU Fall Meeting, held 14-18 December in San Francisco, Calif.

Activities for Career Development in Early Childhood Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yawkey, Thomas Daniels; Aronin, Eugene L.

The book presents career education activities and approaches for use by teachers, administrators, counselors, and students involved in early childhood education (ages three through eight). Part One stresses the importance of and rationale for career development in the early childhood curriculum. Research support for the approach to career…

Encouraging minority undergraduates to choose science careers: career paths survey results.

PubMed

Villarejo, Merna; Barlow, Amy E L; Kogan, Deborah; Veazey, Brian D; Sweeney, Jennifer K

2008-01-01

To explore the reasons for the dearth of minorities in Ph.D.-level biomedical research and identify opportunities to increase minority participation, we surveyed high-achieving alumni of an undergraduate biology enrichment program for underrepresented minorities. Respondents were asked to describe their career paths and to reflect on the influences that guided their career choices. We particularly probed for attitudes and experiences that influenced students to pursue a research career, as well as factors relevant to their choice between medicine (the dominant career choice) and basic science. In agreement with earlier studies, alumni strongly endorsed supplemental instruction as a mechanism for achieving excellence in basic science courses. Undergraduate research was seen as broadening by many and was transformative for half of the alumni who ultimately decided to pursue Ph.D.s in biomedical research. That group had expressed no interest in research careers at college entry and credits their undergraduate research experience with putting them on track toward a research career. A policy implication of these results is that making undergraduate research opportunities widely available to biology students (including "premed" students) in the context of a structured educational enrichment program should increase the number of minority students who choose to pursue biomedical Ph.D.s.

Investing in Early Career General Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Carroll

2009-01-01

With the greying of the Australian population, it has been widely recognised that active career development for early career academics is essential to the future capacities of universities (Hugo, Daysh, Morris & Rudd, 2004). However, the same has not been acknowledged for general staff, despite general staff comprising more than 50% of staff…

Early Career Teacher Attrition: Intentions of Teachers Beginning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clandinin, D. Jean; Long, Julie; Schaefer, Lee; Downey, C. Aiden; Steeves, Pam; Pinnegar, Eliza; McKenzie Robblee, Sue; Wnuk, Sheri

2015-01-01

Early career teacher attrition has most often been conceptualized as either a problem associated with individual factors (e.g. burnout) or a problem associated with contextual factors (e.g. support and salary). This study considered early career teacher attrition as an identity making process that involves a complex negotiation between individual…

Career Planning and Development for Early-Career Scientists

EPA Science Inventory

Early career development can be looked at as being of two major phases. The first phase is the formal educational process leading to an awarded degree, postdoctoral training, and potentially formal certification in a scientific discipline. The second phase is the informal educa...

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Career Expo

Science.gov Websites

Search STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Career Expo Come to Fermilab to meet Career Expo on April 18, 2018! Here's your guide to the event. Meet scientists, engineers, & ; technicians Ask career questions of the experts Ask experts about educational pathways leading to specific

What Is Career Success for Academic Hospitalists? A Qualitative Analysis of Early-Career Faculty Perspectives.

PubMed

Cumbler, Ethan; Yirdaw, Essey; Kneeland, Patrick; Pierce, Read; Rendon, Patrick; Herzke, Carrie; Jones, Christine D

2018-06-01

Understanding the concept of career success is critical for hospital medicine groups seeking to create sustainably rewarding faculty positions. Conceptual models of career success describe both extrinsic (compensation and advancement) and intrinsic (career satisfaction and job satisfaction) domains. How hospitalists define career success for themselves is not well understood. In this study, we qualitatively explore perspectives on how early-career clinician-educators define career success. We developed a semistructured interview tool of open-ended questions validated by using cognitive interviewing. Transcribed interviews were conducted with 17 early-career academic hospitalists from 3 medical centers to thematic saturation. A mixed deductiveinductive, qualitative, analytic approach was used to code and map themes to the theoretical framework. The single most dominant theme participants described was "excitement about daily work," which mapped to the job satisfaction organizing theme. Participants frequently expressed the importance of "being respected and recognized" and "dissemination of work," which were within the career satisfaction organizing theme. The extrinsic organizing themes of advancement and compensation were described as less important contributors to an individual's sense of career success. Ambivalence toward the "academic value of clinical work," "scholarship," and especially "promotion" represented unexpected themes. The future of academic hospital medicine is predicated upon faculty finding career success. Clinician-educator hospitalists view some traditional markers of career advancement as relevant to success. However, early-career faculty question the importance of some traditional external markers to their personal definitions of success. This work suggests that the selfconcept of career success is complex and may not be captured by traditional academic metrics and milestones. © 2018 Society of Hospital Medicine

The "new normal": Adapting doctoral trainee career preparation for broad career paths in science.

PubMed

St Clair, Rebekah; Hutto, Tamara; MacBeth, Cora; Newstetter, Wendy; McCarty, Nael A; Melkers, Julia

2017-01-01

Doctoral recipients in the biomedical sciences and STEM fields are showing increased interest in career opportunities beyond academic positions. While recent research has addressed the interests and preferences of doctoral trainees for non-academic careers, the strategies and resources that trainees use to prepare for a broad job market (non-academic) are poorly understood. The recent adaptation of the Social Cognitive Career Theory to explicitly highlight the interplay of contextual support mechanisms, individual career search efficacy, and self-adaptation of job search processes underscores the value of attention to this explicit career phase. Our research addresses the factors that affect the career search confidence and job search strategies of doctoral trainees with non-academic career interests and is based on nearly 900 respondents from an NIH-funded survey of doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences at two U.S. universities. Using structural equation modeling, we find that trainees pursuing non-academic careers, and/or with low perceived program support for career goals, have lower career development and search process efficacy (CDSE), and receive different levels of support from their advisors/supervisors. We also find evidence of trainee adaptation driven by their career search efficacy, and not by career interests.

Career Benchmarks From the Burroughs Wellcome Fund's Early Faculty Career Development Awards.

PubMed

McGovern, Victoria; Kramarik, Jean; Wilkins, Gary

2013-11-01

Documenting the career characteristics of a highly selective group of researchers provides some insight into how a successful career begins. This knowledge is of value to early-career faculty and those who evaluate them, as well as trainees who aspire to the professoriate and those who educate them. In 2010, the authors extracted information by hand from the curricula vitae of 196 basic scientists who have been supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund's early faculty career development programs from 1982 to 2010. Data were collected on awardees' education, awards and honors, funding, promotion, publication, service, and training activities. The end point for data was December 2010. Analyses quantified participants' time to terminal degree, faculty appointment, and first R01; determined their publication productivity; and calculated their rates of training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. This group moved into jobs and gained first R01s faster than average. Surprisingly, those who train the most students and fellows do not publish the most. Women and men trained different numbers of undergraduates, PhDs, and postdocs. Women awardees had fewer publications on average than men. Researchers who are highly competitive at the early faculty career stage have generally been both timely in their arrival at important benchmarks and productive in terms of their scientific output. Newly trained researchers and the people and institutions that train them share responsibility for attaining expeditious progress, developing a substantial track record, and staking out fertile intellectual ground from which to grow an independent faculty career.

Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals’ pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers. PMID:28178270

Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers.

PubMed

Roach, Michael

2017-01-01

This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals' pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers.

Early Career Leadership Opportunities in Australian Rural Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Lorraine; Miller, Judith; Paterson, David

2009-01-01

Due to the difficulties inherent in staffing rural schools in Australia, it is increasingly common for beginning teachers to fill school leadership roles early in their careers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the accelerated progression of some early career teachers who have been offered leadership opportunities in rural schools. Results…

Do Gender-Science Stereotypes Predict Science Identification and Science Career Aspirations among Undergraduate Science Majors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cundiff, Jessica L.; Vescio, Theresa K.; Loken, Eric; Lo, Lawrence

2013-01-01

The present research examined whether gender-science stereotypes were associated with science identification and, in turn, science career aspirations among women and men undergraduate science majors. More than 1,700 students enrolled in introductory science courses completed measures of gender-science stereotypes (implicit associations and…

Status of Early-Career Academic Cardiology: A Global Perspective.

PubMed

Tong, Carl W; Madhur, Meena S; Rzeszut, Anne K; Abdalla, Marwah; Abudayyeh, Islam; Alexanderson, Erick; Buber, Jonathan; Feldman, Dmitriy N; Gopinathannair, Rakesh; Hira, Ravi S; Kates, Andrew M; Kessler, Thorsten; Leung, Steve; Raj, Satish R; Spatz, Erica S; Turner, Melanie B; Valente, Anne Marie; West, Kristin; Sivaram, Chittur A; Hill, Joseph A; Mann, Douglas L; Freeman, Andrew M

2017-10-31

Early-career academic cardiologists, who many believe are an important component of the future of cardiovascular care, face myriad challenges. The Early Career Section Academic Working Group of the American College of Cardiology, with senior leadership support, assessed the progress of this cohort from 2013 to 2016 with a global perspective. Data consisted of accessing National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute public information, data from the American Heart Association and international organizations, and a membership-wide survey. Although the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute increased funding of career development grants, only a small number of early-career American College of Cardiology members have benefited as funding of the entire cohort has decreased. Personal motivation, institutional support, and collaborators continued to be positive influential factors. Surprisingly, mentoring ceased to correlate positively with obtaining external grants. The totality of findings suggests that the status of early-career academic cardiologists remains challenging; therefore, the authors recommend a set of attainable solutions. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Funding opportunities for investigators in the early stages of career development.

PubMed

Sumandea, C Amelia; Balke, C William

2009-03-10

Many sources of advice and guidance are available to the early career investigator. Generally, mentors serve as the primary source of information, although program and review officers are the most underutilized resources. This article organizes these opportunities to enable early career investigators to plot a rational trajectory for career success. A list of the major agencies that provide grant support for early career investigators is included. In addition, funding opportunities are organized on the basis of the stage in career development pathway and the type of terminal degree.

Symposium on Career Opportunities in Biomedical and Public Health Sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, Walter W.

1997-01-01

The goal of the Symposium on Career Opportunities in Biomedical and Public Health Sciences is to encourage minority collegiate and junior and senior high school students to pursue careers in biomedical and public health sciences. The objectives of the Symposium are to: (1) Provide information to participants concerning biomedical and public health science careers in government, academe and industry; (2) Provide information to minority students about training activities necessary to pursue a biomedical or public health science career and the fiscal support that one can obtain for such training; and (3) Provide opportunities for participating minority biomedical and public health role models to interact with participants.

End of Program Assessments and Their Association with Early Career Success in LIS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rathbun-Grubb, Susan

2016-01-01

Analyses of North American LIS program alumni survey data indicate that the completion of any end of program assessment (EPA) or capstone is associated with certain early-career success measures. Using data collected in the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 project (WILIS 2), we examined the type of EPAs (internships,…

The Translational Science Training Program at NIH: Introducing Early Career Researchers to the Science and Operation of Translation of Basic Research to Medical Interventions

PubMed Central

Gilliland, C. Taylor; Sittampalam, G. Sitta; Wang, Philip Y.; Ryan, Philip E.

2016-01-01

Translational science is an emerging field that holds great promise to accelerate the development of novel medical interventions. As the field grows, so does the demand for highly trained biomedical scientists to fill the positions that are being created. Many graduate and postdoctorate training programs do not provide their trainees with sufficient education to take advantage of this growing employment sector. To help better prepare the trainees at the National Institutes of Health for possible careers in translation, we have created the Translational Science Training Program (TSTP)1. The TSTP is an intensive 2–3 day training program that introduces NIH postdoctoral trainees and graduate students to the science and operation of turning basic research discoveries into a medical therapeutic, device or diagnostic, and also exposes them to the variety of career options in translational science. Through a combination of classroom teaching from practicing experts in the various disciplines of translation and small group interactions with pre-clinical development teams, participants in the TSTP gain knowledge that will aid them in obtaining a career in translational science and building a network to make the transition to the field. PMID:27231204

College student perceptions of science teachers and the effect on science teaching as a career path

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cost, Michael George

2000-10-01

Past research documented that student perceptions of scientists constituted a stereotypical image that had a negative effect on the students' attitudes towards science and resulted in low numbers of students studying to become scientists and engineers in college. The present study paralleled the research on student perceptions of scientists to investigate to what extent student perceptions of science teachers affect their willingness to consider science teaching as a career. This was accomplished by surveying 91 college students and 25 science teachers at the beginning, middle, and end of the collegiate career path of becoming a science teacher. Each survey contained quantitative data utilizing seven-point semantic differential scales and written open response questions. In-depth interviews with two members of each level were conducted to supplement the survey data. The study found that college students begin college with a positive perception of teaching as a career and highly rank teachers, especially science teachers, as having a positive influence on their career path. The qualities of job enjoyment, job stability, and helping others that are characteristic of teaching were also found to be of high importance. Perceptions of the personal, social, professional, and career qualities of a science teacher were found to differ from a scientist. While both science teachers and scientists were found to be responsible, persistent, and productive, science teachers were perceived as being a distinct career possessing qualities that make them more personable, sociable, and wise than scientists. Some gender differences were detected but there was no evidence of gender bias affecting students choosing a career path to science teaching. Science teachers were perceived to be very supportive of females pursuing scientific career paths. The study also found evidence that some introductory level college students steer away from science teaching because of low salary, the lack of

The “new normal”: Adapting doctoral trainee career preparation for broad career paths in science

PubMed Central

St. Clair, Rebekah; Hutto, Tamara; MacBeth, Cora; Newstetter, Wendy; McCarty, Nael A.

2017-01-01

Doctoral recipients in the biomedical sciences and STEM fields are showing increased interest in career opportunities beyond academic positions. While recent research has addressed the interests and preferences of doctoral trainees for non-academic careers, the strategies and resources that trainees use to prepare for a broad job market (non-academic) are poorly understood. The recent adaptation of the Social Cognitive Career Theory to explicitly highlight the interplay of contextual support mechanisms, individual career search efficacy, and self-adaptation of job search processes underscores the value of attention to this explicit career phase. Our research addresses the factors that affect the career search confidence and job search strategies of doctoral trainees with non-academic career interests and is based on nearly 900 respondents from an NIH-funded survey of doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences at two U.S. universities. Using structural equation modeling, we find that trainees pursuing non-academic careers, and/or with low perceived program support for career goals, have lower career development and search process efficacy (CDSE), and receive different levels of support from their advisors/supervisors. We also find evidence of trainee adaptation driven by their career search efficacy, and not by career interests. PMID:28542304

Early Career Teachers in Australia: A Critical Policy Historiography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mockler, Nicole

2018-01-01

Amid the growing "teacher quality" discourse, early career teachers have increasingly been positioned as problematic in Australian education policy discourses over the past decade. This paper uses a critical policy historiography approach to compare representations of early career teachers in two key education policy documents, from the…

Equal Opportunities in Social Science Research Careers. IES Report 310.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Court, G.; And Others

A study examined career opportunities for women in social science research careers in the United Kingdom. Data were collected from the following sources: review of literature/data on women in social science research and their career prospects; survey of Economic and Social Research Council research centers and independent research instituted to…

Helping early career research scientists ascend the professional ladder.

PubMed

King, Laina

2013-08-01

The Keystone Symposia Early Career Investigator Travel Award initiative is a unique successful research mentoring program tailored for 'end of the pipeline' life and biomedical scientists from academia and industry. Using targeted educational, mentoring, and networking activities, the program benefits early career scientists in solving a specific laboratory-based research question that is limiting their evolving research and could increase their ability to obtain new grants and improve their career progression. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS): A Model for the Professional Development of Scientists (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baeseman, J. L.; Apecs Leadership Team

2010-12-01

Efforts like the International Polar Year 2007-2008 (IPY) have helped to increase research efforts as well as enhancing the integration of education and outreach into research projects and developing the next generation of researchers. One of the major legacies of the IPY was the creation of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), which was developed in 2006 by young researchers and focuses on helping each other develop the skills needed for successful careers in research by working with senior mentors. APECS is an international and interdisciplinary organization of over 2000 early career researchers and educators with interests in the Polar Regions and the wider cryosphere from 45 countries. APECS aims to stimulate interdisciplinary and international research collaborations, and develop effective future leaders in polar research, education and outreach. This is achieved by - Facilitating international and interdisciplinary networking opportunities to share ideas and experiences and to develop new research directions and collaborations, - Providing opportunities for professional career development for both academic and alternative research professions, and - Promoting education and outreach as an integral component of polar research and to stimulate future generations of polar researchers. Since its inception, APECS has strived to develop a strong network of partnerships with senior international organizations and scientific bodies to provide career development opportunities for young researchers. These partnerships have led to early-career representation on science planning bodies at an international level, the mandate of early career researchers serving as co-chairs at science conferences, the development of a mentorship program, field schools and techniques workshops, mentor panel discussions at conferences and increased funding for young researchers to attend conferences. APECS has also worked with an international teachers network to develop

Career development for early career academics: benefits of networking and the role of professional societies.

PubMed

Ansmann, Lena; Flickinger, Tabor E; Barello, Serena; Kunneman, Marleen; Mantwill, Sarah; Quilligan, Sally; Zanini, Claudia; Aelbrecht, Karolien

2014-10-01

Whilst effective networking is vitally important for early career academics, understanding and establishing useful networks is challenging. This paper provides an overview of the benefits and challenges of networking in the academic field, particularly for early career academics, and reflects on the role of professional societies in facilitating networking. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early career choices and successful career progression in surgery in the UK: prospective cohort studies

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Changes to the structure of medical training worldwide require doctors to decide on their career specialty at an increasingly early stage after graduation. We studied trends in career choices for surgery, and the eventual career destinations, of UK graduates who declared an early preference for surgery. Methods Postal questionnaires were sent, at regular time intervals after qualification, to all medical qualifiers from all UK medical schools in selected qualification years between 1974 and 2005. They were sent in the first year after qualification, at year three and five years after qualification, and at longer time intervals thereafter. Results Responses were received from 27 749 of 38 280 doctors (73%) at year one, 23 468 of 33151 (71%) at year three, and 17 689 of 24 870 (71%) at year five. Early career preferences showed that surgery has become more popular over the past two decades. Looking forward from early career choice, 60% of respondents (64% of men, 48% of women) with a first preference for a surgical specialty at year one eventually worked in surgery (p < 0.001 for the male-female comparison). Looking backward from eventual career destinations, 90% of responders working in surgery had originally specified a first choice for a surgical specialty at year one. 'Match' rates between eventual destinations and early choices were much higher for surgery than for other specialties. Considering factors that influenced early specialty choice 'a great deal', comparing aspiring surgeons and aspiring general practitioners (GPs), a significantly higher percentage who chose surgery than general practice specified enthusiasm for the specialty (73% vs. 53%), a particular teacher or department (34% vs. 12%), inclinations before medical school (20% vs. 11%), and future financial prospects (24% vs. 13%); and a lower percentage specified that hours and working conditions had influenced their choice (21% vs. 71%). Women choosing surgery were influenced less than

Early career choices and successful career progression in surgery in the UK: prospective cohort studies.

PubMed

Goldacre, Michael J; Laxton, Louise; Harrison, Ewen M; Richards, Jennifer M J; Lambert, Trevor W; Parks, Rowan W

2010-11-02

Changes to the structure of medical training worldwide require doctors to decide on their career specialty at an increasingly early stage after graduation. We studied trends in career choices for surgery, and the eventual career destinations, of UK graduates who declared an early preference for surgery. Postal questionnaires were sent, at regular time intervals after qualification, to all medical qualifiers from all UK medical schools in selected qualification years between 1974 and 2005. They were sent in the first year after qualification, at year three and five years after qualification, and at longer time intervals thereafter. Responses were received from 27,749 of 38,280 doctors (73%) at year one, 23,468 of 33,151 (71%) at year three, and 17,689 of 24,870 (71%) at year five. Early career preferences showed that surgery has become more popular over the past two decades. Looking forward from early career choice, 60% of respondents (64% of men, 48% of women) with a first preference for a surgical specialty at year one eventually worked in surgery (p < 0.001 for the male-female comparison). Looking backward from eventual career destinations, 90% of responders working in surgery had originally specified a first choice for a surgical specialty at year one. 'Match' rates between eventual destinations and early choices were much higher for surgery than for other specialties. Considering factors that influenced early specialty choice 'a great deal', comparing aspiring surgeons and aspiring general practitioners (GPs), a significantly higher percentage who chose surgery than general practice specified enthusiasm for the specialty (73% vs. 53%), a particular teacher or department (34% vs. 12%), inclinations before medical school (20% vs. 11%), and future financial prospects (24% vs. 13%); and a lower percentage specified that hours and working conditions had influenced their choice (21% vs. 71%). Women choosing surgery were influenced less than men by their inclinations

The Making of Careers in Academia: Split Career Movements in Education Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angervall, Petra; Gustafsson, Jan

2014-01-01

In this article the authors discuss developments in the Europeanisation of higher education policy context of Sweden, and in particular certain changes within the field of education science. Detailed career narratives from 30 interviews have been produced and analysed. These narratives illustrate how research careers in education are formed and…

Working with and promoting early career scientists within a larger community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, K.

2017-12-01

For many scientific communities, engaging early career researchers is critical for success. These young scientists (graduate students, postdocs, and newly appointed professors) are actively forming collaborations and instigating new research programs. They also stand to benefit hugely from being part of a scientific community, gaining access to career development activities, becoming part of strong collaborator networks, and achieving recognition in their field of study — all of which will help their professional development. There are many ways community leaders can work proactively to support and engage early career scientists, and it it is often a community manager's job to work with leadership to implement such activities. In this presentation, I will outline ways of engaging early career scientists at events and tailored workshops, of promoting development of their leadership skills, and of creating opportunities for recognizing early career scientists within larger scientific communities. In this talk, I will draw from my experience working with the Deep Carbon Observatory Early Career Scientist Network, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The translational science training program at NIH: Introducing early career researchers to the science and operation of translation of basic research to medical interventions.

PubMed

Gilliland, C Taylor; Sittampalam, G Sitta; Wang, Philip Y; Ryan, Philip E

2017-01-02

Translational science is an emerging field that holds great promise to accelerate the development of novel medical interventions. As the field grows, so does the demand for highly trained biomedical scientists to fill the positions that are being created. Many graduate and postdoctorate training programs do not provide their trainees with sufficient education to take advantage of this growing employment sector. To help better prepare the trainees at the National Institutes of Health for possible careers in translation, we have created the Translational Science Training Program (TSTP). The TSTP is an intensive 2- to 3-day training program that introduces NIH postdoctoral trainees and graduate students to the science and operation of turning basic research discoveries into a medical therapeutic, device or diagnostic, and also exposes them to the variety of career options in translational science. Through a combination of classroom teaching from practicing experts in the various disciplines of translation and small group interactions with pre-clinical development teams, participants in the TSTP gain knowledge that will aid them in obtaining a career in translational science and building a network to make the transition to the field. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):13-24, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Professional Socialization Experiences of Early Career Urban Physical Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flory, Sara Barnard

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine how three physical education (PE) teachers' professional socialization programmes influenced their early careers in urban schools in the US. Using cultural relevance theory and occupational socialization theory, three early career PE teachers were observed and interviewed for a period of six weeks each.…

Academic achievement and career choice in science: Perceptions of African American urban high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Sheila Kay

2007-12-01

Low test scores in science and fewer career choices in science among African American high school students than their White counterparts has resulted in lower interest during high school and an underrepresentation of African Americans in science and engineering fields. Reasons for this underachievement are not known. This qualitative study used a grounded theory methodology to examine what influence parental involvement, ethnic identity, and early mentoring had on the academic achievement in science and career choice in science of African American urban high school 10th grade students. Using semi-structured open-ended questions in individual interviews and focus groups, twenty participants responded to questions about African American urban high school student achievement in science and their career choice in science. The median age of participants was 15 years; 85% had passed either high school biology or physical science. The findings of the study revealed influences and interactions of selected factors on African American urban high school achievement in science. Sensing potential emerged as the overarching theme with six subthemes; A Taste of Knowledge, Sounds I Hear, Aromatic Barriers, What Others See, The Touch of Others, and The Sixth Sense. These themes correlate to the natural senses of the human body. A disconnect between what science is, their own individual learning and success, and what their participation in science could mean for them and the future of the larger society. Insight into appropriate intervention strategies to improve African American urban high school achievement in science was gained.

Dual-Career Couples and Academic Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiler, Susan C.; Yancey, Paul H.

1992-01-01

Describes the major challenges of accommodating dual-career couples in academic science and some of the current responses to those challenges from institutions of higher learning. Discusses prevailing perceptions concerning household responsibility, the science work ethic, job procurement, continued discrimination against women, and future…

Perceptions of selected science careers by African American high school males

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ijames, Erika Denise

Research indicates that internal and external factors such as role models, stereotypes, and pressures placed on African American males by their family and friends influence their perceptions of science careers (Assibey-Mensah, 1997; Hess & Leal, 1997; Jacobowitz, 1983; Maple & Stage, 1991; Thomas, 1989; Ware & Lee, 1988). The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of African American high school males about selected science careers based on apparent internal and external factors. Two questions guided this research: (1) What are high school African American males' perceptions of science careers? (2) What influences high school African American males' perceptions of science careers? This research was based on a pilot study in which African American college males perceived a selection of science careers along racial and gender lines. The follow-up investigation was conducted at Rockriver High School in Acorn County, and the participants were three college-bound African American males. The decision to choose males was based on the concept of occupational niching along gender lines. In biology, niching is defined as the role of a particular species regarding space and reproduction, and its interactions with other factors. During the seven-week period of the students' senior year, they met with the researcher to discuss their perceptions of science careers. An ethnographic approach was used to allow a richer and thicker narrative to occur. Critical theory was used to describe and interpret the voices of the participants from a social perspective. The data collected were analyzed using a constant comparative analysis technique. The participants revealed role models, negative stereotypes, peer pressure, social pressures, and misconceptions as some of the factors that influenced their perceptions of science careers. Results of this research suggest that by dispelling the misconceptions, educators can positively influence the attitudes and perceptions of

Career-Related Learning and Science Education: The Changing Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchinson, Jo

2012-01-01

Pupils ask STEM subject teachers about jobs and careers in science, but where else do they learn about work? This article outlines career-related learning within schools in England alongside other factors that influence pupils' career decisions. The effect of the Education Act 2011 will be to change career learning in schools. The impact on…

Publication Productivity of Early-Career Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons.

PubMed

Hake, Mark E; Lee, John J; Goulet, James A

2016-01-01

The goals of this study were to: (1) define the publication productivity of early-career orthopedic trauma surgeons over time; (2) compare the early-career publication productivity of recent orthopedic trauma fellowship graduates vs their more senior colleagues; and (3) determine the proportion of fellowship graduates who meet the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) publication criteria for active membership early in their careers. Orthopedic trauma fellowship graduates from 1982 to 2007 were analyzed. A literature search was performed for each fellow's publications for the 6-year period beginning the year of fellowship graduation. Publication productivity was compared between early and recent groups of graduates, 1987 to 1991 and 2003 to 2007, respectively. Fulfillment of OTA publication criteria was determined. Seventy-nine percent of graduates contributed to 1 or more publications. The recent group produced more total publications per graduate (4.06 vs 3.29, P=.01) and more coauthor publications (2.60 vs 2.04, P=.019) than the early group. The number of first-author publications did not differ between groups (1.46 vs 1.25, P=.26). A greater percentage of the recent group met current OTA publication criteria compared with the early group (51% vs 35%, P=.04). The findings showed that recent orthopedic trauma graduates had increased publication productivity compared with their more senior colleagues, although a proportion had not qualified for active OTA membership 6 years into their career. Overall, these data are encouraging and suggest that young orthopedic trauma surgeons remain committed to sustaining a high level of academic excellence. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Young, southern women's perceptions of STEM careers: Examining science, technology, engineering & mathematics as a gendered construct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinton, Jessica Elizabeth

Career interests develop over a lifetime and tend to solidify during late adolescence and early adulthood (Lent, Brown, and Hackett, 2002). The primary purpose of the present qualitative study, which is framed in Feminist Standpoint Theory (Haraway, 1988; Harding, 2007; Naples, 2007; Richardson, 2007), is to understand how eighth-grade, young women in a suburban, public, southern, middle school the South Carolina County School District (CCSD) (pseudonym) perceive their accessibility to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses and careers. The secondary purpose is to understand these young women's "perceptions and unconscious beliefs about gender in science and mathematics" and how their "perceptions and unconscious beliefs about gender" in the STEM fields may impact the careers that these young women may choose in the future (American Association of University Women, 2010, 9). Within the present study, the perceptions of young women who identified as "Interested in Science," "Somewhat Interested in Science" and "Uninterested in Science" were identified. STEM courses and careers are a major emphasis in education today. Increasing the numbers of Americans who pursue STEM careers is a government priority, as these careers will strengthen the economy (AAUW 2010). The present study reveals how young women who are highly motivated, talented students perceive STEM courses and careers and how they are influenced by their experiences, gendered messages, and knowledge of STEM careers. To analyze the data, four of Saldana's (2010) dramaturgical codes were utilized including: 1. OBJectives, or motives; 2. CONflicts the participants faced; 3. TACtics to dealing with obstacles; and 4. ATTitudes toward the setting, others, and the conflict. The InVivo Codes allowed the participants stories to emerge through the set of dramaturgical codes that allowed for viewing the girls' experience sin different ways that added depth to their stories. The young women in

Secondary school students' perceptions of working life skills in science-related careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salonen, Anssi; Hartikainen-Ahia, Anu; Hense, Jonathan; Scheersoi, Annette; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-07-01

School students demonstrate a lack of interest in choosing science studies and science-related careers. To better understand the underlying reasons, this study aims to examine secondary school students' perceptions of working life skills and how these perceptions relate to the skills of the twenty-first century. The participants in this study were 144 Finnish 7th graders (aged 13-14 years). Using a questionnaire and qualitative content analysis, we examined their perceptions of working life skills in 'careers in science' and 'careers with science'. Results reveal that although students have a great deal of knowledge about working life skills, it is often just stereotyped. Sector-specific knowledge and skills were highlighted in particular but skills related to society, organisation, time and higher order thinking, were often omitted. Results also indicate that students do not associate 'careers in science' with creativity, innovation, collaboration or technology and ICT skills. Conversely, according to the students, these careers demand more sector-specific knowledge and responsibility than 'careers with science'. We conclude that students need more wide-ranging information about scientific careers and the competencies demanded; such information can be acquired by e.g. interacting with professionals and their real working life problems.

Educators Who Work in Science: The Narratives of Women Negotiating Careers in Academic Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tullos, Kimberly C.

2011-12-01

The purpose of this life story narrative study was to explore how women scientists develop views of self that enable them to negotiate careers within academic science. I framed the study using feminist standpoint theory as my theoretical foundation, and used possible selves theory as my conceptual framework. Eight women scientists working in academe described their journey regarding their views of self and career-related experiences. The study produced two key findings. First, seven themes emerged from my data analysis; these themes suggest that these women shared significant experiences in their quest to become scientists. Second, my feminist analysis of the participants' narratives indicates that distinct, but submerged gender-related tensions shaped their views of themselves as scientists and their science career decisions. These tensions include career choice and advancement constrained by family obligations, work environments that do not recognize or undervalue their skills and contributions to the profession, and perceived pressure to de-feminize their behavior to blend in to their work environment. Not unlike other women negotiating careers in academic science, they generally accepted their status as women to be an inherent part of their career pursuits and viewed workplace challenges as an opportunity to prove their competency. Seven of the eight women did not attribute their challenges to gender differences. However, the combined narratives revealed underlying conflicts between their views of self as women and as scientists resulting from their experiences in, and perceptions of, academic science environments. The study's principal theoretical contribution, from the feminist standpoint perspective, highlights the pervasive and unseen influence of gender dynamics. In this study, the participants developed views of themselves, not as scientists, but as "educators who work in science." This critical distinction enabled these participants, perhaps unknowingly

Emerging Career Experiences: A Qualitative Exploration of the Career Patterns of Early Career Professionals Living in a Southeast United States Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Steven F.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the career patterns of early career professionals living in Aiken County, South Carolina. Two theoretical frameworks were selected for this study; Patton and McMahon's (1999) Career Development Systems Theory and Higgins and Kram's (2001) Developmental Network Theory. The researcher…

Interpretive investigation of the science-related career decisions of three African-American college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Bradford F.; Collins, Angelo

2001-05-01

Reports published since 1977 indicate that African Americans are underrepresented among Ph.D.-holding scientists. Although researchers have identified numerous factors that correlate with career choice, they have failed to address students' reasons for choosing or not choosing science and science-related careers. This study examines the career decisions of three African-American college students. All three students began college aspiring toward science-related careers. However, by the end of data collection only one student was working toward a science-related career. Data were collected by means of eight, open-ended, 1-hour interviews conducted over a period of 6 months. Findings indicate that students' interest in a science-related career is directly related to the degree to which they perceive that career as being supportive of deep-seated life goals; and that a deeper view of the nature of science better enables students to perceive a science-related career as supportive of life goals.

Classroom-Based Science Research at the Introductory Level: Changes in Career Choices and Attitude

PubMed Central

Harrison, Melinda; Dunbar, David; Ratmansky, Lisa; Lopatto, David

2011-01-01

Our study, focused on classroom-based research at the introductory level and using the Phage Genomics course as the model, shows evidence that first-year students doing research learn the process of science as well as how scientists practice science. A preliminary but notable outcome of our work, which is based on a small sample, is the change in student interest in considering different career choices such as graduate education and science in general. This is particularly notable, as previous research has described research internships as clarifying or confirming rather than changing undergraduates’ decisions to pursue graduate education. We hypothesize that our results differ from previous studies of the impact of engaging in research because the students in our study are still in the early stages of their undergraduate careers. Our work builds upon the classroom-based research movement and should be viewed as encouraging to the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement advocated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and other undergraduate education stakeholders. PMID:21885824

Classroom-based science research at the introductory level: changes in career choices and attitude.

PubMed

Harrison, Melinda; Dunbar, David; Ratmansky, Lisa; Boyd, Kimberly; Lopatto, David

2011-01-01

Our study, focused on classroom-based research at the introductory level and using the Phage Genomics course as the model, shows evidence that first-year students doing research learn the process of science as well as how scientists practice science. A preliminary but notable outcome of our work, which is based on a small sample, is the change in student interest in considering different career choices such as graduate education and science in general. This is particularly notable, as previous research has described research internships as clarifying or confirming rather than changing undergraduates' decisions to pursue graduate education. We hypothesize that our results differ from previous studies of the impact of engaging in research because the students in our study are still in the early stages of their undergraduate careers. Our work builds upon the classroom-based research movement and should be viewed as encouraging to the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement advocated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and other undergraduate education stakeholders.

Key Decision Points in the Careers of Geoscientists: The Role of the YES Network in Facilitating Successful Career Transitions for Early Career Geoscientists (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venus, J. H.; Gonzales, L. M.; Yes Network

2010-12-01

The external influences on the decisions that geoscientists make pertaining to their careers are often assumed but not quantified. The YES Network is conducting an international study to determine the Key Decision points in the career pathways of early career geoscientists. The study aims to identify factors contributing to individual career decisions and to monitor these over a ten year period. The Initial phase of the study is now underway enabling preliminary conclusions to be drawn and will identify a group of individuals that will be tracked over the 10 year programme. The Survey will highlight reoccurring areas where Early Career Geoscientists are experiencing progression difficulties and, importantly, provide respondents with an opportunity to suggest solutions whilst also allowing general resource needs to be identified from the results as a whole. Early results show an overwhelming majority expressing job satisfaction most or all of the time (only 2 candidates reporting none). Respondents rate job satisfaction and respect highly, returning more responses than good salaries. A general frustration with administration, paper work and bureaucracy is particularly evident in those employed by government organisations. Early Career geoscientists express a frustration concerning a lack of involvement in decision making processes; interestingly several later career respondents also acknowledge a need to properly train, nurture and encourage new recruits to retain good graduates who may otherwise become disillusioned and leave the profession. The role of family in career choices has been highlighted both in survey and general feedback responses particularly by female geoscientists and those working in jobs with high levels of fieldwork; we aim to determine, to some extent, to what point these decisions are controlled by family as opposed to normal career progression. Flexible working conditions and agreed time away from field duty have been independently suggested

Influence of Career Motivation on Science Learning in Korean High-School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Sein; Lee, Jun-Ki; Ha, Minsu

2017-01-01

Motivation to learn is an essential element in science learning. In this study, the role of career motivation in science learning was examined. In particular, first, a science motivation model that focused on career motivation was tested. Second, the role of career motivation as a predictor of STEM track choice was examined. Third, the effect of…

Career Paths in Environmental Sciences

EPA Science Inventory

Career paths, current and future, in the environmental sciences will be discussed, based on experiences and observations during the author's 40 + years in the field. An emphasis will be placed on the need for integrated, transdisciplinary systems thinking approaches toward achie...

Curricular Influences on Female Afterschool Facilitators' Computer Science Interests and Career Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, Melissa; Gorges, Torie

2016-10-01

Underrepresented populations such as women, African-Americans, and Latinos/as often come to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers by less traditional paths than White and Asian males. To better understand how and why women might shift toward STEM, particularly computer science, careers, we investigated the education and career direction of afterschool facilitators, primarily women of color in their twenties and thirties, who taught Build IT, an afterschool computer science curriculum for middle school girls. Many of these women indicated that implementing Build IT had influenced their own interest in technology and computer science and in some cases had resulted in their intent to pursue technology and computer science education. We wanted to explore the role that teaching Build IT may have played in activating or reactivating interest in careers in computer science and to see whether in the years following implementation of Build IT, these women pursued STEM education and/or careers. We reached nine facilitators who implemented the program in 2011-12 or shortly after. Many indicated that while facilitating Build IT, they learned along with the participants, increasing their interest in and confidence with technology and computer science. Seven of the nine participants pursued further STEM or computer science learning or modified their career paths to include more of a STEM or computer science focus. Through interviews, we explored what aspects of Build IT influenced these facilitators' interest and confidence in STEM and when relevant their pursuit of technology and computer science education and careers.

Building the Next Generation of Earth Scientists: the Deep Carbon Observatory Early Career Scientist Workshops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, K.; Fellowes, J.; Giovannelli, D.; Stagno, V.

2016-12-01

Building a network of collaborators and colleagues is a key professional development activity for early career scientists (ECS) dealing with a challenging job market. At large conferences, young scientists often focus on interacting with senior researchers, competing for a small number of positions in leading laboratories. However, building a strong, international network amongst their peers in related disciplines is often as valuable in the long run. The Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) began funding a series of workshops in 2014 designed to connect early career researchers within its extensive network of multidisciplinary scientists. The workshops, by design, are by and for early career scientists, thus removing any element of competition and focusing on peer-to-peer networking, collaboration, and creativity. The successful workshops, organized by committees of early career deep carbon scientists, have nucleated a lively community of like-minded individuals from around the world. Indeed, the organizers themselves often benefit greatly from the leadership experience of pulling together an international workshop on budget and on deadline. We have found that a combination of presentations from all participants in classroom sessions, professional development training such as communication and data management, and field-based relationship building and networking is a recipe for success. Small groups within the DCO ECS network have formed; publishing papers together, forging new research directions, and planning novel and ambitious field campaigns. Many DCO ECS also have come together to convene sessions at major international conferences, including the AGU Fall Meeting. Most of all, there is a broad sense of camaraderie and accessibility within the DCO ECS Community, providing the foundation for a career in the new, international, and interdisciplinary field of deep carbon science.

Career-Related Instruction Promoting Students' Career Awareness and Interest towards Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salonen, Anssi; Kärkkäinen, Sirpa; Keinonen, Tuula

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how career-related instruction implemented in secondary school chemistry education concerning water issues influences students' career awareness and their interest towards science learning. This case study is part of a larger design-based research study for the EU-MultiCO project, which focuses on promoting…

Association of Polar Early Career Scientists Promotes Professional Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Allen; Fugmann, Gerlis; Kruse, Frigga

2014-06-01

As a partner organization of AGU, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS; http://www.apecs.is) fully supports the views expressed in Wendy Gordon's Forum article "Developing Scientists' `Soft' Skills" (Eos, 95(6), 55, doi:10.1002/2014EO060003). Her recognition that beyond research skills, people skills and professional training are crucial to the success of any early-career scientist is encouraging.

Environmental Influences on Adult Motivation for Career Choice in Science Professions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fawcett-Adams, Victoria Joan

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is an issue of great concern for the country with implications for sustaining a skilled workforce in science-based professions. This empirical study explored adults' science career choice and explored the environmental influences that motivated, influenced and shaped these choices. This qualitative study used the analytical lens of narrative inquiry storytelling and thick description. Participants lived in medium-sized rural towns and a small city, and they were adults who had been in science careers for a minimum of ten years in the fields of health care, education and agriculture. Interviews were semi-structured with open-ended questions and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Observations took place at the workplace site. The interview transcripts were reviewed with each participant in person for authenticity and additional specific questions were designed to further explore their responses, meaning and provide accurate interpretations of the data. Themes and subthemes emerged from coding the data and suggested four dominant themes: people, identity, beliefs and attitudes, and feelings. Findings showed that people such as parents, grandparents, siblings and teachers were most influential in forming identity as well as shaping beliefs and attitudes, and feelings in science career choice. Participants did not remember educational experiences as influential; however, they did remember some teachers and advisors as influential, especially during college. The researcher recommends that parents and other adults build relationships with students specifically to discuss career opportunities. Parents and teachers should increase their knowledge and awareness of science careers. This knowledge can then contribute to a more informed conversation when discussing career objectives with students. Industry should partner with K-16 education to help develop a scientific workforce and participate in further career

Intergenerational Transfers of Preferences for Science Careers in Comparative Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikora, Joanna; Pokropek, Artur

2012-11-01

Using data from 24 countries, which participated in the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), we examine the relationship between parental science employment and students' career expectations. In contrast to prior PISA-based studies, we find that the link between parental employment and adolescent plans to work in science is non-trivial and merits attention. In this context, we consider three versions of the gender socialisation hypothesis. The strong variant posits that girls' plans are shaped solely by their mothers' career pathways while boys model their expectations exclusively on fathers' occupations. The weaker version of this hypothesis expects children to be influenced more by the same-sex than by the opposite-sex parent. Finally, the third possibility is that, as egalitarian ideologies prevail, parents inspire adolescent occupational plans regardless of gender. These hypotheses are assessed separately for student career plans related to biology, agriculture and health (BAH) in contrast to computing, engineering and mathematics (CEM), because the involvement in these fields of science is known to be segregated by gender. Using two-level multinomial logit modelling, we find some support for the weak version of the gender socialisation hypothesis. Although within-family transfers of preferences for science careers vary considerably across countries, we note certain regularities. In many nations, relevant paternal employment enhances sons' interest in science careers regardless of their field. In contrast, maternal employment inspires daughters in fewer countries and this influence tends to be limited to careers in BAH. We discuss the possible implications of these findings for science educators.

Family Factors Associated with Sixth-Grade Adolescents' Math and Science Career Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Sherri L.; Steward, Jason C.; Lapan, Richard T.

2004-01-01

This study tested a causal model, based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT; R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994, 2000), of math and science career interests among 6th-grade adolescents (N = 318). Consistent with SCCT, it was found that career gender-typing, mother's and father's support for pursuing math and science careers, as well…

From Apprentice to Colleague: The Metamorphosis of Early Career Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laudel, Grit; Glaser, Jochen

2008-01-01

While the studies of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) have contributed politically important insights into factors hindering ECRs, they have not yet achieved a theoretical understanding of the causal mechanisms that are at work in the transition from dependent to independent research. This paper positions the early career phase in a theoretical…

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference - A Unique Early Career Opportunity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knowles, E. J.; Domagal-Goldman, S. D.; Anderson, R.; Som, S. M.

2011-12-01

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) is an extremely successful annual meeting of early career researchers and educators involved and interested in the field of astrobiology. The conference has been held eight times in various locations, each time organized by a different group of students. The primary objective of AbGradCon is to stimulate the future of astrobiology research by bringing together graduate students and early post-doctoral fellows in order to create and strengthen interdisciplinary and international networks of early-career astrobiologists who will lead such research in the years to come. The conference is unique in that it is a student-led meeting, from the organization to the presentations. AbGradCon strives to remove the "pressures" of typical scientific meetings by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which presentations and round-table discussions are fostered along with numerous social activities. The success of previous AbGradCons can be attributed to the sheer enthusiasm of the participants for astrobiology, and to the spirit and format of the conference, which is outlined in a charter written by past conference organizers and participants. Because it is organized and attended by only graduate students and early career astrobiologists, AbGradCon is an ideal venue for the next generation of early career astrobiologists to form bonds, share ideas, and discuss the issues that will shape the future of the field.

Early Career Teacher Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormack, Ann; Gore, Jennifer; Thomas, Kaye

2006-01-01

Becoming a teacher requires not only the development of a professional identity but the construction of professional knowledge and practice through continued professional learning. This study tracked a sample group of 16 early career teachers through their first year of teaching. The participants were encouraged to write about their experiences in…

School factors affecting postsecondary career pursuits of high-achieving girls in mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Hyunsil

This study examined the influences of secondary school experiences of high-achieving girls in math and science on their postsecondary career pursuits in science fields. Specifically, using the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), the study investigated how science class experiences in high school affect science career persistence of high-achieving girls over and above personal and family factors. Selecting the top 10% on the 8 th grade math and science achievement tests from two panel samples of 1988--1994 and 1988--2000, this study examined which science instructional experiences (i.e., lecture-oriented, experiment-oriented, and student-oriented) best predicted college major choices and postsecondary degree attainments in the fields of science after controlling for personal and family factors. A two-stage test was employed for the analysis of each panel sample. The first test examined the dichotomous career pursuits between science careers and non-science careers and the second test examined the dichotomous pursuits within science careers: "hard" science and "soft" science. Logistic regression procedures were used with consideration of panel weights and design effects. This study identified that experiment-oriented and student-oriented instructional practices seem to positively affect science career pursuits of high-achieving females, while lecture-oriented instruction negatively affected their science career pursuits, and that the longitudinal effects of the two positive instructional contributors to science career pursuits appear to be differential between major choice and degree attainment. This study also found that the influences of instructional practices seem to be slight for general females, while those for high-achieving females were highly considerable, regardless of whether negative or positive. Another result of the study found that only student-oriented instruction seemed to have positive effects for high-achieving males. In

Early Career Challenges in Secondary School Music Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, G.; Purves, R.; Hargreaves, D.; Marshall, N.

2011-01-01

The article reports an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study of the early career experiences of secondary school music teachers in England, set within a wider national picture of decreasing age-related pupil engagement with school music, career perceptions of music teaching, variable patterns of teacher recruitment and possible…

How Do Early Career Agriculture Teachers Talk about Their Time?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Misty D.; Henry, Anna L.; Tummons, John D.

2011-01-01

This phenomenological study of early career agriculture teachers sought to determine the meaning early career agriculture teachers ascribe to their time. Seven teachers with a range of experience from mid-first year to beginning of sixth year were chosen. Interviews were used to make meaning of their time. Five themes were found in the…

Career Education--The Early Years. [and] Let's Get Serious about Career Education for Elementary Students. AACE Bonus Briefs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woal, S. Theodore; DuVall, Patricia S.

This document consists of two brief articles on career education in elementary school. The first article, "Career Education--The Early Years" by S. Theodore Woal, suggests that elementary school is the time to begin to infuse career education concepts and to correlate and integrate career guidance in the school curriculum. Three activities are…

Science access, career choices, achievement, and motivation: Perceptions of female science olympians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Kelly Rae

Women remain under-represented in science career fields and this is especially evident in the physical sciences. Female students maintain equal science interest and achievement to male students in elementary school but by middle and high school they fall behind their male peers. Reasons cited for girls' declining interest in science include battling traditional gender stereotypes, lack of encouragement, and lack of female role models. Four main science concerns related to girls/women as indicated by research literature were science access, career choices, achievement, and motivation. In Georgia, some girls have made a break from the research trends by demonstrating their fervor for science through participation in the academic activity, Science Olympiad. The purpose of this study was to examine the science perceptions of girls who demonstrated science success by their participation in Science Olympiad. Utilizing phenomenological and feminist perspectives, the qualitative research method of focus group interviewing was used to address the research questions comprising the four science concerns of female science access, career choices, achievement, and motivation. The study participants were all girls/women who participated in Science Olympiad. A total of five focus groups were studied. One of the focus groups had current college undergraduates, former Science Olympians, in it while the others were composed of high school girls. Through the description of their science experiences, the participants shared their perceptions of the four science concerns. When addressing these science concerns, the participants revealed four factors that had most affected their science perceptions: the importance of support, science needs Serious Fun, teachers matter, and the bonuses of extracurricular involvement. In their experiences, the participants found success in science because they had teachers, parents, and peers who supported their academic interests, including science, and

Profile of Pre-Service Science Teachers Based on STEM Career Interest Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winarno, N.; Widodo, A.; Rusdiana, D.; Rochintaniawati, D.; Afifah, R. M. A.

2017-09-01

This study aims to investigate the profile of pre-service science teachers based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Career Interest Survey. The study uses descriptive survey method as the research design. Samples collected from 66 preservice science teachers in a university located in Bandung, Indonesia. The results of the study are the profile of pre-service science teachers based on STEM Career Interest Survey shows that the average number of career interest in the field of technology is 4.08, in science 3.80, mathematics 3.39 and engineering 3.30. Pre-service science teachers are found to have interests in the STEM career fields. This research is necessary as there are many instances of people choosing majors or studies that are not in accordance with their interests and talents. The recommendation of this study is to develop learning in pre-service science teachers by using STEM approach.

Gender Segregation of Adolescent Science Career Plans in 50 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikora, Joanna; Pokropek, Artur

2012-01-01

Using data from the Program for International Student Assessment 2006 surveys for 50 countries, this paper explores gender segregation of adolescent science career plans. We ask whether, in different cultures, bridging the male-female gap in science self-concept could reduce gender disparities in students' career preferences. Bringing together the…

The Science Teaching Fellows Program: A Model for Online Faculty Development of Early Career Scientists Interested in Teaching.

PubMed

Brancaccio-Taras, Loretta; Gull, Kelly A; Ratti, Claudia

2016-12-01

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has a history of providing a wide range of faculty development opportunities. Recently, ASM developed the Science Teaching Fellows Program (STF) for early career biologists and postdoctoral students to explore student-centered teaching and develop the skills needed to succeed in positions that have a significant teaching component. Participants were selected to STF through a competitive application process. The STF program consisted of a series of six webinars. In preparation for each webinar, participants completed a pre-webinar assignment. After each webinar, fellows practiced what they learned by completing a post-webinar assignment. In a survey used to assess the impact of STF, participants reported greater knowledge of the webinar-based instructional topics and a sense of being part of an educational community and were more confident about varied teaching methods.

The Science Teaching Fellows Program: A Model for Online Faculty Development of Early Career Scientists Interested in Teaching†

PubMed Central

Brancaccio-Taras, Loretta; Gull, Kelly A.; Ratti, Claudia

2016-01-01

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has a history of providing a wide range of faculty development opportunities. Recently, ASM developed the Science Teaching Fellows Program (STF) for early career biologists and postdoctoral students to explore student-centered teaching and develop the skills needed to succeed in positions that have a significant teaching component. Participants were selected to STF through a competitive application process. The STF program consisted of a series of six webinars. In preparation for each webinar, participants completed a pre-webinar assignment. After each webinar, fellows practiced what they learned by completing a post-webinar assignment. In a survey used to assess the impact of STF, participants reported greater knowledge of the webinar-based instructional topics and a sense of being part of an educational community and were more confident about varied teaching methods. PMID:28101259

Science anxiety and social cognitive factors predicting STEM career aspirations of high school freshmen in general science class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skells, Kristin Marie

Extant data was used to consider the association between science anxiety, social cognitive factors and STEM career aspirations of high school freshmen in general science classes. An adapted model based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) was used to consider these relationships, with science anxiety functioning as a barrier in the model. The study assessed the following research questions: (1) Do social cognitive variables relate in the expected way to STEM career aspirations based on SCCT for ninth graders taking general science classes? (2) Is there an association between science anxiety and outcomes and processes identified in the SCCT model for ninth graders taking general science classes? (3) Does gender moderate these relationships? Results indicated that support was found for many of the central tenants of the SCCT model. Science anxiety was associated with prior achievement, self-efficacy, and science interest, although it did not relate directly to STEM career goals. Gender was found to moderate only the relationship between prior achievement and science self-efficacy.

Achieving equity through critical science agency: An ethnographic study of African American students in a health science career academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haun-Frank, Julie

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of a High School Health Science Career Academy to support African American students' science career trajectories. I used three key theoretical tools---critical science agency (Basu, 2007; Calabrese Barton & Tan, 2008), power (Nespor, 1994), and cultural production (Carlone, 2004; Eisenhart & Finkel, 1998) to highlight the intersections between the career trajectory implied by the Academy (its curriculum, classroom activities, and clinical experiences) and the students' pursued career trajectories. Data was collected over five months and included individual student interviews, group interviews, parent and administrator interviews, field notes from a culminating medical course and clinical internship, and Academy recruitment documents. The results of this study suggest that participants pursued a health science career for altruistic purposes and the Academy was a resource they drew upon to do so. However, the meanings of science and science person implied by the Academy hindered the possibility for many participants' to advance their science career trajectories. While the Academy promised to expose students to a variety of high-status health care roles, they were funneled into feminine, entry-level positions. This study adds to previous underrepresentation literature by contextualizing how identity-related factors influence African American students' career attainment.

UK School Students' Attitudes towards Science and Potential Science-Based Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Emelia L.; Harrison, Timothy G.

2012-01-01

This is a review of literature pertaining to UK secondary school students, their uptake of science at higher levels and their consideration of careers as scientists. As with all countries, the continued uptake of sufficient numbers of science at all levels is in the UK's interest. Unfortunately too many UK secondary students see science as…

Motivation and career outcomes of a precollege life science experience for underrepresented minorities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega, Robbie Ray

Minorities continue to be underrepresented in professional science careers. In order to make Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers more accessible for underrepresented minorities, informal science programs must be utilized to assist in developing interest in STEM for minority youth. In addition to developing interest in science, informal programs must help develop interpersonal skills and leadership skills of youth, which allow youth to develop discrete social behaviors while creating positive and supportive communities thus making science more practical in their lives. This study was based on the premise that introducing underrepresented youth to the agricultural and life sciences through an integrated precollege experience of leadership development with university faculty, scientist, and staff would help increase youths' interest in science, while also increasing their interest to pursue a STEM-related career. Utilizing a precollege life science experience for underrepresented minorities, known as the Ag Discovery Camp, 33 middle school aged youth were brought to the Purdue University campus to participate in an experience that integrated a leadership development program with an informal science education program in the context of agriculture. The week-long program introduced youth to fields of agriculture in engineering, plant sciences, food sciences, and entomology. The purpose of the study was to describe short-term and intermediate student outcomes in regards to participants' interests in career activities, science self-efficacy, and career intentions. Youth were not interested in agricultural activities immediately following the precollege experience. However, one year after the precollege experience, youth expressed they were more aware of agriculture and would consider agricultural careers if their first career choice did not work out for them. Results also showed that the youth who participated in the precollege experience were

Tackling Inhibitions to Careers in Science and Technology through Differentiated Mentoring Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nwosu, Stella N.; Etiubon, Rebecca U.; Udofia, Theresa M.

2014-01-01

Encouraging women to go into Science and Technology (S&T) careers should start with the young girls. In developing countries, such as Nigeria, girls experience challenges in studying science and technological subjects and pursuing careers in these professions. The study identifies factors that inhibit Nigerian girls from undertaking careers in…

Undergraduate research experiences support science career decisions and active learning.

PubMed

Lopatto, David

2007-01-01

The present study examined the reliability of student evaluations of summer undergraduate research experiences using the SURE (Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences) and a follow-up survey disseminated 9 mo later. The survey further examines the hypothesis that undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates, attracts and retains talented students to careers in science, and acts as a pathway for minority students into science careers. Undergraduates participated in an online survey on the benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Participants indicated gains on 20 potential benefits and reported on career plans. Most of the participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in the sciences. A small group of students who discontinued their plans for postgraduate science education reported significantly lower gains than continuing students. Women and men reported similar levels of benefits and similar patterns of career plans. Undergraduate researchers from underrepresented groups reported higher learning gains than comparison students. The results replicated previously reported data from this survey. The follow-up survey indicated that students reported gains in independence, intrinsic motivation to learn, and active participation in courses taken after the summer undergraduate research experience.

brief report: Burnout Among Early Career Clinical Investigators

PubMed Central

Primack, Brian A.; Dilmore, Terri C.; Switzer, Galen E.; Bryce, Cindy L.; Seltzer, Deborah L.; Li, Jie; Landsittel, Douglas P.; Kapoor, Wishwa N.; Rubio, Doris M.

2010-01-01

Abstract Burnout is a pervasive problem among clinicians. However, little is known about burnout among early career clinical investigators, who must balance clinical responsibilities with challenges related to research. We aimed to determine the prevalence of and demographic associations with burnout in a cohort of early career clinical investigators. A cross‐sectional questionnaire was administered to 179 trainees at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Clinical Research Education in 2007–2008. We used chi‐square analyses and Fisher’s exact test to determine whether associations between demographic characteristics and burnout were significant. Of the participants, 29 (16%) reported feeling burned out. Burnout was more prevalent among those over 35 years of age relative to their younger counterparts (29% vs. 13%, p= 0.01) and among females relative to males (22% vs. 10%, p= 0.03). With regard to race and ethnicity, burnout was most common among underrepresented minorities (30%) followed by Caucasians (18%) and Asians (3%); these differences were significant (p= 0.02). Considering the early career status of these research trainees, rates of burnout were concerning. Certain demographic subgroups—including older trainees, females, and underrepresented minorities—had particularly high rates of burnout and may benefit from interventions that provide them with skills needed to sustain successful clinical research careers. Clin Trans Sci 2010; Volume 3: 186–188 PMID:20718821

The influences and factors of an undergraduate research program in preparing women for science careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Ashley Mcdowell

Progress has been made in diminishing barriers experienced by women in science in recent years, however obstacles still remain. One of the key elements of the Texas Tech University Howard Hughes Medical Institute (TTU/HHMI) Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program is to "support activities that broaden access to science for women." In light of the barriers women in science face, this dissertation examined how the experiences of females in the TTU/HHMI fellows program prepared them for a career in science. This study employed mixed methods, utilizing both a questionnaire involving all past female fellows, and in-depth interviews with seven fellows who chose a career as a professional scientist. According to the quantitative data, research experience, the relationship with mentors, and opportunities to present at state or national meetings were program factors that fellows identified as contributing to their career success. The TTU/HHMI program experiences positively influenced the fellows' level of interest in science, confidence in science, and motivation to pursue a science-related career. Encouragement from the mentor and increased confidence regarding the ability to be successful in science were significant predictors of career advantages. Motivation to pursue a science-related career was the most significant predictor of the fellows' preparation to overcome barriers. Qualitatively, six themes were identified for coding, which included (1) research experience, (2) the mentor, (3) support and interactions, (4) self-confidence, (5) career decisions, and (6) time demands related to a science career. The themes identified were important factors in preparing these past female fellows for a career in science by initiating a change in their attitudes, knowledge, and skills. With over 90% of past fellows currently pursuing a science career, the program, through research experience and encouraging mentors, made a large impact on the career paths of fellows

"Supporting Early Career Women in the Geosciences through Online Peer-Mentoring: Lessons from the Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN)"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holloway, T.; Hastings, M. G.; Barnes, R. T.; Fischer, E. V.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Rodriguez, C.; Adams, M. S.; Marin-Spiotta, E.

2014-12-01

The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN) is an international peer-mentoring organization with over 2000 members, dedicated to career development and community for women across the geosciences. Since its formation in 2002, ESWN has supported the growth of a more diverse scientific community through a combination of online and in-person networking activities. Lessons learned related to online networking and community-building will be presented. ESWN serves upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, professionals in a range of environmental fields, scientists working in federal and state governments, post-doctoral researchers, and academic faculty and scientists. Membership includes women working in over 50 countries, although the majority of ESWN members work in the U.S. ESWN increases retention of women in the geosciences by enabling and supporting professional person-to-person connections. This approach has been shown to reduce feelings of isolation among our members and help build professional support systems critical to career success. In early 2013 ESWN transitioned online activities to an advanced social networking platform that supports discussion threads, group formation, and individual messaging. Prior to that, on-line activities operated through a traditional list-serve, hosted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The new web center, http://eswnonline.org, serves as the primary forum for members to build connections, seek advice, and share resources. For example, members share job announcements, discuss issues of work-life balance, and organize events at professional conferences. ESWN provides a platform for problem-based mentoring, drawing from the wisdom of colleagues across a range of career stages.

Early Career Academic Mentoring Using Twitter: The Case of #ECRchat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Hazel; Wheat, Katherine L.

2015-01-01

Early career academics around the world frequently see themselves as being in need of targeted career support to navigate the years directly following PhD graduation. The growth of discussion groups on Twitter that target these users raises questions about their potential usefulness to address career development support needs. This paper reflects…

Early Career Summer Interdisciplinary Team Experiences and Student Persistence in STEM Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadavid, A. C.; Pedone, V. A.; Horn, W.; Rich, H.

2015-12-01

STEPS (Students Targeting Engineering and Physical Science) is an NSF-funded program designed to increase the number of California State University Northridge students getting bachelor's degrees in the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering and computer science. The greatest loss of STEM majors occurs between sophomore and junior- years, so we designed Summer Interdisciplinary Team Experience (SITE) as an early career program for these students. Students work closely with a faculty mentor in teams of ten to investigate regionally relevant problems, many of which relate to sustainability efforts on campus or the community. The projects emphasize hands-on activities and team-based learning and decision making. We report data for five years of projects, qualitative assessment through entrance and exit surveys and student interviews, and in initial impact on retention of the participants.

Early-Career Professional Development Training for Stakeholder-Relevant, Interdisciplinary Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosendahl, D. H.; Bamzai, A.; Mcpherson, R. A.

2015-12-01

There are many challenges to conducting inter- or multi-disciplinary research because basic research, applied research, management processes, disciplines, and even sub-disciplines have been "siloed" for so long that many research and management professionals find it difficult to communicate common interests and research needs. It is clear that the next generation of researchers must overcome these disciplinary biases and engage in more open dialogue with other disciplines and the management community in order to be better positioned to collaborate, speak a common language, and understand each other's needs. The U.S. Department of the Interior's South Central Climate Science Center recently conducted a professional development workshop for 28 early-career researchers involved in climate-related research across the South-Central U.S. The participants consisted of graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty representing 17 different natural and social science disciplines and seven Universities/Institutions. The workshop provided the participants with guidance and instruction on how to overcome the identified challenges in conducting "actionable" research and how to better navigate multi-institutional and multi- or inter-disciplinary research. The workshop was comprised of: (1) a series of instructional presentations organized into themed sessions; (2) two keynote addresses to provide a broader perspective; (3) a real-world case study activity; (4) individual and group projects/presentations; and (5) field trips. In addition, we purposely created informal opportunities for participants to network, which met the goal of facilitating interdisciplinary interactions. An overview of the workshop experience will be provided, including a focus on those aspects leading to its ultimate success and recommendations for how to develop and implement a similar early-career workshop for your own purposes.

Possible Science Selves: Informal Learning and the Career Interest Development Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Leila A.

2014-01-01

This research examines the relationship between career related self-concept and dimensions of informal learning of science. The overlapping dimensions of career interest development and informal learning suggest that self-directed informal learning of science can advance individual self-concept for "possible scientific self." Possible…

Student Perceptions of Science Ability, Experiences, Expectations, and Career Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherney, Michael; Cherney, I.

2006-12-01

The decision to study physics or astronomy is affected by many factors, including preferences, motivations, and expectations for success. Differing cognitive profiles contribute to the learning of science through a complex process in which intrinsic capacities are tuned both by everyday experience and by instruction. In an attempt to identify the developmental pathways and intrinsic factors that most strongly influence the choice to study science, we administered an extensive survey to a sample of 400 students. The survey questions were based on Eccles et al.’s model of achievement-related choices and findings showing that previous play experiences, spatial experiences, task beliefs, as well as perceived mathematics ability, motivational and personality characteristics affect mathematics achievement and science career choices. The perceptions of students planning a science career are compared with those planning a career in other areas. Gender differences are also discussed.

Second-career science teachers' classroom conceptions of science and engineering practices examined through the lens of their professional histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Brown, Ryan A.

2017-07-01

Science standards in the U.S. have shifted to emphasise science and engineering process skills (i.e. specific practices within inquiry) to a greater extent than previous standards' emphases on broad representations of inquiry. This study examined the alignment between second-career science teachers' personal histories with the latter and examined the extent to which they viewed that history as a factor in their teaching. Four, second-career science teachers with professional backgrounds in engineering, environmental, industrial, and research and development careers participated. Through the examination of participants' methodological and contextual histories in science and engineering, little evidence of conflict with teaching was found. They generally exemplified the agency and motivation of a second-career teacher-scientist that has been found elsewhere [Gilbert, A. (2011). There and back again: Exploring teacher attrition and mobility with two transitioning science teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22(5), 393-415; Grier, J. M., & Johnston, C. C. (2009). An inquiry into the development of teacher identities in STEM career changers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 20(1), 57-75]. The methodological and pedagogical perspectives of participants are explored and a discussion of the implications of findings for science teacher education are presented.

Literature Review on Induction and Mentoring Related to Early Career Teacher Attrition and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Julie S.; McKenzie-Robblee, Sue; Schaefer, Lee; Steeves, Pam; Wnuk, Sheri; Pinnegar, Eliza; Clandinin, D. Jean

2012-01-01

Early career teacher attrition is a matter of economic, social, and educational concern in many countries. Usually induction programs, including mentoring, are seen to alleviate the problem of early career teacher attrition. Mentoring/induction programs as a solution to what is defined as the problem of early career teacher attrition and retention…

Revisiting and Rewriting Early Career Encounters: Reconstructing One "Identity Defining" Moment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoo, Joanne

2011-01-01

There has been much research conducted into the effects of early career experiences on future practice. The research indicates that early career academics are particularly susceptible to burnout, as they are still developing their professional knowledge base, and are therefore more reliant on their theoretical knowledge or idealism to interpret…

An Experiential Career Exploration Program in Science and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkhalter, Bettye B.; And Others

1983-01-01

Describes the Experimental Career Exploration Program whose goal was to introduce students with no experience with technology to careers in aerospace science and technology at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center. The project involved cooperation from education, industry, and government. (JOW)

Career Activities in Science: Grades 7, 8, 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boise City Independent School District, ID.

The career activities guide in science, part of an Idaho State Department of Vocational Education career exploration series for grades 7, 8, and 9, is designed as supplementary material to enrich the regular curriculum. Any one activity in the guide might be used without involving any other activities. The cross-referenced index indicates grades,…

Career Education--An Idea Book for Science Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soper, Joan, Ed.

The book contains a series of career-oriented ideas for science teachers, contributed by teachers in the East Providence Career Education Project. The ideas are the basis of the interdisciplinary contracting system for grades 7-12 in three pilot schools. They are classified by occupational clusters, which the teachers can use to incorporate their…

How much tumor surgery do early-career orthopaedic oncologists perform?

PubMed

Miller, Benjamin J; Rajani, Rajiv; Leddy, Lee; Carmody Soni, Emily E; White, Jeremy R

2015-02-01

There are few data on the types of procedures orthopaedic oncologists perform in their first years of practice. Because fellowships are graduating fellows each year and the number of tumor patients is limited, defining the practice patterns of early-career orthopaedic oncologists may help diminish early employment discontent and enhance workforce discussions. The aim of the study was to use the objective case log volumes of a cross-section of early career orthopaedic oncologists to describe (1) the number of operations performed annually; (2) the proportion of tumor, trauma, adult reconstruction, and other operations for individual participants, (3) individual practice characteristics that were associated with the number of tumor procedures; and (4) the sources of satisfaction and challenges in each individual's career and surgical practice. Fifteen fellowship-trained orthopaedic oncologists out of a potential pool of 33 (45%) in their first 4 years of practice responded to a survey by submitting complete operative case lists for a 2-year period. We recorded the type of procedure and determined associations between the annual number of tumor operations and total operative caseload, years in practice, and some details of individual practice patterns. Each participant completed a survey regarding practice-related sources of stress and satisfaction. A total of 5611 surgical cases were available for review. For the entire cohort, there were 3303 (59%) tumor procedures, 973 (17%) trauma, 890 (16%) adult reconstruction, and 445 (8%) other. The median annual number of total operations was 214 (range, 63-356) and median annual number of tumor operations was 135 (range, 47-216). The median proportion of tumor operations in an individual practice was 56% (range, 43%-94%). The annual number of tumor operations correlated with the total annual number of operations (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Sources of stress and satisfaction were similar to the general membership of the

Redefining "Early Career" in Academia: A Collective Narrative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosanquet, Agnes; Mailey, Alana; Matthews, Kelly E.; Lodge, Jason M.

2017-01-01

"Early career" in academia is typically defined in terms of research capability in the five years following PhD completion, with career progression from post-doctoral appointment to tenure, promotion and beyond. This ideal path assumes steady employment and continuous research development. With academic work increasingly casualised,…

Constructions of Success in Academia: An Early Career Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Kathryn A.

2017-01-01

Expectations around success in academia vary, and early career academics often receive conflicting messages about what they should concentrate on to achieve promotion or tenure. Taking a social constructionist approach, this paper considers the constructs of objective and subjective career success in academia and shares the perspectives of early…

Marine Science Career Awareness, Grade Four. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, James A.

This unit, one of a series designed to develop and foster an understanding of the marine environment, presents marine science activities for fourth grade students. The unit, focusing on the various types of careers and occupations connected directly and indirectly with marine science, is divided into sections dealing with: commerce and intertidal…

Early Career Investigator Opportunities in Geophysics with IRIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colella, H.; Sumy, D. F.; Schutt, D.

2016-12-01

Early career geoscientists face many challenges as they transition from senior level graduate students into postdoctoral researchers, tenure-track faculty positions, or the vast array of employment opportunities outside of academia. However, few receive adequate mentoring or guidance on how to successfully make the leap from graduate school to a fulfilling career. In recognition of these hurdles and challenges, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) created an early-career investigator (ECI) program in 2011 to help reduce barriers for newly minted scientists, researchers, and educators on their path to success. The core mission of the ECI program is to organize practical resources and professional development opportunities for ECIs. The initiative has encouraged and supported collaboration between ECIs and senior scientists through colloquium lectureships and visiting scientist collaborations, which aimed to increase the visibility of ECIs and their research and to promote interaction between junior and senior scientists outside of their home institutions. Additionally, ECI-centric events are held at various national meetings to showcase the range of career paths available in geophysics, openly discuss the challenges ECIs face (e.g., work-life balance, job search difficulties, teaching challenges), expose participants to the ECI program's initiatives and resources, and better inform IRIS about the needs of the community. Post-workshop evaluations reveal ECIs are eager to have exposure to a variety of workforce options and a forum in which to ask difficult questions. Of note, there is a variety of cultural knowledge and expectations assumed in both the academic and professional worlds that is often not formally disseminated. The ECI program aims to better understand and facilitate transfer of this knowledge and reduce barriers to success for ECIs from both traditional and non-traditional backgrounds. The program also features webinars focused

A mixed-methods study of mid-career science teachers: The growth of professional empowerment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreland, Amy Laphelia

The purpose of this concurrent, mixed-methods study was to examine the professional empowerment qualities of mid-career (years 4-8), science teachers. I used the construct of professional empowerment as the theoretical frame to explore K-12 mid-career science teachers' career trajectories and consider how they can be supported professionally and ideally retained over time. In investigating the qualities of these teachers, I also constructed a new teaching trajectory model and tested the differences between mid-career and veteran science teachers. I analyzed seventy-eight surveys of mid-career science teachers across Texas, including six in-depth, interview-based case studies. The qualitative piece used behavior-over-time graphing combined with the interviews and the quantitative component used survey data from the Teacher Empowerment Survey (TES). Results indicated that science content knowledge gain through professional development opportunities was an especially important factor in supporting mid-career teachers' sense of empowerment. This increased content knowledge connected positively with the dimensions of decision-making, status, and impact. In a between-group analysis using a larger subset of TES data, I analyzed 254 surveys by conducting a nonparametric statistical test. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups, in that mid-career science teachers had a lower sense of "status" than their more experienced counterparts (p < .05). I could infer that, for this sample, as teaching experience increases, so does at least one dimension of empowerment. The study was situated within a broader scope of exploring how educational leaders and professional development providers can understand and support science teachers of varying experience levels. A well-designed and possibly differentiated professional development program could successfully connect with these kind of empowered and receptive mid-career science teachers, and thus increase

The Effects of Doctoral Teaching Development on Early-Career STEM Scholars' College Teaching Self-efficacy.

PubMed

Connolly, Mark R; Lee, You-Geon; Savoy, Julia N

2018-01-01

To help prepare future faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to teach undergraduates, more research universities are offering teaching development (TD) programs to doctoral students who aspire to academic careers. Using social cognitive career theory, we examine the effects of TD programs on early-career STEM scholars' sense of self-efficacy as postsecondary teachers. In 2011, a survey questionnaire was administered to 2156 people who in 2009 were doctoral students in STEM departments at three U.S. research universities; 1445 responded (67%). Regression analysis revealed positive relationships between TD participation and participants' college teaching self-efficacy and positive interaction effects for women. These findings may be used to improve the quality and quantity of TD offerings and help them gain wider acceptance. © 2018 M. R. Connolly et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2018 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Early Career Researcher Challenges: Substantive and Methods-Based Insights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAlpine, Lynn; Amundsen, Cheryl

2015-01-01

Navigating academic work as well as career possibilities during and post-Ph.D. is challenging. To better understand these challenges, since 2010, we have investigated the experiences of early career scientists longitudinally using a range of qualitative data collection formats. For this study, we examined the experiences of four students and four…

Perspectives of women of color in science-based education and careers. Summary of the conference on diversity in science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-12-01

Research on inequality or stratification in science and engineering tends to concentrate on black/white or male/female difference; very few studies have discussions of both race and gender. Consequently, very little is known about the exact course that women of color take in science-based education and employment or about the course that steers them out of science-based careers. Questions abound: What are the environmental factors that affect the choices in education and science-based careers of women of color? What has influenced women of color who currently are in science-based careers? Is critical mass important and, if so, what are the keysmore » to increasing it? What recommendations can be made to colleges and universities, faculty members, employers, the federal government, women of color themselves, and to improve the conditions and numbers of women of color in science-based careers? These questions prompted the National Research Council`s Committee on Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE) to convene a conference on Diversity in Science: Perspectives on the Retention of Minority Women in Science, Engineering, and Health-Care Professions, held on October 21--23, 1995. Confronting the problem of the lack of knowledge about the journey of women of color in science-based education and career, the conference offered opportunities for these women to describe the paths that they have taken and to identify strategies for success. Their perspectives ground this report. For purposes of this document, women of color include women in the following racial or ethnic groups: Hispanics, African-Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Science-based careers include those in the physical sciences and mathematics, life sciences, social sciences, and engineering.« less

The influence of role-specific self-concept and sex-role identity on career choices in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Dale R.

Despite much effort on the part of educators the number of females who choose science careers remains low. This research focuses on two factors which may be influencing females in their choice of careers. These factors are role-specific self-concept in science and self perception in terms of stereotypical masculine and feminine characteristics. In addition logical ability and mathematics and science courses were also examined as factors in career choice. Females preferring science related careers and females preferring nontraditional careers such as police, military and trades were found to have a positive role-specific self-concept and a masculine perception of themselves. Females preferring traditional careers such as teacher or hairdresser had a poor role-specific self-concept and a more feminine perception of themselves. Males as a group were found to have a more positive role-specific self-concept than females. Logical ability was also related to a science career preference for both males and females. Males expected to take more higher level math courses than females, while females preferring science careers expected to take the most higher level science courses.

Is Science for Us? Black Students' and Parents' Views of Science and Science Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archer, Louise; Dewitt, Jennifer; Osborne, Jonathan

2015-01-01

There are widespread policy concerns to improve (widen and increase) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics participation, which remains stratified by ethnicity, gender, and social class. Despite being interested in and highly valuing science, Black students tend to express limited aspirations to careers in science and remain…

Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology: Tania Lombrozo.

PubMed

2016-11-01

APA's Awards for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology recognize psychologists who have demonstrated excellence early in their careers. One of the 2016 award winners is Tania Lombrozo, whose "groundbreaking studies have shown just how, and why, explanations are so important to people." Lombrozo's award citation, biography, and bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

RETHINKING POST-16 PHYSICS: Changing pupils' attitudes to careers in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woolnough, Brian E.

1996-09-01

Factors that affect students' attitudes to school science and to careers in science are many and varied, depending on the individual student. This study analyses the attitudes of students from age 11 to 16 towards such careers and the effect of school science on those attitudes. It discusses the implications for teaching in the context of motivational factors, and highlights the need to allow students space to match their own motivational needs.

When I grow up: the relationship of science learning activation to STEM career preferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorph, Rena; Bathgate, Meghan E.; Schunn, Christian D.; Cannady, Matthew A.

2018-06-01

This paper proposes three new measures of components STEM career preferences (affinity, certainty, and goal), and then explores which dimensions of science learning activation (fascination, values, competency belief, and scientific sensemaking) are predictive of STEM career preferences. Drawn from the ALES14 dataset, a sample of 2938 sixth and eighth grade middle-school students from 11 schools in two purposefully selected diverse areas (Western Pennsylvania & the Bay Area of California) was used for the analyses presented in this paper. These schools were chosen to represent socio-economic and ethnic diversity. Findings indicate that, overall, youth who are activated towards science learning are more likely to have affinity towards STEM careers, certainty about their future career goals, and have identified a specific STEM career goal. However, different dimensions of science learning activation are more strongly correlated with different aspects career preference across different STEM career foci (e.g. science, engineering, technology, health, etc.). Gender, age, minority status, and home resources also have explanatory power. While many results are consistent with prior research, there are also novel results that offer important fodder for future research. Critically, our strategy of measuring affinity towards the specific disciplines that make up STEM, measuring STEM and health career goals separately, and looking at career affinity and career goals separately, offers interesting results and underscores the value of disentangling the conceptual melting pot of what has previously been known as 'career interest.' Study findings also have implications for design of science learning opportunities for youth.

Do early career indicators of clinical skill predict subsequent career outcomes and practice characteristics for general internists?

PubMed

Gray, Bradley; Reschovsky, James; Holmboe, Eric; Lipner, Rebecca

2013-06-01

To study relationships between clinical skill measures assessed at the beginning of general internists' careers and their career outcomes and practice characteristics. General Internist Community Tracking Study Physician Survey respondents (2000-2001, 2004-2005) linked with residency program evaluations and American Board of Internal Medicine board certification examination score records; n = 2,331. Cross-sectional regressions of career outcome and practice characteristic measures on board examination scores/success, residency evaluations interacted with residency type, and potential confounding variables. Failure to achieve board certification was associated with $27,206 (18 percent, p < .05) less income and 14.9 percent more minority patients relative to physicians scoring in the bottom quartile on their initial examination who eventually became certified (p < .01). Other skill measures were not associated with income. Scoring in the top rather than bottom quartile on the board certification examination was associated with 9 percent increased likelihood of reporting high career satisfaction (p < .05). Among physicians trained in community hospital residency programs, lower evaluations were associated with 14.5 percent higher share of minority patients (p < .05). Both skill measures were associated with practice type. There are associations between early career skill measures and career outcomes. In addition, minority patients are more likely to be treated by physicians with lower early career clinical skills measures than nonminority patients. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Critical Interactions Shaping Early Academic Career Development in Two Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmings, Brian; Hill, Doug; Sharp, John G.

2013-01-01

This study was aimed at identifying the critical interactions within work environments that support the development of early career academics as researchers in institutions with lower order research profiles, that is, environments that differ from research-intensive universities. Ten early career academics, five from Australia and five from the…

Careers in Data Science: A Berkeley Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koy, K.

2015-12-01

Last year, I took on an amazing opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the new Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS). After a 15-year career working with geospatial data to advance our understanding of the environment, I have been presented with a unique opportunity through BIDS to work with talented researchers from a wide variety of backgrounds. Founded in 2013, BIDS is a central hub of research and education at UC Berkeley designed to facilitate and nurture data-intensive science. We are building a community centered on a cohort of talented data science fellows and senior fellows who are representative of the world-class researchers from across our campus and are leading the data science revolution within their disciplines. Our initiatives are designed to bring together broad constituents of the data science community, including domain experts from the life, social, and physical sciences and methodological experts from computer science, statistics, and applied mathematics. While many of these individuals rarely cross professional paths, BIDS actively seeks new and creative ways to engage and foster collaboration across these different research fields. In this presentation, I will share my own story, along with some insights into how BIDS is supporting the careers of data scientists, including graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and research staff. I will also describe how these individuals we are helping support are working to address a number of data science-related challenges in scientific research.

Developing International Collaborations for Early Career Researchers in Psychology

PubMed Central

Flanagan, Julianne C.; Barrett, Emma L.; Crome, Erica; Forbes, Miriam

2015-01-01

International collaboration is becoming increasingly vital as the emphasis on unmet need for mental health across cultures and nations grows. Opportunities exist for early career researchers to engage in international collaboration. However, little information is provided about such opportunities in most current psychology training models. The authors are early career researchers in psychology from U.S. and Australia who have developed a collaborative relationship over the past two years. Our goal is to increase awareness of funding opportunities to support international research and to highlight the benefits and challenges associated with international collaboration based on our experience. PMID:27453624

A study of the long term impact of an inquiry-based science program on student's attitudes towards science and interest in science careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Helen Lussier

One reason science enrichment programs were created was to address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in science. These programs were designed to increase underrepresented groups' interest in science and science careers. One attempt to increase students' interest in science was the Summer Science Exploration Program (SSEP). The SSEP was a two week, inquiry-based summer science camp offered by Hampshire College for students entering grades seven and eight. Students who participated were from three neighboring school districts in Western Massachusetts. The goal of the program was to stimulate greater interest in science and scientific careers among middle school students, in particular among females and students of color. A review of the literature of inquiry-based science programs revealed that the effect of inquiry-based programs on students' attitudes towards science is typically investigated shortly after the end of the treatment period. The findings from this study contribute to our understanding of the long-term impact of inquiry-based science enrichment programs on students' attitude towards science and their interest in science careers. The data collected consisted of quantitative survey data as well as qualitative data through case studies of selected participants from the sample population. This study was guided by the following questions: (1) What was the nature and extent of the impact of the Summer Science Exploration Program (SSEP) on students' attitudes towards science and interest in science careers, in particular among females and students of color? (2) What factors, if any, other than participation in SSEP impacted students' attitude towards science and interest in scientific careers? (3) In what other ways, if any, did the participants benefit from the program? Conclusions drawn from the data indicate that SSEP helped participants maintain a high level of interest in science. In contrast, students who applied but were not accepted

Careers in science and technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The objective of this book is to expose junior and senior high school students to the science and technology fields. It also will convey the importance of getting a general education in science and mathematics while still in high school and of continuing such studies in college. This is intended to encourge students, particularly underrepresented minorities and women, to consider and prepare for careers in science and technology. This book attempts to point out the increasing importance of such knowledge in daily life regardless of occupational choice. This book is intended to be used by junior and senior high schoolmore » students, as a classroom reference by teachers, and by scientist and engineers participating in outreach activities.« less

Barriers to advancement in academic surgery: views of senior residents and early career faculty.

PubMed

Cochran, Amalia; Elder, William B; Crandall, Marie; Brasel, Karen; Hauschild, Tricia; Neumayer, Leigh

2013-11-01

A significant faculty attrition rate exists in academic surgery. The authors hypothesized that senior residents and early-career faculty members have different perceptions of advancement barriers in academic surgery. A modified version of the Career Barriers Inventory-Revised was administered electronically to surgical residents and early-career surgical faculty members at 8 academic medical centers. Residents identified a lack of mentorship as a career barrier about half as often as faculty members. Residents were twice as likely as faculty members to view childbearing as a career barrier. Many early-career faculty members cite a lack of mentors as a limitation to their career development in academic surgery. Childbearing remains a complex perceived influence for female faculty members in particular. Female faculty members commonly perceive differential treatment and barriers on the basis of their sex. Faculty development programs should address both systemic and sex-specific obstacles if academic surgery is to remain a vibrant field. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early Career Teacher Attrition in Australia: Inconvenient Truths about New Public Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallant, Andrea; Riley, Philip

2017-01-01

Early career teacher (ECT) attrition data are often challenged by those outside of the profession. Attrition rates can only be interpolated from existing data, but fall somewhere between 8 and 53%. The Australian workforce data on ECT attrition are problematized at the outset, before presenting a collective case study examining early career male…

Social Cognitive Predictors of Mexican American High School Students' Math/Science Career Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garriott, Patton O.; Raque-Bogdan, Trisha L.; Zoma, Lorrine; Mackie-Hernandez, Dylan; Lavin, Kelly

2017-01-01

This study tested a social cognitive model of math/science career goals in a sample (N = 258) of Mexican American high school students. Familism and proximal family supports for math/science careers were examined as predictors of math/science: performance accomplishments, self-efficacy, interests, and goals. Results showed that the hypothesized…

Time to career: Science and engineering education to career trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Angie Nim

Two waves of data from the 2006 and 2008 Survey of Earned Doctorates and Survey of Doctorate Recipients were used in this study to investigate time to doctorate (TTD) and time to career (TTC) for science and engineering PhDs. Three-way factorial ANOVAs were conducted, and TTD results indicated main effects for gender, US citizenship, and Biglan classification, and interaction effects for gender and US citizenship. US citizen PhDs progressed to their career approximately one mean year faster than foreign PhDs. For TTC, PhDs who held postdocs progressed to their careers in 14 and 15 years for females and males respectively compared to 19 years for those without postdoctoral appointments. PhDs working in academe also had shorter TTC rates than those working in industry or government settings. TTC rates were lowest for PhDs from engineering fields and highest for those from health sciences. A multiple linear regression based upon the 2006 data was also used to determine the best predictors of TTC based upon individual, academic, and employer characteristics, and the model was cross-validated with an independent sample from the 2008 data. The regression solution was significant, F (20, 11000) = 97.06, p < .001, and significant predictors were gender, US citizen, children ages 2-5, married or married-like relationship, TTD, teaching assistantship, research assistantship, student loans, salary, postdoc, government employer, and business/industry employer. The regression solution for predicting TTC had a medium effect size (R2 = .14), and the cross-validated model had a slightly higher effect (R2 = .28).

Obstacles to early career psychiatrists practicing psychotherapy.

PubMed

Clemens, Norman A; Plakun, Eric M; Lazar, Susan G; Mellman, Lisa

2014-09-01

Though psychiatric residents are expected to be competent psychotherapists on graduation, further growth in skill and versatility requires continued experience in their ongoing career. Maturity as a psychotherapist is essential because a psychiatrist is the only mental health provider who, as a physician, can assume full responsibility for biopsychosocial patient care and roles as supervisor, consultant, and team leader. Graduating residents face an environment in which surveys show a steady and alarming decline in practice of psychotherapy by psychiatrists, along with a decline in job satisfaction. High educational debts, practice structures, intrusive management, and reimbursement policies that devalue psychotherapy discourage early career psychiatrists from a practice style that enables providing it. For the early-career psychiatrist there is thus the serious risk of being unable to develop a critical mass of experience or a secure identity as a psychiatric psychotherapist. Implementation of parity laws and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect the situation in unpredictable ways that call for vigilance and active response. Additional service and administrative demands may result from the ACA, creating ethical dilemmas about meeting urgent patient needs versus biopsychosocial standards of care. The authors recommend 1) vigorous advocacy for better payment levels for psychotherapy and freedom from disruptive management; 2) aggressive action against violations of the parity act, 3) active preparation of psychiatric residents for dealing with career choices and the environment for providing psychotherapy in their practice, and 4) post-graduate training in psychotherapy through supervision/consultation, continuing education courses, computer instruction, and distance learning.

Is Science Me? Exploring Middle School Students' STE-M Career Aspirations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Ing, Marsha; Tsai, Sherry M.

2014-12-01

This study explores middle school students' aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and medical (STE-M) careers by analyzing survey data during their eighth and ninth grade years from an ethnically and economically diverse sample of Southern California urban and suburban public school students ( n = 493). Students were classified based on their responses to questions about their science ability beliefs and subjective task values using latent class analysis (LCA). Four distinct groups of students were identified: Science is Me; I Value Science But Don't Do It Well; I Can Do Science but I Don't Value It Highly; and Science is Not Me. Few students (22 %) were classified as having strong science ability beliefs, and only a third as strongly valuing learning/doing science; a majority (57 %) were in the Science is Not Me category, underscoring the scope of the challenge to invite more young people to want to learn science. As predicted, students who believed they could do science and valued science were more likely than others to indicate interest in STE-M careers. This relationship between perceptions and aspirations was true regardless of gender, ethnicity, and type of STE-M field, but varied depending on socioeconomic status. Using LCA to organize information about students' science self-perceptions may help target specific interventions to student interests and aspirations and better support and encourage their persistence in STE-M careers.

Career Activities in Social Science: Grades 7, 8, 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boise City Independent School District, ID.

The career activities guide in social science, part of an Idaho State Department of Vocational Education career exploration series for grades 7, 8, and 9, is designed as supplementary material to enrich the regular curriculum. Any one activity in the guide might be used without involving any other activities. The cross-referenced index indicates…

Curricular Influences on Female Afterschool Facilitators' Computer Science Interests and Career Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koch, Melissa; Gorges, Torie

2016-01-01

Underrepresented populations such as women, African-Americans, and Latinos/as often come to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers by less traditional paths than White and Asian males. To better understand how and why women might shift toward STEM, particularly computer science, careers, we investigated the education and…

Early predictors of career achievement in academic medicine.

PubMed

Brancati, F L; Mead, L A; Levine, D M; Martin, D; Margolis, S; Klag, M J

1992-03-11

To identify early personal and scholastic factors that predict academic career choice and long-term career achievement among academic physicians. A longitudinal cohort study. Nine hundred forty-four male physicians who graduated from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, from 1948 through 1964. Career achievement outcomes included attained faculty rank in 1990 and the number of citations (20 to 24 years after graduation) to published work. Of the 944 physicians, 424 (45%) had chosen academic careers. Scholastic performance and research experience in medical school were independently associated with having chosen an academic career (P less than .001). Among academicians, higher attained rank in 1990 was independently associated with the following: (1) membership in Alpha Omega Alpha (relative risk [RR] = 4.94, P = .0001); (2) rank in the top third of the graduating class (RR = 2.68, P = .01); and (3) research experience in medical school (RR = 3.11, P = .0001). These three factors were also independently associated with more citations to participants' published work (P less than .05). These data suggest that scholastic performance and research experience during medical school predict career achievement in academic medicine over 20 years in the future.

The longitudinal effects of early behavior problems in the dementia caregiving career.

PubMed

Gaugler, Joseph E; Kane, Robert L; Kane, Rosalie A; Newcomer, Robert

2005-03-01

Using multiregional, 3-year data from early career dementia caregivers, this study determines how behavior problems that occur early in the caregiving career influence time to nursing home placement and change in burden and depression over time. A Cox proportional hazards model indicated that caregivers who managed frequent behavior problems earlier are more likely to institutionalize. After controlling for important time-varying covariates in a series of growth-curve models, caregivers who were faced with severe, early behavior problems reported greater increases in burden and depression over the 3-year study period. The findings suggest the need to consider experiences early in the dementia caregiving career when accounting for key longitudinal outcomes and also emphasize the importance of attrition when attempting to model the health implications of informal long-term care over time.

Gender Differences in Science Career Choice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zewotir, Temesgen

Although a number of female students in the entry-level of tertiary education has increased substantially in recent years, the proportion of incoming females in the fields of science and technology is low. Government and non-government organizations encourage females to enter tertiary level education for career development. However, judging by…

Learning to Teach Inquiry: A Beginning Science Teacher of English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortega, Irasema; Luft, Julie A.; Wong, Sissy S.

2013-01-01

Early career science teachers are often assigned to classrooms with high numbers of English language learners (ELLs). For the underprepared early career science teacher, these circumstances are challenging. This study examines the changes in beliefs and practices of an early career science teacher who taught high numbers of ELLs in an urban…

Work-Life Balance, Burnout, and Satisfaction of Early Career Pediatricians.

PubMed

Starmer, Amy J; Frintner, Mary Pat; Freed, Gary L

2016-04-01

Data describing factors associated with work-life balance, burnout, and career and life satisfaction for early career pediatricians are limited. We sought to identify personal and work factors related to these outcomes. We analyzed 2013 survey data of pediatricians who graduated residency between 2002 and 2004. Dependent variables included: (1) balance between personal and professional commitments, (2) current burnout in work, (3) career satisfaction, and (4) life satisfaction. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations of personal and work characteristics with each of the 4 dependent variables. A total of 93% of participants completed the survey (n = 840). A majority reported career (83%) and life (71%) satisfaction. Fewer reported current appropriate work-life balance (43%) or burnout (30%). In multivariable modeling, excellent/very good health, having support from physician colleagues, and adequate resources for patient care were all found to be associated with a lower prevalence of burnout and a higher likelihood of work-life balance and career and life satisfaction. Having children, race, and clinical specialty were not found to be significantly associated with any of the 4 outcome measures. Female gender was associated with a lower likelihood of balance and career satisfaction but did not have an association with burnout or life satisfaction. Burnout and struggles with work-life balance are common; dissatisfaction with life and career are a concern for some early career pediatricians. Efforts to minimize these outcomes should focus on encouragement of modifiable factors, including health supervision, peer support, and ensuring sufficient patient care resources. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

University of Washington's eScience Institute Promotes New Training and Career Pathways in Data Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, S.; Parker, M. S.; Howe, B.; Lazowska, E.

2015-12-01

Rapid advances in technology are transforming nearly every field from "data-poor" to "data-rich." The ability to extract knowledge from this abundance of data is the cornerstone of 21st century discovery. At the University of Washington eScience Institute, our mission is to engage researchers across disciplines in developing and applying advanced computational methods and tools to real world problems in data-intensive discovery. Our research team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds in domain sciences such as astronomy, oceanography and geology, with complementary expertise in advanced statistical and computational techniques such as data management, visualization, and machine learning. Two key elements are necessary to foster careers in data science: individuals with cross-disciplinary training in both method and domain sciences, and career paths emphasizing alternative metrics for advancement. We see persistent and deep-rooted challenges for the career paths of people whose skills, activities and work patterns don't fit neatly into the traditional roles and success metrics of academia. To address these challenges the eScience Institute has developed training programs and established new career opportunities for data-intensive research in academia. Our graduate students and post-docs have mentors in both a methodology and an application field. They also participate in coursework and tutorials to advance technical skill and foster community. Professional Data Scientist positions were created to support research independence while encouraging the development and adoption of domain-specific tools and techniques. The eScience Institute also supports the appointment of faculty who are innovators in developing and applying data science methodologies to advance their field of discovery. Our ultimate goal is to create a supportive environment for data science in academia and to establish global recognition for data-intensive discovery across all fields.

The Development of Research Networks among Early-Career Faculty Members in the Science, Engineering and Health Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bankart, Charles Allen Swanson

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the patterns and processes of collaboration in the performance of research, as well as to understand why and how early-career faculty members engage in collaborative partnerships. With an eye toward institutional policy and academic programming, special emphasis was placed on how…

Elements of Success in Chicago Botanic Garden's Science Career Continuum.

PubMed

Johnson, Katherine A

2016-03-01

The Science Career Continuum at the Chicago Botanic Garden is a model program for successfully encouraging youth from diverse backgrounds into STEM careers. This program has shown that when students are given an opportunity to participate in real scientific research under the mentorship of a caring professional over multiple years, they are more likely to go to college and pursue STEM careers than their peers. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Topical Collection: Climate-change research by early-career hydrogeologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Re, Viviana; Maldaner, Carlos H.; Gurdak, Jason J.; Leblanc, Marc; Resende, Tales Carvalho; Stigter, Tibor Y.

2018-05-01

Scientific outreach, international networking, collaboration and adequate courses are needed in both developed and developing countries to enable early-career hydrogeologists to promote long-term multidisciplinary approaches to cope with climate-change issues and emphasize the importance of groundwater in a global strategy for adaptation. One such collaboration has involved the Early Career Hydrogeologists' Network of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (ECHN-IAH) and the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme's (IHP) Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Changes (GRAPHIC) project. This collaboration seeks to foster the education and involvement of the future generation of water leaders in the debate over groundwater and climate change.

Preservice and Early Career Teachers' Preconceptions and Misconceptions about Making in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Jonathan D.; Jones, W. Monty; Smith, Shaunna

2018-01-01

This qualitative study examined preservice and early career teachers' preconceptions and misconceptions about making in education. Eighty-two preservice and early career teachers participated in brief, one-time maker workshops, then wrote reflections on their experiences. Using constant comparative analysis, researchers uncovered two common…

February NICBR Symposium Highlights Careers in Science | Poster

Cancer.gov

Poster Staff The first National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research (NICBR) Exploring Careers in a Scientific Environment Symposium was held on Feb. 18 at the Advanced Technology Research Facility. The event drew more than 70 Frederick County public school teachers, who learned about the wide range of biomedical research being conducted by scientists in the NICBR agencies, as well as the variety of opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in science and/or technology.

Data Science Careers: A Sampling of Successful Strategies, Pitfalls, and Persistent Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, K. I.; Duerr, R.; Wyborn, L. A.; Yarmey, L.

2015-12-01

Data Scientists do not have a single career trajectory or preparatory pathway. Successful data scientists have come from domain sciences, computer science, library science, and other diverse fields. They have worked up from entry-level staff positions, have started as academics with doctoral degrees, and have established themselves as management professionals. They have positions in government, industry, academia, and NGO's, and their responsibilities range from highly specialized, to generalists, to high-level leadership. This presents a potentially confusing landscape for students interested in the field: how to decide among the varied options to have the best chance at fulfilling employment? What are the mistakes to avoid? Many established data scientist, both old-timers and early career professionals, expressed interest in presenting in this session but were unable to justify using their one AGU abstract for something other than their funded projects. As the session chairs we interviewed them, plus our extended network of colleagues, to ask for their best advice on what was most critical to their success in their current position, what pitfalls to avoid, what ongoing challenges they see, and what advice they would give themselves, if they could do it all over again starting now. Here we consolidate those interviews with our own perspectives to present some of the common themes and standout advice.

The Y.E.S. Network: An IYPE legacy for engaging future generations of early-career geoscientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzales, L. M.; Govoni, D.; Micucci, L.; Gaines, S. M.; Venus, J.; Meng, W.

2009-12-01

The Y.E.S. Network, an association of early-career geoscientists who represent professional societies, geoscience companies, and geoscience departments from across the world, was formed as a direct result of the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). Currently the Y.E.S. Network has representatives in thirty-five countries from six continents. The goal of the network is to engage early-career representatives from geological associations and institutions, policy-makers, and delegates from administrative bodies to establish a worldwide network of future leaders, policy-makers and geoscientists who will work collaboratively to address the scientific challenges future generations will face. To this end, the Y.E.S. Network, in collaboration with IYPE and with the patronage of UNESCO, organized the first international Y.E.S. Congress which was hosted by the China University of Geosciences in Beijing. The conference focused on scientific and career challenges faced by early-career geoscientists, with a particular emphasis on how the Y.E.S. Network can work collaborative and internationally towards solving these challenges and furthering the IYPE motto of “Earth Sciences for Society”. The conference focused on the ten major themes of the IYPE (e.g. health, climate, groundwater, ocean, soils, deep earth, megacities, hazards, resources, and life) at its poster and oral sessions. Roundtable symposia engaged senior and early-career geoscientists via presentations, panel discussions, and working group sessions where strategies related to scientific challenges (i.e. climate change in the polar regions, natural hazards, natural resource sustainability) and academic and career pathway challenges (i.e. academic-industry linkages, gender parity in the geosciences, geoscience education sustainability, and international licensure issues) were developed. These strategies were then tasked to the Y.E.S. Network for further development and implementation. Future Y.E.S. Network

Professional development session for early career scientists at SITC 2012

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2012 Professional Development Session was held as part of the SITC 27th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, on October 24, 2012. The session was designed as a new opportunity for early career investigators to learn about relevant career development topics in a didactic setting. PMID:25742323

Designing Informal Learning Experiences for Early Career Academics Using a Knowledge Ecosystem Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Faye; Partridge, Helen; Bruce, Christine; Hemmings, Brian

2017-01-01

This article presents a "knowledge ecosystem" model of how early career academics experience using information to learn while building their social networks for developmental purposes. Developed using grounded theory methodology, the model offers a way of conceptualising how to empower early career academics through (1) agency…

The First Three Years: Experiences of Early Career Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenwick, Ashley

2011-01-01

This study considers two discourses of current relevance to national and international educators--early professional learning (EPL) and curriculum change. Induction arrangements for early career teachers (ECTs), EPL and informal learning have received considerable attention in the past few years. Changes to induction inevitably have knock-on…

A Multidimensional Scaling Analysis of Students' Attitudes about Science Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masnick, Amy M.; Stavros Valenti, S.; Cox, Brian D.; Osman, Christopher J.

2010-03-01

To encourage students to seek careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, it is important to gauge students' implicit and explicit attitudes towards scientific professions. We asked high school and college students to rate the similarity of pairs of occupations, and then used multidimensional scaling (MDS) to create a spatial representation of occupational similarity. Other students confirmed the emergent MDS map by rating each of the occupations along several dimensions. We found that participants across age and sex considered scientific professions to be less creative and less people-oriented than other popular career choices. We conclude that students may be led away from STEM careers by common misperceptions that science is a difficult, uncreative, and socially isolating pursuit.

Identifying the factors that affect the job satisfaction of early career Notre Dame graduate physiotherapists.

PubMed

Bacopanos, Eleni; Edgar, Susan

2016-11-01

Objective Previous studies have highlighted the short career intentions and high attrition rates of physiotherapists from the profession. The aim of the present study was to examine the job satisfaction and attrition rates of early career physiotherapists graduating from one Western Australian university. Methods A self-administered online survey was conducted of 157 Notre Dame physiotherapy graduates (2006-2012), incorporating a job satisfaction rating scale. Results Results showed that lowered job satisfaction was related to working in the cardiorespiratory area of physiotherapy and working in multiple jobs since graduation. The majority of graduates did not predict a long-term career in physiotherapy, highlighting a lack of career progression and limited scope of practice as influential factors. Conclusions Job satisfaction in early career physiotherapists varies across different clinical areas of practice related to several factors, including challenge and flexibility. New roles in the profession, including extended scope roles, may impact on the future job satisfaction of physiotherapists. Further studies are needed to explore the effect of these roles on workforce trends, including attrition rates. What is known about the topic? Physiotherapists predict careers of 10 years or less on entry into the profession. No previous studies have explored the individual factors influencing job satisfaction in early career physiotherapists across different clinical settings. What does this paper add? This study highlights specific factors influencing the job satisfaction of early career physiotherapists, including clinical area of practice. Physiotherapists working in the cardiorespiratory area were less satisfied, as were physiotherapists undertaking multiple positions since graduation. What are the implications for practitioners? This study informs employers and workforce planners on the factors affecting job satisfaction in early career physiotherapists. In addition

Informal Science Education for Girls: Careers in Science and Effective Program Elements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fadigan, Kathleen A.; Hammrich, Penny L.

2005-01-01

Addressing the need for continued support of after-school and summer science enrichment programs for urban girls and at-risk youth, this paper describes the educational and career paths of a sample of young women who participated in the Women in Natural Sciences (WINS) program during high school. This study also attempts to determine how the…

Students' perceptions of laboratory science careers: changing ideas with an education module.

PubMed

Haun, Daniel; Leach, Argie; Lawrence, Louann; Jarreau, Patsy

2005-01-01

To assess the effectiveness of a Web-based education module in changing students' perceptions of laboratory science careers. Perception was measured with a short examination and then a Web-based exercise was presented. Following the exercise, the test was administered again. Frequency data from the pre-test and post-test were compared for changes in perception. The correlated pre-test/post-test pairs were also examined for opinion changes and these were analyzed for significance. Large parochial high schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. A small team visited the schools during their appointed class times for biology. Study participants were high school biology students in grades 9-10. Two-hundred-forty-five students participated (149 male and 96 female). A Web-based exercise on blood film examination was presented to the students in a classroom setting (www.mclno.org/labpartners/index_03.htm). The exercise contained focused messages about: (1) the numbers of healthcare workers acquiring AIDS from on-the-job exposure and (2) common career paths available to the laboratory science workforce. The shift in perception of: What medical service generates the most diagnostic data. Which professional group performs laboratory tests. The risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting. Interest in a science-related career. How much education is required to work in a science-related field. The intervention significantly shifted perception in all areas measured except that of interest in a science-related career. Many students perceive that the risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting is "high". Web-based presentations and similar partnerships with science teachers can change perceptions that might lead to increased interest in clinical laboratory science careers.

Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology: Katie A. McLaughlin.

PubMed

2016-11-01

APA's Awards for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology recognize psychologists who have demonstrated excellence early in their careers. One of the 2016 award winners is Katie A. McLaughlin, who has "has articulated important distinctions among the effects of early neglect and abuse and has uncovered specific processes that are disrupted by early adverse environmental experiences." McLaughlin's award citation, biography, and bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Concept formation: a supportive process for early career nurses.

PubMed

Thornley, Tracey; West, Sandra

2010-09-01

Individuals come to understand abstract constructs such as that of the 'expert' through the formation of concepts. Time and repeated opportunity for observation to support the generalisation and abstraction of the developing concept are essential if the concept is to form successfully. Development of an effective concept of the 'expert nurse' is critical for early career nurses who are attempting to integrate theory, values and beliefs as they develop their clinical practice. This study explores the use of a concept development framework in a grounded theory study of the 'expert nurse'. Qualitative. Using grounded theory methods for data collection and analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with registered nurses. The participants were asked to describe their concept of the 'expert nurse' and to discuss their experience of developing this. Participants reported forming their concept of the 'expert nurse', after multiple opportunities to engage with nurses identified as 'expert'. This identification did not necessarily relate to the designated position of the 'expert nurse' or assigned mentors. When the early career nurse does not successfully form a concept of the 'expert nurse', difficulties in personal and professional development including skill/knowledge development may arise. To underpin development of their clinical practice effectively, early career nurses need to be provided with opportunities that facilitate the purposive formation of their own concept of the 'expert nurse'. Formation of this concept is not well supported by the common practice of assigning mentors. Early career nurses must be provided with the time and the opportunity to individually develop and refine their concept of the 'expert nurse'. To achieve this, strategies including providing opportunities to engage with expert nurses and discussion of the process of concept formation and its place in underpinning personal judgments may be of assistance. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing

Creating opportunities for science PhDs to pursue careers in high school education

PubMed Central

Doyle, Kari M. H.; Vale, Ronald D.

2013-01-01

The United States is confronting important challenges at both the early and late stages of science education. At the level of K–12 education, a recent National Research Council report (Successful K–12 STEM Education) proposed a bold restructuring of how science is taught, moving away from memorizing facts and emphasizing hands-on, inquiry-based learning and a deeper understanding of the process of science. At higher levels of training, limited funding for science is leading PhDs to seek training and careers in areas other than research. Might science PhDs play a bigger role in the future of K–12 education, particularly at the high school level? We explore this question by discussing the roles that PhDs can play in high school education and the current and rather extensive barriers to PhDs entering the teaching profession and finally suggest ways to ease the entrance of qualified PhDs into high school education. PMID:24174464

Creating opportunities for science PhDs to pursue careers in high school education.

PubMed

Doyle, Kari M H; Vale, Ronald D

2013-11-01

The United States is confronting important challenges at both the early and late stages of science education. At the level of K-12 education, a recent National Research Council report (Successful K-12 STEM Education) proposed a bold restructuring of how science is taught, moving away from memorizing facts and emphasizing hands-on, inquiry-based learning and a deeper understanding of the process of science. At higher levels of training, limited funding for science is leading PhDs to seek training and careers in areas other than research. Might science PhDs play a bigger role in the future of K-12 education, particularly at the high school level? We explore this question by discussing the roles that PhDs can play in high school education and the current and rather extensive barriers to PhDs entering the teaching profession and finally suggest ways to ease the entrance of qualified PhDs into high school education.

Sex Differences in School Science Performance from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haworth, Claire M. A.; Dale, Philip S.; Plomin, Robert

2010-01-01

We investigated whether the sexes differ in science performance before they make important course and career selections. We collected teacher-report data from a sample of children from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) assessed at ages 9, 10 and 12 years (N greater than 2500 pairs). In addition we developed a test of scientific enquiry and…

The Association between Science Summer Camps and Career Interest in Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kong, Xiaoqing; Dabney, Katherine P.; Tai, Robert H.

2014-01-01

This study addresses the association between middle-school students' reported participation in science summer programmes and their reported expectation of a career in science and engineering. Data were collected on 1,580 students from eight middle schools in five states, applying an accelerated longitudinal design. Two consecutive cohorts were…

Early Career Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Noticing Related to Language and Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Erin Elizabeth; McDuffie, Amy Roth; Sugimoto, Amanda Tori; Stoehr, Kathleen Jablon; Witters, Angela; Aguirre, Julia; Bartell, Tonya; Drake, Corey; Foote, Mary Q.

2016-01-01

There has been limited attention to early career teachers' (ECTs) understandings and practices related to language in teaching and learning mathematics. In this qualitative case study, we drew upon frameworks for teacher noticing to study the language practices of six early career elementary and middle school mathematics teachers. We describe…

Bringing Up Girls in Science (BUGS): The Effectiveness of an Afterschool Environmental Science Program for Increasing Female Students' Interest in Science Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyler-Wood, Tandra; Ellison, Amber; Lim, Okyoung; Periathiruvadi, Sita

2012-02-01

Bringing Up Girls in Science (BUGS) was an afterschool program for 4th and 5th grade girls that provided authentic learning experiences in environmental science as well as valuable female mentoring opportunities in an effort to increase participants' academic achievement in science. BUGS participants demonstrated significantly greater amounts of gain in science knowledge as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in Science (ITBS-S). The original BUGS participants and contrasts have now completed high school and entered college, allowing researchers to assess the long-term impact of the BUGS program. Fourteen former BUGS participants completed two instruments to assess their perceptions of science and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Their results were compared to four contrast groups composed entirely of females: 12 former BUGS contrasts, 10 college science majors, 10 non-science majors, and 9 current STEM professionals. Results indicate that BUGS participants have higher perceptions of science careers than BUGS contrasts. There were no significant differences between BUGS participants, Science Majors, and STEM professionals in their perceptions of science and STEM careers, whereas the BUGS contrast group was significantly lower than BUGS participants, Science Majors, and STEM Professionals. Additional results and implications are discussed within.

Out-of-School Time Science Activities and Their Association with Career Interest in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dabney, Katherine P.; Tai, Robert H.; Almarode, John T.; Miller-Friedmann, Jaimie L. L.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.; Hazari, Zahra

2012-01-01

Spurred by concerns about an inadequately sized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, there has been a growing interest in out-of-school time (OST) science activities as a means to foster STEM career interest. This study examines the association between OST science activities and STEM career interest in university…

Early Career Patterns for Social Work Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Mi Jin; Urbanski, Paul; Fortune, Anne E.; Rogers, Crystal

2015-01-01

This study examines master's of social work graduates' early careers. Six cohorts graduating from 2002 through 2007 (N = 246) completed a questionnaire 9-15 months after graduation. Most reported adequate or exceptional preparation on both generalist and advanced concentration practice behaviors. Almost all direct practice graduates and 2/3 of…

`Hard science': a career option for socially and societally interested students? Grade 12 students' vocational interest gap explored

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Struyf, Annemie; Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle; Van Petegem, Peter

2017-11-01

A key theme in science education research concerns the decline in young peoples' interest in science and the need for professionals in hard science. Goal Congruity Theory posits that an important aspect of the decision whether to pursue hard science for study or as a career is the perception that hard science careers do not fulfil social (working with people) and societal (serving or helping others) interests. In this qualitative study, we explore grade 12 students' perceptions about the social and societal orientation of hard science careers. Furthermore, we investigate the variation in students' social and societal interests. Six focus groups were conducted with 58 grade 12 students in Flanders. Our results indicate that a number of students hold stereotypical views about hard science careers' social orientation, while others believe cooperation with others is an important aspect of hard science careers nowadays. Furthermore, our results show that students believe hard science careers can be societally oriented in the sense that they often associate them with innovation or societal progress. Finally, our results indicate that students may differentiate direct versus indirect societal orientation. These findings contribute to literature regarding social and societal interests and students' perceptions of hard science careers.

Developing Interpretive Power in Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosebery, Ann S.; Warren, Beth; Tucker-Raymond, Eli

2016-01-01

Early career teachers rarely receive sustained support for addressing issues of diversity and equity in their science teaching. This paper reports on design research to create a 30 hour professional development seminar focused on cultivating the interpretive power of early career teachers who teach science to students from historically…

Career Education Science: Units for Career Exploration in Sixth, Seventh or Eighth Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Mary

The guide, designed for sixth, seventh, or eighth grade teachers and students, presents six science instructional units for career exploration related to the occupational clusters manufacturing (2), communication, transportation, health and agribusiness. The units deal specifically with: the scientific method for research, using the scientific…

Ocean FEST and TECH: Inspiring Hawaii's Students to Pursue Ocean, Earth and Environmental Science Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, B. C.; Wren, J. L.; Ayau, J. F.

2013-12-01

Ocean TECH (Technology Expands Career Horizons) is a new initiative funded by NSF/GeoEd to stimulate interest in ocean, earth and environmental science careers - and the college majors that lead to such careers - among Hawaii's underrepresented students in grades 6-14. The Ocean TECH project features hands-on ocean science and technology and interactions with career professionals. Ocean TECH builds upon Ocean FEST (Families Exploring Science Together), a previous NSF/OEDG project aimed at teaching fun hands-on science in culturally and locally relevant ways to Hawaii's elementary school students and their families. Ocean FEST was rigorously evaluated (including cognitive pre-testing developed in partnership with external evaluators) and shown to be successful both in teaching science content and changing attitudes toward ocean, earth and environmental science careers. Over the course of the four-year grant, Ocean FEST reached 20,99 students and adults, including 636 classroom teachers and other volunteers who assisted with program delivery, most of whom were from underrepresented groups. For more info on Ocean FEST: http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu/ Ocean TECH events have various formats, but common themes include: (1) Using technology as a hook to engage students in ocean, earth and environmental science. (2) Bringing middle school through community college students to college campuses, where they engage in hands-on science activities and learn about college majors. (3) Drawing direct links between the students' hands-on science activities and the research currently occurring at the UH Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), such as C-MORE and HOT research. (4) Respecting and valuing students' local knowledge and experiences. (5) Explicitly showing, through concrete examples, how becoming an ocean, earth or environmental scientist addresses would beneit Hawaii (6) Having graduate students from diverse backgrounds serve as instructors and

Impact Factor: Early Career Research & Digital Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasquini, Laura A.; Wakefield, Jenny S.; Roman, Tiffany

2014-01-01

It is becoming increasingly vital to publish and share research as well as get citations for the purpose of researcher visibility. The publishing options available for research distribution seem endless. It really is an academic jungle out there! This article reviews why early career researchers and graduate scholars should consider their research…

Career Education: The Marine Science Occupations Cluster.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farning, Maxwell

This paper discusses career opportunities in eight broad groups of marine science occupations: (1) harbor construction and maintenance, (2) ship construction, (3) merchant marine activities, (4) towboating, (5) longshoring, (6) fishing and fish farming, (7) petroleum and natural gas exploration and extraction, and (8) research activities. The…

Career moves of urban science teachers: Negotiating constancy, change, and confirmation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinke, Carol Riegelman

2007-12-01

This dissertation addresses the issue of teacher retention in urban science classrooms, in which a revolving door of new teachers leads to an inexperienced teaching force and reduced academic attainment for students. Urban science teachers are particularly susceptible to attrition due to extensive professional opportunities outside the classroom. This study follows eight case study teachers in an urban school district in order to better understand how today's urban science teachers think about their careers and career moves. Based on traditional research on teacher retention and existing literature on teachers' professional lives, this study focuses in particular on urban science teachers' professional priorities, community participation, and process of career decision making in order to determine the ways in which these factors may be consequential for their career paths. The study uses a qualitative case study methodology. Data collection methods include a survey of all first, second, and third year science teachers in one urban district followed by the selection of eight case study teachers using a variety of demographic, certification, and workplace characteristics. In-depth case studies included monthly interviews and professional observations over parts of two school years. The experiences and perspectives of the eight case study teachers revealed three patterns. First, the eight case study teachers followed two distinct paths through the profession, those who aimed to integrate and were oriented toward the educational system and those who wanted to participate and oriented themselves away from the educational system. These professional trajectories were influential in shaping case study teachers' experiences in schools as well as their career directions. Second, the eight case study teachers continually considered their professional alternatives, either within or outside of the educational system. Finally, the case study teachers aimed to get past the

Gender Differences in the Consistency of Middle School Students' Interest in Engineering and Science Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ing, Marsha; Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Tsai, Sherry M.

2014-01-01

This longitudinal study analyzes survey responses in seventh, eighth, and ninth grade from diverse public school students (n = 482) to explore gender differences in engineering and science career preferences. Females were far more likely to express interest in a science career (31%) than an engineering career (13%), while the reverse was true for…

A qualitative descriptive exploration of the educational and career plans of early career neonatal nurses and midwives: An Irish perspective.

PubMed

Coughlan, Linda Martina; Patton, Declan

2018-01-01

The scarcity of appropriately qualified nurses and midwives is a major obstacle in achieving an effective health system. Neonatal nurses and midwives require a high level of skill and education to fulfil their role. It is also an area that sees high staff turnover rates. For this study a descriptive qualitative approach was used to ascertain early career neonatal nurses' and midwives' experiences of further education, their future career plans, and their perceived facilitators and barriers to further education and career progression. After receiving ethical approval, twelve nurses and midwives were recruited across three tertiary level neonatal units in Ireland. Semi structured interviews were carried out and interview transcripts were subsequently analysed using Attride-Stirling's (2001) Thematic Networks to deduce themes from the data. Support and involvement, mentoring, and career progression and retention were the three main themes identified upon analysis of the data. The majority of participants identified definitive career plans but some felt their goals were unachievable in their current workplace. Consequently a large number of participants have plans to leave their employment in neonates and pursue a career in other areas of nursing. Staff appraisals and succession planning programmes may assist early career nurses and midwives in focusing on their individual career goals, leading to a greater uptake of further specialised education and improved retention of neonatal nurses and midwives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Job satisfaction trends during nurses' early career.

PubMed

Murrells, Trevor; Robinson, Sarah; Griffiths, Peter

2008-06-05

Job satisfaction is an important component of nurses' lives that can impact on patient safety, productivity and performance, quality of care, retention and turnover, commitment to the organisation and the profession. Little is known about job satisfaction in early career and how it varies for different groups of nurses. This paper investigates how the components of job satisfaction vary during early career in newly qualified UK nurses. Nurses were sampled using a combined census and multi-stage approach (n = 3962). Data were collected by questionnaire at 6 months, 18 months and 3 years after qualification between 1998 and 2001. Scores were calculated for seven job satisfaction components and a single item that measured satisfaction with pay. Scores were compared longitudinally and between nursing speciality (general, children's, mental health) using a mixed model approach. No single pattern across time emerged. Trends varied by branch and job satisfaction component. Rank order of job satisfaction components, from high to low scores, was very similar for adult and child branch nurses and different for mental health. Nurses were least satisfied with pay and most satisfied with relationships at 6 and 18 months and with resources (adult and child) and relationships (mental health) at 3 years. Trends were typically upwards for adult branch nurses, varied for children's nurses and downwards for mental health nurses. The impact of time on job satisfaction in early career is highly dependent on specialism. Different contexts, settings and organisational settings lead to varying experiences. Future research should focus on understanding the relationships between job characteristics and the components of job satisfaction rather than job satisfaction as a unitary construct. Research that further investigates the benefits of a formal one year preceptorship or probationary period is needed.

Job satisfaction trends during nurses' early career

PubMed Central

Murrells, Trevor; Robinson, Sarah; Griffiths, Peter

2008-01-01

Background Job satisfaction is an important component of nurses' lives that can impact on patient safety, productivity and performance, quality of care, retention and turnover, commitment to the organisation and the profession. Little is known about job satisfaction in early career and how it varies for different groups of nurses. This paper investigates how the components of job satisfaction vary during early career in newly qualified UK nurses. Methods Nurses were sampled using a combined census and multi-stage approach (n = 3962). Data were collected by questionnaire at 6 months, 18 months and 3 years after qualification between 1998 and 2001. Scores were calculated for seven job satisfaction components and a single item that measured satisfaction with pay. Scores were compared longitudinally and between nursing speciality (general, children's, mental health) using a mixed model approach. Results No single pattern across time emerged. Trends varied by branch and job satisfaction component. Rank order of job satisfaction components, from high to low scores, was very similar for adult and child branch nurses and different for mental health. Nurses were least satisfied with pay and most satisfied with relationships at 6 and 18 months and with resources (adult and child) and relationships (mental health) at 3 years. Trends were typically upwards for adult branch nurses, varied for children's nurses and downwards for mental health nurses. Conclusion The impact of time on job satisfaction in early career is highly dependent on specialism. Different contexts, settings and organisational settings lead to varying experiences. Future research should focus on understanding the relationships between job characteristics and the components of job satisfaction rather than job satisfaction as a unitary construct. Research that further investigates the benefits of a formal one year preceptorship or probationary period is needed. PMID:18534023

At the Beginning of the STEM Pipeline: A Case Study Exploring Preadolescent Female Students' Attitudes Toward Science, Perceptions of Scientists, and Developing Career Aspirations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heacock, Lucy Vogel

The continuous underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), referred to as the leaky pipeline, has been examined from multiple perspectives internationally, while the attitudes and perceptions of preadolescent girls regarding STEM remain largely ignored. Employing a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative case study explored the perceptions and attitudes of 40 public elementary school female students across three grade levels regarding science, scientists, and career aspirations. Mixed-methods data collections included three survey instruments combined with semi-structured interviews. Self-efficacy, stereotype threat, and career choice theory provided the framework for the overarching research question: What are the attitudes and perceptions of female preadolescent students at the third, fourth, and fifth grade levels regarding science and scientists, and how might these dispositions affect their early development of STEM career aspirations and interests? The Three-Dimensions of Student Attitude Towards Science (TDSAS) instrument informed the exploration of self-efficacy; the modified Draw-A-Scientist Test (mDAST) and Rubric informed the exploration of stereotype threat; and the STEM-Career Interest Survey (CIS) informed the exploration of career aspirations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants. Results from this study indicated that the majority of the preadolescent girls thought science was an important topic to study and displayed an attitude of self-confident ability to learn science and be successful in science class. They highly enjoyed scientific experimentation and deeply valued problem solving. While they inferred they did not experience gender bias, the girls did engage in stereotyping scientists. Over half the girls expected to use science in their future careers, while a minority had already determined they wanted to be scientists when they grow up. The study concludes with

High Aspirations but Low Progression: The Science Aspirations-Careers Paradox amongst Minority Ethnic Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Jennifer; Archer, Louise; Osborne, Jonathan; Dillon, Justin; Willis, Beatrice; Wong, Billy

2011-01-01

Students' interest in studying science and their aspirations to pursue science-related careers is a topic of global concern. In this paper, a set of data gathered for the initial phase of the 5-year study of Science Aspirations and Careers: Age 10-14 (the ASPIRES project) is presented. In the initial phase of this project, a questionnaire…

APECS: A Network for Polar Early Career Scientist Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enderlin, E. M.

2014-12-01

The Association of Polar Early Career Researchers (APECS) is an international and interdisciplinary organization for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators and others with interests in the polar regions, alpine regions and the wider Cryosphere. APECS is a scientific, non-profit organization with free individual membership that aims to stimulate research collaborations and develop effective future leaders in polar research, education, and outreach. APECS grew out of the 4th International Polar Year (2007-08), which emphasized the need to stimulate and nurture the next generation of scientists in order to improve the understanding and communication of the polar regions and its global connections. The APECS organizational structure includes a Council and an elected Executive Committee that are supported by a Directorate. These positions are open to all individual members through a democratic process. The APECS Directorate is funded by the Norwegian Research Council, the University of Tromsø and the Norwegian Polar Institute and is hosted by the University of Tromsø. Early career scientists benefit from a range of activities hosted/organized by APECS. Every year, numerous activities are run with partner organizations and in conjunction with major polar conferences and meetings. In-person and online panels and workshops focus on a range of topics, from developing field skills to applying for a job after graduate school. Career development webinars are hosted each fall and topical research webinars are hosted throughout the year and archived online (http://www.apecs.is). The APECS website also contains abundant information on polar news, upcoming conferences and meetings, and job postings for early career scientists. To better respond to members' needs, APECS has national/regional committees that are linked to the international overarching organization. Many of these committees organize regional meetings or

The Reluctant Academic: Early-Career Academics in a Teaching-Orientated University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, Helen

2011-01-01

This paper is based on research into academic identities amongst early-career academics in a UK post-1992, teaching-orientated university. Literature around academic identity suggests five major academic roles: teaching, research, management, writing and networking. However, this appears to be a picture of an established mid-career academic in a…

Satisfaction among early and mid-career dentists in a metropolitan dental hospital in China.

PubMed

Cui, Xiaoxi; Dunning, David G; An, Na

2017-01-01

A growing body of research has examined career satisfaction among dentists using a standardized instrument, dentist satisfaction survey (DSS). This project examined career satisfaction of early to mid-career dentists in China, a population whose career satisfaction, heretofore, has not been studied. This is an especially critical time to examine career satisfaction because of health care reform measures being implemented in China. A culturally sensitive Chinese-language version of the DSS (CDSS) was developed and electronically administered to 367 early and mid-career dentists in a tertiary dental hospital in Beijing, China. One hundred and seventy respondents completed the survey. The average total career score was 123, with a range of 82-157. Data analysis showed some significant differences in total career score and several subscales based on gender, working hours per week, and years in practice. A stepwise regression model revealed that two variables predicted total career score: working hours per week and gender. Stepwise regression also demonstrated that four subscales significantly predicted the overall professional satisfaction subscale score: respect, delivery of care, income and patient relations. Implications of these results are discussed in light of the health care delivery system and dentist career paths in China.

Language Arts & Science Sample Career Education Activities, Grades 7-12. Career Choices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marion County Educational Service District, Salem, OR.

Designed to infuse career education with language arts and science, these teacher-developed activities for grades 7-12 are based on one of seven teacher competencies identified by an Oregon task force (see CE 019 665 for the project description). The activities in this document are based on teacher competency number 7: assist students to reject…

Experiences of high school Hispanic girls in pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related coursework and careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijil, Veronica G.

2011-12-01

An overall increased awareness of the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has prompted attention toward the continued underrepresentation of Hispanic women in this field. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the support systems, perceived barriers, and prior experiences influencing high school Hispanic girls' decisions to pursue advanced coursework and related careers through a career pathway in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. Specifically, participants were interviewed regarding their mathematics and science experiences in elementary and middle schools, as well as perceived supports and barriers to their choices to pursue STEM careers and advanced coursework. Results indicated that the participants linked their elementary and middle school experiences with their teachers rather than specific activities. Accolades such as certificates and good grades for academic achievement contributed to the girls' strong self-efficacy at an early age. The participants possessed self-discipline and self-confidence, using intrinsic motivation to pursue their goals. Support systems included families and a few teachers. Barriers were revealed in different forms including derogatory comments by boys in class, difficult curricula with limited tutors available for higher level courses, and receipt of financial assistance to attend a university of their choice.

Careers in Science: Being a Soil Scientist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryce, Alisa

2015-01-01

Being a soil scientist is a fascinating and certainly diverse career, which can indeed involve working in a laboratory or diagnosing sick orange trees. However it often involves much, much more. In 2015, as part of the United Nations' "International Year of Soils," Soil Science Australia's (SSA) "Soils in Schools" program…

Transdisciplinarity in Research: Perspectives of Early Career Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Megan; Martinson, Melissa L.; Nurius, Paula S.; Kemp, Susan P.

2018-01-01

Background: Early career faculty experiences and perspectives on transdisciplinary research are important yet understudied. Methods: Assistant professors at 50 top-ranked social work programs completed an online survey assessing perspectives on the salience of transdisciplinary training in their field, obstacles to or negative impacts of…

A mixed methods analysis of experiences and expectations among early-career medical oncologists in Australia.

PubMed

Wong, W K Tim; Kirby, Emma; Broom, Alex; Sibbritt, David; Francis, Kay; Karapetis, Christos S; Karikios, Deme; Harrup, Rosemary; Lwin, Zarnie

2018-01-26

A viable and sustainable medical oncology profession is integral for meeting the increasing demand for quality cancer care. The aim of this study was to explore the workforce-related experiences, perceptions and career expectations of early-career medical oncologists in Australia. A mixed-methods design, including a survey (n  =  170) and nested qualitative semistructured interviews (n  =  14) with early-career medical oncologists. Recruitment was through the Medical Oncology Group of Australia. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed and for the survey results, logistic regression modeling was conducted. Early-career medical oncologists experienced uncertainty regarding their future employment opportunities. The competitive job market has made them cautious about securing a preferred job leading to a perceived need to improve their qualifications through higher degree training and research activities. The following themes and trends were identified from the qualitative and quantitative analyses: age, career stage and associated early-career uncertainty; locale, professional competition and training preferences; participation in research and evolving professional expectations; and workload and career development opportunities as linked to career uncertainty. Perceived diminished employment opportunities in the medical oncology profession, and shifting expectations to be "more qualified," have increased uncertainty among junior medical oncologists in terms of their future career prospects. Structural factors relating to adequate funding of medical oncology positions may facilitate or inhibit progressive change in the workforce and its sustainability. Workforce planning and strategies informed by findings from this study will be necessary in ensuring that both the needs of cancer patients and of medical oncologists are met. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Enrichment programs to create a pipeline to biomedical science careers.

PubMed

Cregler, L L

1993-01-01

The Student Educational Enrichment Programs at the Medical College of Georgia in the School of Medicine were created to increase underrepresented minorities in the pipeline to biomedical science careers. Eight-week summer programs are conducted for high school, research apprentice, and intermediate and advanced college students. There is a prematriculation program for accepted medical, dental, and graduate students. Between 1979 and 1990, 245 high school students attended 12 summer programs. Of these, 240 (98%) entered college 1 year later. In 1986, after eight programs, 162 (68%) high school participants graduated from college with a baccalaureate degree, and 127 responded to a follow-up survey. Sixty-two (49%) of the college graduates attended health science schools, and 23 (18%) of these matriculated to medical school. Of college students, 504 participated in 13 summer programs. Four hundred (79%) of these students responded to a questionnaire, which indicated that 348 (87%) of the 400 entered health science occupations and/or professional schools; 179 (45%) of these students matriculated to medical school. Minority students participating in enrichment programs have greater success in gaining acceptance to college and professional school. These data suggest that early enrichment initiatives increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the biomedical science pipeline.

Communication Ambassadors—an Australian Social Media Initiative to Develop Communication Skills in Early Career Scientists

PubMed Central

Wang, Jack T. H.; Power, Cheryl J.; Kahler, Charlene M.; Lyras, Dena; Young, Paul R.; Iredell, Jonathan; Robins-Browne, Roy

2018-01-01

Science communication is a skill set to be developed through ongoing interactions with different stakeholders across a variety of platforms. Opportunities to engage the general public are typically reserved for senior scientists, but the use of social media in science communication allows all scientists to instantaneously disseminate their findings and interact with online users. The Communication Ambassador program is a social media initiative launched by the Australian Society for Microbiology to expand the online presence and science communication portfolios of early-career scientists. Through their participation in the program, a rotating roster of Australian microbiologists have broadened the online reach of the Society’s social media channels as well as their own professional networks by attending and live-tweeting microbiology events throughout the year. We present the Communication Ambassador program as a case study of coordinated social media activity in science communication to the general public, and describe the potential for its applications in science education and training. PMID:29904520

Communication Ambassadors-an Australian Social Media Initiative to Develop Communication Skills in Early Career Scientists.

PubMed

Wang, Jack T H; Power, Cheryl J; Kahler, Charlene M; Lyras, Dena; Young, Paul R; Iredell, Jonathan; Robins-Browne, Roy

2018-01-01

Science communication is a skill set to be developed through ongoing interactions with different stakeholders across a variety of platforms. Opportunities to engage the general public are typically reserved for senior scientists, but the use of social media in science communication allows all scientists to instantaneously disseminate their findings and interact with online users. The Communication Ambassador program is a social media initiative launched by the Australian Society for Microbiology to expand the online presence and science communication portfolios of early-career scientists. Through their participation in the program, a rotating roster of Australian microbiologists have broadened the online reach of the Society's social media channels as well as their own professional networks by attending and live-tweeting microbiology events throughout the year. We present the Communication Ambassador program as a case study of coordinated social media activity in science communication to the general public, and describe the potential for its applications in science education and training.

Elements of Success in Chicago Botanic Garden’s Science Career Continuum

PubMed Central

Johnson, Katherine A.

2016-01-01

The Science Career Continuum at the Chicago Botanic Garden is a model program for successfully encouraging youth from diverse backgrounds into STEM careers. This program has shown that when students are given an opportunity to participate in real scientific research under the mentorship of a caring professional over multiple years, they are more likely to go to college and pursue STEM careers than their peers. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education PMID:27047595

Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2010

2010-01-01

"Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty" presents new and surprising findings about career differences between female and male full-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty in science, engineering, and mathematics at the nation's top research universities. Much of this…

Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology: Fabian A. Soto.

PubMed

2016-11-01

APA's Awards for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology recognize psychologists who have demonstrated excellence early in their careers. One of the 2016 award winners is Fabian A. Soto, whose work "has shed fresh light on a broad range of fundamental psychological issues, including basic associative conditioning, causal judgment, categorization, visual object recognition, and face processing." Soto's award citation, biography, and selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Youth Motivation to Participate in Animal Science-Related Career Development Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancaster, Kendra; Knobloch, Neil; Jones, Amy; Brady, Colleen

2013-01-01

The explorative study reported here describes youth participants in three animal science-related career development events from 2010. Variables included students' self-efficacy, task value motivation, career interests, and to what extent they utilized resources in preparation. It was concluded that all three groups were self-efficacious,…

Who Chooses STEM Careers? Using A Relative Cognitive Strength and Interest Model to Predict Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

PubMed

Wang, Ming-Te; Ye, Feifei; Degol, Jessica Lauren

2017-08-01

Career aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are formulated in adolescence, making the high school years a critical time period for identifying the cognitive and motivational factors that increase the likelihood of future STEM employment. While past research has mainly focused on absolute cognitive ability levels in math and verbal domains, the current study tested whether relative cognitive strengths and interests in math, science, and verbal domains in high school were more accurate predictors of STEM career decisions. Data were drawn from a national longitudinal study in the United States (N = 1762; 48 % female; the first wave during ninth grade and the last wave at age 33). Results revealed that in the high-verbal/high-math/high-science ability group, individuals with higher science task values and lower orientation toward altruism were more likely to select STEM occupations. In the low-verbal/moderate-math/moderate-science ability group, individuals with higher math ability and higher math task values were more likely to select STEM occupations. The findings suggest that youth with asymmetrical cognitive ability profiles are more likely to select careers that utilize their cognitive strengths rather than their weaknesses, while symmetrical cognitive ability profiles may grant youth more flexibility in their options, allowing their interests and values to guide their career decisions.

Interpreting Early Career Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnatt, Joan; Gahlsdorf Terrell, Dianna; D'Souza, Lisa Andries; Jong, Cindy; Cochran-Smith, Marilyn; Viesca, Kara Mitchell; Gleeson, Ann Marie; McQuillan, Patrick; Shakman, Karen

2017-01-01

Career decisions of four teachers are explored through the concept of figured worlds in this qualitative, longitudinal case study. Participants were purposefully chosen for similarity at entry, with a range of career trajectories over time. Teacher career paths included remaining in one school, repeated changes in schools, attrition after…

Satisfaction among early and mid-career dentists in a metropolitan dental hospital in China

PubMed Central

Cui, Xiaoxi; Dunning, David G; An, Na

2017-01-01

A growing body of research has examined career satisfaction among dentists using a standardized instrument, dentist satisfaction survey (DSS). This project examined career satisfaction of early to mid-career dentists in China, a population whose career satisfaction, heretofore, has not been studied. This is an especially critical time to examine career satisfaction because of health care reform measures being implemented in China. A culturally sensitive Chinese-language version of the DSS (CDSS) was developed and electronically administered to 367 early and mid-career dentists in a tertiary dental hospital in Beijing, China. One hundred and seventy respondents completed the survey. The average total career score was 123, with a range of 82–157. Data analysis showed some significant differences in total career score and several subscales based on gender, working hours per week, and years in practice. A stepwise regression model revealed that two variables predicted total career score: working hours per week and gender. Stepwise regression also demonstrated that four subscales significantly predicted the overall professional satisfaction subscale score: respect, delivery of care, income and patient relations. Implications of these results are discussed in light of the health care delivery system and dentist career paths in China. PMID:29355243

STEM Career Changers' Transformation into Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, Catherine; Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Paska, Lawrence M.

2013-06-01

This study examines the transformation (professional growth) of career-changing women scientists who decided to become teachers. Drawing upon Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory, we tracked their transformation for 3 years. Our findings revealed multiple identities, disorientation, a perceived sense of meaninglessness, loss and eventual regain in confidence, gain in pedagogical knowledge and skill, and changed perceptions of the social roles of science teachers and scientists. Driven by personal choice or need (financial, intellectual), such transformations were achieved through active pursuit of meaning in one's work, critical assessment of assumptions, planning, and trying on the unfamiliar role of a science teacher. It is argued that such transition entails complex changes in thinking about science teaching and identifying oneself as a science teacher.

Opportunities in Biological Sciences; [VGM Career Horizons Series].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Charles A.

This book provides job descriptions and discusses career opportunities in various fields of the biological sciences. These fields include: (1) biotechnology, genetics, biomedical engineering, microbiology, mycology, systematic biology, marine and aquatic biology, botany, plant physiology, plant pathology, ecology, and wildlife biology; (2) the…

Insights on leadership from early career nurse academics: findings from a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Halcomb, Elizabeth; Jackson, Debra; Daly, John; Gray, Joanne; Salamonson, Yenna; Andrew, Sharon; Peters, Kath

2016-03-01

To explore the perceptions of early career nursing academics on leadership in academia. There is growing emphasis on leadership capacity building across all domains of nursing. However, there is limited evidence on leadership capacity in early career academics. This study tested an intervention to develop leadership capacity amongst early career nursing academics in two Australian universities. A sequential mixed methods design, using online surveys and semi-structured interviews, was used to collect data. Twenty-three early career nursing academics participated. Most had experience of formal leadership roles and were aware of its importance to them as they developed their academic careers. Participants were able to discuss their own views of themselves as leaders; their perceptions of their own needs for leadership development, and ways in which they could seek to develop further as leaders. There is a need to provide initial and ongoing opportunities for leadership development amongst nurse academics. These opportunities should be contextualised and recognise factors such as gender, and the effects of structural oppression. Nurse academics are involved in the preparation of the next generation of clinical leaders and it is imperative that they are able to articulate a clear view of leadership. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Science communication: a career where PhDs can make a difference

PubMed Central

Irion, Robert

2015-01-01

Among careers for biologists with PhDs, science communication is one of the most diverse and rewarding pathways. Myriad options exist, from traditional journalism to new media, from writing for specialists to working in public outreach. Textbooks, mass-market books, and freelance writing that combines many of these pursuits are all viable choices. Communicating about science allows researchers to step away from the minutiae of a subdiscipline and to once again explore the breadth of science more fully through an ever-evolving array of stories. A doctoral degree can confer distinct advantages in the eyes of prospective editors and employers. Here I describe those advantages, possible career directions, and steps toward making such a transition. PMID:25678584

Early career professional development issues for military academic psychiatrists.

PubMed

Warner, Christopher H; Bobo, William V; Flynn, Julianne

2005-01-01

Academically motivated graduates of military psychiatric residency programs confront serious challenges. In this article, the authors present a junior faculty development model organized around four overlapping domains: mentorship, scholarship, research, and career planning/development. Using these four domains as a platform for discussion, the authors focus on challenges facing academically oriented early-career military psychiatrists and provide guidance. The authors believe that a proactive stance, skillful mentoring, self-awareness through conscious planning and effort, ability to capitalize on existing opportunities for growth, and attention to detail are all vital to the junior military psychiatrist.

Early career mentoring for translational researchers: mentee perspectives on challenges and issues.

PubMed

Keller, Thomas E; Collier, Peter J; Blakeslee, Jennifer E; Logan, Kay; McCracken, Karen; Morris, Cynthia

2014-01-01

The education and training of early career biomedical translational researchers often involves formal mentoring by more experienced colleagues. This study investigated the nature of these mentoring relationships from the perspective of mentees. The objective was to understand the challenges and issues encountered by mentees in forming and maintaining productive mentoring relationships. Three focus groups (n=14) were conducted with early career researchers who had mentored career development awards. Thematic analysis identified, categorized, and illustrated the challenges and issues reported by mentees. The range of mentee challenges was reflected in five major categories: (a) network--finding appropriate mentors to meet various needs; (b) access--structuring schedules and opportunities to receive mentoring; (c) expectations--negotiating the mechanics of the mentoring relationship and its purpose; (d) alignment--managing mentor-mentee mismatches regarding interests, priorities, and goals; and (e) skills and supports--developing the institutional supports to be successful. Mentoring relationships created for academic training and career development contend with tasks common to many other relationships, namely, recognizing compatibility, finding time, establishing patterns, agreeing to goals, and achieving aims. Identifying challenges faced by mentees can facilitate the development of appropriate trainings and supports to foster mentoring relationships in academic and career settings.

Funding opportunities for clinical investigators in the early stages of career development in cardiovascular research.

PubMed

Mentz, Robert J; Becker, Richard C

2013-11-01

Contemporary cardiovascular research offers junior investigators the opportunity to explore the gamut of biomedical questions. Despite the recent reduction in the availability of funding mechanisms that have historically served as the primary pathways for investigators in the early stages of career development, there remain numerous traditional and non-traditional funding opportunities. This article highlights these opportunities in order to assist early career investigators in the development of a personalized research trajectory, which optimizes the potential for career success.

The information value of early career productivity in mathematics: a ROC analysis of prediction errors in bibliometricly informed decision making.

PubMed

Lindahl, Jonas; Danell, Rickard

The aim of this study was to provide a framework to evaluate bibliometric indicators as decision support tools from a decision making perspective and to examine the information value of early career publication rate as a predictor of future productivity. We used ROC analysis to evaluate a bibliometric indicator as a tool for binary decision making. The dataset consisted of 451 early career researchers in the mathematical sub-field of number theory. We investigated the effect of three different definitions of top performance groups-top 10, top 25, and top 50 %; the consequences of using different thresholds in the prediction models; and the added prediction value of information on early career research collaboration and publications in prestige journals. We conclude that early career performance productivity has an information value in all tested decision scenarios, but future performance is more predictable if the definition of a high performance group is more exclusive. Estimated optimal decision thresholds using the Youden index indicated that the top 10 % decision scenario should use 7 articles, the top 25 % scenario should use 7 articles, and the top 50 % should use 5 articles to minimize prediction errors. A comparative analysis between the decision thresholds provided by the Youden index which take consequences into consideration and a method commonly used in evaluative bibliometrics which do not take consequences into consideration when determining decision thresholds, indicated that differences are trivial for the top 25 and the 50 % groups. However, a statistically significant difference between the methods was found for the top 10 % group. Information on early career collaboration and publication strategies did not add any prediction value to the bibliometric indicator publication rate in any of the models. The key contributions of this research is the focus on consequences in terms of prediction errors and the notion of transforming uncertainty

Things I wish I'd known: desiderata for early career psychiatrists.

PubMed

Ng, Lillian; Steane, Richard; Chacko, Emme; Scollay, Natalie

2017-02-01

The objective of this study was to disseminate advice imparted to early career psychiatrists by a panel of senior colleagues at a Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists symposium, reflecting on things they wished they had known at the earlier stage in their careers. Key themes were extracted from notes taken at the symposium, where opinions were expressed by three senior psychiatrists. There are components in building a sustainable career as a psychiatrist, which include considering one's work environment and relationships with colleagues; self-care, mentorship and reflective practice; and seeking opportunities to teach and research for career progression. The mentorship and advice from senior colleagues can be highly influential. In order to sustain a career that has reward, meaning and longevity, psychiatrists would do well to pay attention to aspects of self-care, stay connected to their loved ones, seek an optimal work-life balance and take an interest in their long term career plans.

Strengthening the Career Development of Clinical Translational Scientist Trainees: A Consensus Statement of the Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Research Education and Career Development Committees

PubMed Central

Meyers, Frederick J.; Begg, Melissa D.; Fleming, Michael; Merchant, Carol

2012-01-01

Abstract  The challenges for scholars committed to successful careers in clinical and translational science are increasingly well recognized. The Education and Career Development (EdCD) of the national Clinical and Translational Science Award consortium gathered thought leaders to propose sustainable solutions and an agenda for future studies that would strengthen the infrastructure across the spectrum of pre‐ and postdoctoral, MD and PhD, scholars. Six consensus statements were prepared that include: (1) the requirement for career development of a qualitatively different investigator; (2) the implications of interdisciplinary science for career advancement including institutional promotion and tenure actions that were developed for discipline‐specific accomplishments; (3) the need for long‐term commitment of institutions to scholars; (4) discipline‐specific curricula are still required but curricula designed to promote team work and interdisciplinary training will promote innovation; (5) PhD trainees have many pathways to career satisfaction and success; and (6) a centralized infrastructure to enhance and reward mentoring is required. Several themes cut across all of the recommendations including team science, innovation, and sustained institutional commitment. Implied themes include an effective and diverse job force and the requirement for a well‐crafted public policy that supports continued investments in science education. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume #: 1–6 PMID:22507118

Strengthening the career development of clinical translational scientist trainees: a consensus statement of the Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Research Education and Career Development Committees.

PubMed

Meyers, Frederick J; Begg, Melissa D; Fleming, Michael; Merchant, Carol

2012-04-01

The challenges for scholars committed to successful careers in clinical and translational science are increasingly well recognized. The Education and Career Development (EdCD) of the national Clinical and Translational Science Award consortium gathered thought leaders to propose sustainable solutions and an agenda for future studies that would strengthen the infrastructure across the spectrum of pre- and postdoctoral, MD and PhD, scholars. Six consensus statements were prepared that include: (1) the requirement for career development of a qualitatively different investigator; (2) the implications of interdisciplinary science for career advancement including institutional promotion and tenure actions that were developed for discipline-specific accomplishments; (3) the need for long-term commitment of institutions to scholars; (4) discipline-specific curricula are still required but curricula designed to promote team work and interdisciplinary training will promote innovation; (5) PhD trainees have many pathways to career satisfaction and success; and (6) a centralized infrastructure to enhance and reward mentoring is required. Several themes cut across all of the recommendations including team science, innovation, and sustained institutional commitment. Implied themes include an effective and diverse job force and the requirement for a well-crafted public policy that supports continued investments in science education. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decide now, pay later: Early influences in math and science education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malcom, S.

1995-12-31

Who are the people deciding to major in science, math or engineering in college? The early interest in science and math education which can lead to science and engineering careers, is shaped as much by the encompassing world of the child as it is by formal education experiences. This paper documents what we know and what we need to know about the influences on children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, including the home, pre-school groups, science and math programs in churches, community groups, the media, cultural institutions (museums, zoos, botanical gardens), libraries, and schools (curriculum, instruction, policies and assessment). Itmore » also covers the nature and quality of curricular and intervention programs, and identifies strategies that appear to be most effective for various groups.« less

Mentoring: A Review of Early Career Researcher Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeren, Ellen; Lokhtina-Antoniou, Irina; Sakurai, Yusuke; Herman, Chaya; McAlpine, Lynn

2015-01-01

This paper reviews 23 journal articles on "mentoring" in the context of Early Career Researchers, defined as those in academia with less than 10 years of experience from the start of their PhD. Achieving a better understanding of mentoring is important since within the higher education context new dynamics have created expectations…

The Science, Engineering and Technology Career Library Corner. Final report, February 1, 1995--January 31, 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cole, P.R.

1996-03-01

A grant was made to install and pilot-test the Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Career Library Corner at the New York Hall of Science. The SET Career Library Corner is located in a multi-media library setting where visitors can explore careers in a quiet, uninterrupted environment, in contrast to the original installation designed as a museum floor exhibit.

How well does early-career investigators' cardiovascular outcomes research training align with funded outcomes research?

PubMed

Crowley, Matthew J; Al-Khatib, Sana M; Wang, Tracy Y; Khazanie, Prateeti; Kressin, Nancy R; Krumholz, Harlan M; Kiefe, Catarina I; Wells, Barbara L; O'Brien, Sean M; Peterson, Eric D; Sanders, Gillian D

2018-02-01

Outcomes research training programs should prepare trainees to successfully compete for research funding. We examined how early-career investigators' prior and desired training aligns with recently funded cardiovascular (CV) outcomes research. We (1) reviewed literature to identify 13 core competency areas in CV outcomes research; (2) surveyed early-career investigators to understand their prior and desired training in each competency area; (3) examined recently funded grants commonly pursued by early-career outcomes researchers to ascertain available funding in competency areas; and (4) analyzed alignment between investigator training and funded research in each competency area. We evaluated 185 survey responses from early-career investigators (response rate 28%) and 521 funded grants from 2010 to 2014. Respondents' prior training aligned with funded grants in the areas of clinical epidemiology, observational research, randomized controlled trials, and implementation/dissemination research. Funding in community-engaged research and health informatics was more common than prior training in these areas. Respondents' prior training in biostatistics and systematic review was more common than funded grants focusing on these specific areas. Respondents' desired training aligned similarly with funded grants, with some exceptions; for example, desired training in health economics/cost-effectiveness research was more common than funded grants in these areas. Restricting to CV grants (n=132) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded grants (n=170) produced similar results. Identifying mismatch between funded grants in outcomes research and early-career investigators' prior/desired training may help efforts to harmonize investigator interests, training, and funding. Our findings suggest a need for further consideration of how to best prepare early-career investigators for funding success. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Grant Game as Training Ground for Tractability? An Australian Early Career Researcher's Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Eva B.

2016-01-01

The future of education research is linked to what early career researchers in Education are doing and learning to do now. This paper presents a narrative of one early career researcher who works and lives in Australia. She tells the story about how she came to research and to an academic life, about what her doctoral work and education taught her…

Comparison of Career Concerns among College Women and Men Enrolled in Biological and Physical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodson, Maria

The underrepresentation of women enrolled in the physical sciences continues to challenge academic leaders despite over 40 years of programming to promote gender equity within these curricula. This study employed a quantitative, causal comparative method to explore if and to what extent career concerns differed among female and male undergraduate physical and biological science students. The theory of planned behavior and life-span, life-space theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Quantitative survey data were collected from 43 students at four institutions across the United States. The findings indicated that undergraduate women in physical science programs of study had a significantly different level of concern about the Innovating sub-category of the third stage of career development, Maintenance, as compared to undergraduate women in biological science curricula [F(1,33) = 6.244, p = 0.018]. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between female undergraduate physical science students and undergraduate male science students in the sub-categories of Implementation [F(1,19) = 7.228, p = 0.015], Advancing [F(1,19) = 11.877, p = 0.003], and Innovating [F(1,19) = 11.782, p = 0.003] within the first three stages of career development (Exploration, Establishment, and Maintenance). The comparative differences among the study groups offers new information about undergraduate career concerns that may contribute to the underrepresentation of women enrolled in the physical sciences. Suggestions for future research and programs within higher education targeted at reducing the career concerns of current and prospective female students in physical science curricula are discussed.

Intergenerational Transfers of Preferences for Science Careers in Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikora, Joanna; Pokropek, Artur

2012-01-01

Using data from 24 countries, which participated in the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), we examine the relationship between parental science employment and students' career expectations. In contrast to prior PISA-based studies, we find that the link between parental employment and adolescent plans to work in science is…

Science PhD Career Preferences: Levels, Changes, and Advisor Encouragement

PubMed Central

Sauermann, Henry; Roach, Michael

2012-01-01

Even though academic research is often viewed as the preferred career path for PhD trained scientists, most U.S. graduates enter careers in industry, government, or “alternative careers.” There has been a growing concern that these career patterns reflect fundamental imbalances between the supply of scientists seeking academic positions and the availability of such positions. However, while government statistics provide insights into realized career transitions, there is little systematic data on scientists' career preferences and thus on the degree to which there is a mismatch between observed career paths and scientists' preferences. Moreover, we lack systematic evidence whether career preferences adjust over the course of the PhD training and to what extent advisors exacerbate imbalances by encouraging their students to pursue academic positions. Based on a national survey of PhD students at tier-one U.S. institutions, we provide insights into the career preferences of junior scientists across the life sciences, physics, and chemistry. We also show that the attractiveness of academic careers decreases significantly over the course of the PhD program, despite the fact that advisors strongly encourage academic careers over non-academic careers. Our data provide an empirical basis for common concerns regarding labor market imbalances. Our results also suggest the need for mechanisms that provide PhD applicants with information that allows them to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of pursuing a PhD, as well as for mechanisms that complement the job market advice advisors give to their current students. PMID:22567149

Science PhD career preferences: levels, changes, and advisor encouragement.

PubMed

Sauermann, Henry; Roach, Michael

2012-01-01

Even though academic research is often viewed as the preferred career path for PhD trained scientists, most U.S. graduates enter careers in industry, government, or "alternative careers." There has been a growing concern that these career patterns reflect fundamental imbalances between the supply of scientists seeking academic positions and the availability of such positions. However, while government statistics provide insights into realized career transitions, there is little systematic data on scientists' career preferences and thus on the degree to which there is a mismatch between observed career paths and scientists' preferences. Moreover, we lack systematic evidence whether career preferences adjust over the course of the PhD training and to what extent advisors exacerbate imbalances by encouraging their students to pursue academic positions. Based on a national survey of PhD students at tier-one U.S. institutions, we provide insights into the career preferences of junior scientists across the life sciences, physics, and chemistry. We also show that the attractiveness of academic careers decreases significantly over the course of the PhD program, despite the fact that advisors strongly encourage academic careers over non-academic careers. Our data provide an empirical basis for common concerns regarding labor market imbalances. Our results also suggest the need for mechanisms that provide PhD applicants with information that allows them to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of pursuing a PhD, as well as for mechanisms that complement the job market advice advisors give to their current students.

The effect of inquiry-based learning experiences on adolescents' science-related career aspiration in the Finnish context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jingoo; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-08-01

Much research has been conducted to investigate the effects of inquiry-based learning on students' attitude towards science and future involvement in the science field, but few of them conducted in-depth studies including young learners' socio-cognitive background to explore mechanisms which explain how inquiry experiences influence on career choices. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate in what ways and to what extent the inquiry learning experiences in school science affect students' future career orientation in the context of socio-cognitive mechanisms based on socio-cognitive career theory(SCCT). For the purpose, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 data were used focusing on science literacy, and the sample of Finnish 15-year-old students (N = 5782) was analysed by structural equation modelling with the hypothesised Inquiry-SCCT model. The results of the study showed that inquiry learning experiences were indicated as a positive predictor for the students' career aspiration, and most of its effects were mediated by outcome expectations. Indeed, although self-efficacy and interest in learning science indicated positive correlations with future aspiration, outcome expectation presented the highest correlation with the science-related career. Gender differences were found in the model, but girls indicated higher outcome expectation and career aspiration than boys in Finland.

Tribal, Proletarian and Entrepreneurial Career Stories: Junior Academics as a Case in Point

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ylijoki, Oili-Helena; Henriksson, Lea

2017-01-01

This paper explores the career-building of junior academics in the current higher education environment, which is characterised by short-term employment conditions. The paper is based on focus group discussions with Finnish early career academics working in the social sciences. Drawing upon a narrative approach, five career stories are…

Early Career Academics Learning the Game in Whackademia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Loraine; Monk, Sue

2017-01-01

The initial years as an early career academic (ECA) are challenging times as those new to the academy attempt to balance the three aspects of their role: teaching, research and service, while also coming to terms with both overt and hidden expectations. Formal mentoring arrangements for ECAs are threatened by competing demands on time.…

Supporting early career health investigators in Kenya: A qualitative study of HIV/AIDS research capacity building.

PubMed

Daniels, Joseph; Nduati, Ruth; Kiarie, James; Farquhar, Carey

2015-01-01

Strategies to transfer international health research training programs to sub-Saharan African institutions focus on developing cadres of local investigators who will lead such programs. Using a critical leadership theory framework, we conducted a qualitative study of one program to understand how collaborative training and research can support early career investigators in Kenya toward the program transfer goal. We used purposive sampling methods and a semi-structured protocol to conduct in-depth interviews with US (N = 5) and Kenyan (N = 5) independent investigators. Transcripts were coded using a two-step process, and then compared with each other to identify major themes. A limited local research environment, funding needs and research career mentorship were identified as major influences on early career researchers. Institutional demands on Kenyan faculty to teach rather than complete research restricted investigators' ability to develop research careers. This was coupled with lack of local funding to support research. Sustainable collaborations between Kenyan, US and other international investigators were perceived to mitigate these challenges and support early career investigators who would help build a robust local research environment for training. Mutually beneficial collaborations between Kenyan and US investigators developed during training mitigate these challenges and build a supportive research environment for training. In these collaborations, early career investigators learn how to navigate the complex international research environment to build local HIV research capacity. Shared and mutually beneficial resources within international research collaborations are required to support early career investigators and plans to transfer health research training to African institutions.

Workshop initial report: Expanding the geoscience pipeline by connecting educators with early career IODP scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, J. C.; Cooper, S. K.; Hovan, S. A.; Leckie, R. M.; White, L. D.

2017-12-01

The U.S. is facing challenges in attracting, retaining and diversifying the workforce in the geosciences. A likely contributing factor is the homogeneity of the pool of mentors/role models available both within the workforce and in the U.S. professoriate. Another probable factor is "exposure gaps" among U.S. student populations; i.e., differing access to engaging facets of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In response, we organized an 18-day School of Rock workshop onboard the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution during a July 2017 transit in the western Pacific. Our objectives were diversity driven, focusing on measures to broaden participation at all levels (i.e., K-12, undergraduate and beyond) in innovative ways (e.g., from place-base curriculum to longitudinal peer mentoring through extracurricular STEM communities). To accomplish this, we designed a recruiting scheme to attract pairs of participants, specifically a teacher from a diverse community and a nearby early-career scientist with an interest in IODP science. By partnering in this way we sought to foster connections that might not naturally emerge, and therein to establish new mechanisms for increased engagement, broader recruitment, enhanced support, and improved retention of students from underrepresented communities in STEM education. We report on initial workshop outcomes that include new curriculum proposals, nascent funding proposals, and innovative connections among secondary educators and early-career scientists. Survey results of our participants gauge the expected impacts of the workshop on perceptions and on plans for future actions aimed at broadening participation.

Alternate Careers for Physicists: Science Policy and Government Relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, Gregory

While physics is an investigation of the world around us, physicists and the practice of physics research exist within the world in combination with aspects of society. This means that physicists and physics research are subject to federal policies and regulations that affect how physics is done. Who decides or influences those policies? Who speaks up on our behalf? Who investigates policy issues from a physics point of view? As physicists, we can lend our expertise and insight in order to ensure a fruitful future for physics and science more broadly, whether it be an occasional policy action taken or a career in science policy and government relations. In this talk I'll share the story of my transition from academia to a policy-focused career at APS and what it means to be a physicist on the frontlines of government relations.

Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists, and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Soo Yeon; Parker, Loran Carleton; Adedokun, Omolola; Mennonno, Ann; Wackerly, Amy; San Miguel, Sandra

2015-01-01

This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students' aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of…

Recent activities of the Seismology Division Early Career Representative(s)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agius, Matthew; Van Noten, Koen; Ermert, Laura; Mai, P. Martin; Krawczyk, CharLotte

2016-04-01

The European Geosciences Union is a bottom-up-organisation, in which its members are represented by their respective scientific divisions, committees and council. In recent years, EGU has embarked on a mission to reach out for its numerous 'younger' members by giving awards to outstanding young scientists and the setting up of Early Career Scientists (ECS) representatives. The division representative's role is to engage in discussions that concern students and early career scientists. Several meetings between all the division representatives are held throughout the year to discuss ideas and Union-wide issues. One important impact ECS representatives have had on EGU is the increased number of short courses and workshops run by ECS during the annual General Assembly. Another important contribution of ECS representatives was redefining 'Young Scientist' to 'Early Career Scientist', which avoids discrimination due to age. Since 2014, the Seismology Division has its own ECS representative. In an effort to more effectively reach out for young seismologists, a blog and a social media page dedicated to seismology have been set up online. With this dedicated blog, we'd like to give more depth to the average browsing experience by enabling young researchers to explore various seismology topics in one place while making the field more exciting and accessible to the broader community. These pages are used to promote the latest research especially of young seismologists and to share interesting seismo-news. Over the months the pages proved to be popular, with hundreds of views every week and an increased number of followers. An online survey was conducted to learn more about the activities and needs of early career seismologists. We present the results from this survey, and the work that has been carried out over the last two years, including detail of what has been achieved so far, and what we would like the ECS representation for Seismology to achieve. Young seismologists are

The Early Careers of Non-College-Bound Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grogger, Jeff

Data drawn from the Sophomore Cohort of the High School and Beyond study, also known as the Class of 1982 data, were studied to provide baseline data on the early careers of noncollege-bound (NCB) men. The analysis used data primarily from two post-high school interviews in 1984 and 1986. This report also focuses on restaurant employment, an…

The Impact of Scientist-Educator Collaborations: an early-career scientist's perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roop, H. A.

2017-12-01

A decade ago, a forward-thinking faculty member exposed a group of aspiring scientists to the impacts and career benefits of working directly with K-12 students and educators. Ten years later, as one of those young scientists, it is clear that the relationships born out of this early experience can transform a researcher's impact and trajectory in science. Connections with programs like the NSF-funded PolarTREC program, the teacher-led Scientists in the Classroom effort, and through well-coordinated teacher training opportunities there are clear ways in which these partnerships can a) transform student learning; b) serve as a powerful and meaningful way to connect students to authentic research and researchers; and c) help researchers become more effective communicators by expanding their ability to connect their work to society. The distillation of science to K-12 students, with the expert eye of educators, makes scientists better at their work with tangible benefits to skills that matter in academia - securing funding, writing and communicating clearly and having high-value broader impacts. This invited abstract is submitted as part of this session's panel discussion and will explore in detail, with concrete examples, the mutual benefits of educator-scientist partnerships and how sustained engagement can transform the reach, connection and application of research science.

Professional Development Needs and Training Interests: A Survey of Early Career School Psychologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arora, Prerna G.; Brown, Jacqueline; Harris, Bryn; Sullivan, Amanda

2017-01-01

Early career psychologists (ECPs) are considered a distinct professional group that faces unique career challenges. Despite recent organizational efforts to increase engagement of these individuals, little is known about the professional development needs and training interests of ECPs, particularly within psychology's subfields. As such, this…

Influence of Social Support and Self-Efficacy on Resilience of Early Career Registered Nurses.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Tao, Hong; Bowers, Barbara J; Brown, Roger; Zhang, Yaqing

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among social support, self-efficacy, and resilience in early career registered nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 747 early career registered nurses. Data collection was performed between August and November 2015. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Among the three factors of social support, only the impact of coworker support on nurse resilience is fully mediated by self-efficacy; friend support had a significant positive direct effect on self-efficacy and an indirect effect on nurse resilience. This would suggest the importance of administrators/managers understanding how to promote coworker support, increase self-efficacy, foster a positive work climate, and develop effective mentorship programs to improve early career registered nurses resilience and mitigate factors leading to turnover.

Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest: Anneliese A. Singh.

PubMed

2016-11-01

The APA Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest recognize persons who have advanced psychology as a science and/or profession by a single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of outstanding contributions in the public interest. The 2016 corecipient of the Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest is Anneliese A. Singh. Dr. Singh's scholarship "has promoted major advancements in LBGT studies and intersectionality of multiple identities." Singh's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Early Career Mentoring for Translational Researchers: Mentee Perspectives on Challenges and Issues

PubMed Central

Keller, Thomas E.; Collier, Peter J.; Blakeslee, Jennifer E.; Logan, Kay; McCracken, Karen; Morris, Cynthia

2014-01-01

Background and purposes The education and training of early career biomedical translational researchers often involves formal mentoring by more experienced colleagues. This study investigated the nature of these mentoring relationships from the perspective of mentees. The objective was to understand the challenges and issues encountered by mentees in forming and maintaining productive mentoring relationships. Method Three focus groups (n=14) were conducted with early career researchers who had mentored career development awards. Thematic analysis identified, categorized, and illustrated the challenges and issues reported by mentees. Results The range of mentee challenges was reflected in five major categories: 1) network—finding appropriate mentors to meet various needs; 2) access—structuring schedules and opportunities to receive mentoring; 3) expectations—negotiating the mechanics of the mentoring relationship and its purpose; 4) alignment—managing mentor-mentee mismatches regarding interests, priorities, and goals; and 5) skills and supports—developing the institutional supports to be successful. Conclusions Mentoring relationships created for academic training and career development contend with tasks common to many other relationships, namely recognizing compatibility, finding time, establishing patterns, agreeing to goals, and achieving aims. Identifying challenges faced by mentees can facilitate the development of appropriate trainings and supports to foster mentoring relationships in academic and career settings. PMID:25010230

Reflections on a Career in Radio Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peden, Irene C.

2006-12-01

Why would a WWII-generation teenager select an engineering career? Dr. Peden outlines the background, motivations and patterns of personal interest that led to her choice in the wartime “climate” of that period, including the influence of teachers and parents. She remembers experiencing the need to undertake graduate studies 10 years later, and recalls why she chose an academic career. She later became a leader in campus and national efforts to improve the professional climate for women, and will comment on the variation s in campus attitudes toward diversity over the years. Finally, she offers her thoughts on the special challenges for faculty that are presented by student views of their own responsibilities and roles in engineering education, and reflects on the impact of these factors on the science/mathematics/engineering “pipeline” .

Preparing high school students for a career in the health sciences.

PubMed

Mares, K R; Calkins, E V

1987-02-01

The Summer Scholars Programs at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine are designed to identify talented minority or economically disadvantaged high school students and to encourage these students toward careers in the health sciences. In the summer of 1984, 31 students participated in a one-month educational program during which they observed and participated in selected patient care procedures. They developed interpersonal and interviewing skills needed for successful application to health education programs. Students were provided information about numerous health careers to help them clarify their perceptions of health roles.To assess the programs' impact, the 18 scholar participants, who were high school seniors, responded to a questionnaire that sought information about their academic program during the senior year and their plans for higher education. Responses indicated that all had pursued rigorous academic programs, had achieved at a superior level in these courses, and were enrolling in college in the fall of 1985. Fourteen of the 18 students were planning careers in medicine. Responses indicated that the students felt that the programs had been effective in helping them learn about, prepare for, and make appropriate choices regarding careers in the health sciences.

Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction of Early Career Elementary School Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirby, Deanne M.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this embedded mixed methods study was to determine the types of support and amounts of support most conducive to the development of early career teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction. The study further examined the effect of job satisfaction and self-efficacy on early career teacher intent to remain in the teaching profession.…

Black Female Faculty Success and Early Career Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Tamara Bertrand; Osborne-Lampkin, La'Tara

2013-01-01

In recent years, a number of Black female junior scholars have participated in an early career professional development program designed to address socialization issues through individual and small group mentoring. This descriptive qualitative study investigated scholars' perceptions of the importance and effectiveness of a research…

Finding Their Way on: Career Decision-Making Processes of Urban Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rinke, Carol R.

2009-01-01

This article reports on a research study investigating the career decision-making processes of urban science teachers as one element central to understanding the high rates of attrition in the field. Using a longitudinal, prospective, context- and subject-specific approach, this study followed the career decisions of case study teachers over a…

Getting Started in Academic Careers: On the Cutting Edge Resources for Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Early Career Faculty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, R.; Ormand, C.; Manduca, C. A.; Wright-Dunbar, R.; Allen-King, R.

2007-12-01

The professional development program,'On the Cutting Edge', offers on-line resources and annual multi-day workshops for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in pursuing academic careers. Pre- workshop surveys reveal that early career faculty, post-docs, and graduate students have many questions about teaching (e.g., what are effective teaching strategies, how to design a course, how to prepare a syllabus, how to teach large courses), research (e.g., initiate and fund future research, set up and manage a lab, obtain equipment), and career management (e.g., understand tenure requirements, balance all it all). The graduate students and post-docs also have questions about jobs and the job search process. Their questions show a lack of familiarity with the nature of academic positions at different kinds of educational institutions (two-year colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, and research universities). In particular, they are uncertain about what educational setting will best fit their values and career goals and how teaching loads and research expectations vary by institution. Common questions related to the job search process include where to find job listings (the most common question in recent years), when to start the job search process, how to stand out as an applicant, and how to prepare for interviews. Both groups have questions about how to develop new skills: how to develop, plan and prepare a new course (without it taking all of their time), how to expand beyond their PhD (or postdoc) research projects, how to develop a research plan, and where to apply for funding. These are important topics for advisors to discuss with all of their students and postdocs who are planning on careers in academia. On the Cutting Edge offers workshops and web resources to help current and future faculty navigate these critical stages of their careers. The four-day workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your

High School Students' Perceptions of School Science and Science Careers: A Critical Look at a Critical Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinn, Frances; Lyons, Terry

2011-01-01

Disproportionate representation of males and females in science courses and careers continues to be of concern. This article explores gender differences in Australian high school students' perceptions of school science and their intentions to study university science courses. Nearly 3800 15-year-old students responded to a range of 5-point Likert…

Expectations and Integration of Early Career Academics into the Teaching Career: Empirical Evidence from Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabi, Goski; Abdulai, Munkaila

2016-01-01

The preparation and induction of Early Career Academics (ECAs) in Ghana has been investigated using a qualitative study that employed an enumerative-ethnographic approach. The study combined reviews of policy documents, interviews of 50 Deans and Heads of Departments and surveys of ECAs in five purposively selected universities in Ghana to capture…

Natural hazards Early career scientist Team (NhET), a newborn group bridging science to a broader community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardo, Luigi; Cigala, Valeria; Rizzi, Jonathan; Craciun, Iulya; Gain, Animesh Kumar; Albano, Raffaele

2017-04-01

Alongside with other major EGU divisions, Natural Hazard has recently formed his Early Career Scientist (ECS) team, known as NhET. NhET was born in 2016 and its scope includes various activities for the EGU members, the international scientific community as well as for the general public. We are a group of six early career researchers, either PhDs or Post-Docs, from different fields of Natural Hazard, keen to promote knowledge exchanges and collaborations. This is done by organizing courses, training sessions and social activities, especially targeting ECSs, during the EGU General Assembly for this year and the next to come. Outside the timeframe of the EGU conference, we constantly promote EGU contents for our division. This is done through the division website (http://www.egu.eu/nh), a mailing list (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/nhet) and social media. With respect to the latter, a new Facebook page will be launched shortly and other platforms such as Twitter will be used to reach a broader audience. These platforms will foster the transmission of Natural Hazard topics to anyone who is interested. The main content will be researchers' interviews, information about open positions, trainings, open source software, conferences together with news on hazards and their anthropic and environmental impacts. We are NhET and we invite you all to follow and collaborate with us for a more dynamic, efficient and widespread scientific communication.

A Shifting Baseline: Higher Degrees and Career Options for Ocean Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoder, J. A.; Briscoe, M. G.; Glickson, D.; Roberts, S.; Spinrad, R. W.

2016-02-01

As for other fields of science, a Ph.D. degree in the ocean sciences no longer guarantees an academic position. In fact, recent studies show that while most earning a Ph.D. in the ocean sciences today may start in academia as a postdoc, an undetermined number of postdocs may not move into university faculty positions or comparable positions at basic research institutions. Although the data are few, some believe that most of those now earning Ph.D. degrees in ocean science are eventually employed outside of academia. Changes to the career path for those entering ocean science graduate programs today is both a challenge and an opportunity for graduate programs. Some graduates of course do continue in academia. For those students who are determined to follow that path, graduate programs need to prepare them for that choice. On the other hand, graduate programs also have an obligation to provide students with the information they need to make educated career decisions - there are interesting career choices other than academia for those earning a Ph.D. or finishing with a terminal M.S. degree. Furthermore, graduate programs need to encourage students to think hard about their career expectations early in their graduate program to ensure they acquire the skills needed to keep career options open. This talk will briefly review some of the recent studies related to the career paths of those who recently acquired a Ph.D. in ocean sciences and other fields; describe possible career options for those who enter ocean science graduate programs; encourage more attention on the career possibilities of a terminal ocean science M.S. degree perhaps combined with another higher degree in a different field; and discuss the skills a graduate student can acquire that increase the breadth of career path opportunities.

Early Career Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Balanced Reading Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hastings, Petra

2012-01-01

According to Bandura (1986; 1997), perceptions of efficacy are based on four sources: enactive attainment; vicarious experience; physiological and emotional states; and verbal persuasion. The factors affecting Early Career Teachers' self-efficacy for reading instruction are closely related to these four sources. It is not difficult to imagine an…

Early Career Teachers' Resilience and Positive Adaptive Change Capabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowles, Terry; Arnup, Jessica L.

2016-01-01

This research is an investigation of the link between adaptive functioning and resilience in early career teachers (ECT). Resilience is considered an important capability of teachers and research has shown that teachers who are resourceful, demonstrate agency and develop positive management strategies overcome adversity. In this research, we aim…

The ADVANCE Program: Targeting the Increase in the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esperanca, S.

2003-12-01

overcome barriers, and to encourage women to pursue academic geoscience careers as well as teach administrators how to recruit and retain qualified women in geoscience. The ADVANCE Fellows competition includes eligibility for women in three broad categories: early-career; career interruption; and trailing spouse. The first Fellows competition took place in 2002 and received over 150 applications throughout the Foundation. The Directorate of Geosciences (GEO) received 26 proposals, approximately 18% of the total number, and second only to the Directorate of Biological Sciences (BIO). Of the 26 proposals, 5 were in Atmospheric Sciences (ATM), 9 in Earth Sciences (EAR), and 12 in Ocean Sciences (OCE). Proposal pressure in the Fellows competition was roughly correlated with the number of women in the respective fields. In GEO, the number of proposals reflected broadly the representation of women as PIs in the various Divisions, where OCE has the largest number of female PIs, followed by EAR and ATM, respectively. Of the pool of applicants in 2002 and 2004, approximately 50% were PIs that applied in the early-career (post-doctoral) category, with the other 50% composed of about half for each of the two other categories (spouse relocation and career interruption). Over the next two years, NSF hopes to have a significant portfolio of awards to start deriving some information on successful models for promoting the increase in the representation of women at higher levels of the academic career. Feedback to the members of the ADVANCE Implementation Committee is strongly encouraged as we continue to try to improve this program to better answer the needs of women in academia.

Evaluation of a peer mentoring program for early career gerontological nursing faculty and its potential for application to other fields in nursing and health sciences.

PubMed

Brody, Abraham A; Edelman, Linda; Siegel, Elena O; Foster, Victoria; Bailey, Donald E; Bryant, Ashley Leak; Bond, Stewart M

2016-01-01

As the retirement rate of senior nursing faculty increases, the need to implement new models for providing mentorship to early career academics will become key to developing and maintaining an experienced faculty. This evaluation of a peer mentorship program for predoctoral and postdoctoral gerontological nurses examined its efficacy, utility, and potential for improvement. A web-based survey was developed, implemented, and completed by 22 mentees and 17 mentors (71% and 61% response rates, respectively) as part of the evaluation. The peer mentorship program was found to be valuable by both mentors (64.7%) and mentees (72.7%) in helping mentees further develop their careers and networks and providing mentors with supported mentorship experience. The peer mentorship program could serve as a model for other professional organizations, academic institutions, and consortiums to enhance and extend the formal vertical mentorship provided to early academic career individuals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of a peer mentoring program for early career gerontological nursing faculty and its potential for application to other fields in nursing and health sciences

PubMed Central

Brody, Abraham A.; Edelman, Linda; Siegel, Elena O.; Foster, Victoria; Bailey, Donald E.; Bryant, Ashley Leak; Bond, Stewart M.

2018-01-01

Background As the retirement rate of senior nursing faculty increases, the need to implement new models for providing mentorship to early career academics will become key to developing and maintaining an experienced faculty. Purpose This evaluation of a peer mentorship program for predoctoral and postdoctoral gerontological nurses examined its efficacy, utility, and potential for improvement. Methods A web-based survey was developed, implemented, and completed by 22 mentees and 17 mentors (71% and 61% response rates, respectively) as part of the evaluation. Discussion The peer mentorship program was found to be valuable by both mentors (64.7%) and mentees (72.7%) in helping mentees further develop their careers and networks and providing mentors with supported mentorship experience. Conclusion The peer mentorship program could serve as a model for other professional organizations, academic institutions, and consortiums to enhance and extend the formal vertical mentorship provided to early academic career individuals. PMID:27156778

Meeting International Career Development Needs through Free Online Webinars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maher, K.; Baeseman, J. L.; Liggett, D.; Sparrow, E. B.

2011-12-01

Career Development training is one arena where graduate students and early career scientists have expressed a void in their formal instruction. The Association of Early Career Scientists (APECS) has partnered with the National Science Foundation Arctic Systems Science Thermokarst (ARCSS-TK) Project and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand to develop a free career development online webinar series to fill this niche. Early career researchers are more mobile today and they often move to a different country for their next position. Hence, this webinar series gives them the opportunity to not only gain new skills, but enhance their understanding of how science works in different countries, and in creating a more global science community. Senior researchers and administrators working in polar research volunteered their time to share their experiences and advice to the participants, creating a continuum of knowledge from one generation to the next. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and has drawn in a broad array of participants from all over the world, including senior researchers and scientists and participants working beyond the polar regions. The 2010-2011 webinar series included 22 distinct seminars by presenters from North America and Europe. Seminars averaged 34 live participants, and recordings of the webinars available on the APECS website continue to receive high viewing traffic from across the globe. Since the first recordings were posted online in October 2010, they were played more than 2400 times by users from 50 different countries. Some of the most popular topics included "Writing Science", "Communicating with the Public about Climate Change," and "Publishing and Reviewing Journal Papers." A survey of webinar participants indicated that PhD students and post-doctoral researchers were the primary audience from a range of fields including terrestrial ecology, glaciology, arctic policy, and environmental law. Participation was

Career cartography: a conceptualization of career development to advance health and policy.

PubMed

Feetham, Suzanne; Doering, Jennifer J

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptualization of career development that emphasizes the interdependence between research, practice, and policy. Career cartography applies three decades of career development experience to lay out a systematic, comprehensive, and iterative approach for planning and communicating the outcomes of science at any career stage. To inform practice and policy, nurse researchers must be clear on the intended destination and trajectory of the science, and be skilled in communicating that science and vision to diverse stakeholders. Career cartography builds on the science of cartography, is developed within the context of public and health policy, and is composed of several components, including a destination statement, career mapping, a supportive career cartography team, and use of communication and dissemination strategies. The successful utilization of career cartography may accelerate advancement of individual careers, scientific impact, and the discipline as a whole by guiding nurse researchers to be deliberative in career planning and to communicate successfully the outcomes of research across a wide variety of stakeholders. Career cartography provides a framework for planning a nurse researcher's program of research and scholarship to advance science, policy, and health of the public. Career cartography guides nurse researchers to realize their full potential to advance the health of the public and inform public and health policy in academic and practice environments. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Flying the Nest: How the Home Department Shapes Researchers' Career Paths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hottenrott, Hanna; Lawson, Cornelia

2017-01-01

This paper studies the importance of the socialization environment--nest--for the career destinations of early career researchers. In a sample of research groups in the fields of science and engineering at universities in Germany, we identify research orientation, output, funding as well as openness to industry and commercialization as relevant…

Supporting and Inhibiting the Well-Being of Early Career Secondary School Teachers: Extending Self-Determination Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobson, Andrew J.; Maxwell, Bronwen

2017-01-01

This paper reports an original examination of the well-being of early career secondary school teachers in England, which extends the evidence bases relating to early career teachers' working lives, teacher well-being, self-determination theory and performativity, respectively. Drawing on a secondary analysis of qualitative data generated for four…

Images of Science: Factors Affecting the Choice of Science as a Career.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullilove, Robert E., III

Many feel that the number of high school students electing to enter careers in science and engineering is shrinking and that the United States needs to improve the potential pool in order to remain competitive in the international technology and research areas. This report attempts to describe the dimensions of the problem this nation faces in…

Looking for Leadership: The Potential of Dialogic Reflexivity with Rural Early-Career Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Jill; Crosswell, Leanne; Morrison, Chad; Gibson, Andrew; Ryan, Mary

2017-01-01

Many early-career teachers (ECTs) begin their teaching careers in rural and remote schools in Australia, and do not stay long, with consequences for their own lives, and for their students, schools and communities. By understanding how first-year ECTs navigate personal (subjective) and contextual (objective) conditions, opportunities to disrupt…

A Perspective of Middle Schools and the Motivating Factors that will Influence Students to Pursue Careers in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollins-Miller, Cornelia B.

This dissertation project will determine what factors are being used to engage students to obtain careers in science. It will explore factors and other theories that contribute to persuading students to think about careers in science after college. The participants of the study included counselors, parents, principals, middle school students and teachers. All of the participants were surveyed. Information from the participants was collected and analyzed according to their responses. The results indicated that there were many contributing factors that the participants thought changed their attitudes about science and engaging in a science career.

Gender Differences in the Careers of Academic Scientists and Engineers: A Literature Review. Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Jerome T.; Adamson, Rebecca

The literature on women in science and engineering is extensive and addresses such issues as early education, decision to study and pursue careers in science, and how women fair in their jobs. This review used the literature on the careers of women scientists and engineers employed in academia to examine how women in these disciplines fare…

Making the GeoConnection: Web 2.0-based support for early-career geoscientists (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, C. M.; Gonzales, L. M.; Keane, C. M.

2010-12-01

The US Bureau of Labor estimates that there will be an 18% increase in geoscience jobs between 2008 and 2018 in the United States, and demand for geoscientists is expected to rise worldwide as scientists tackle global challenges related to resources, hazards and climate. At the same time, the geoscience workforce is aging, with approximately half of the current workforce reaching retirement age within the next 10-15 years. A new generation of geoscientists must be ready to take the reins. To support this new generation, AGI’s geoscience workforce outreach programs were designed to help retain geoscience students through their degree programs and into careers in the field. These resources include support for early-career professional development and career planning. AGI’s GeoConnection Network for the Geosciences provides a venue for informal dissemination of career information and professional resources. The network links Web 2.0 platforms, including a Facebook page, YouTube Channel and Twitter feed, to build a robust geoscience community of geoscientists at all stages of their careers. Early-career geoscientists can participate in GeoConnection to network with other scientists, and to receive information about professional development and job opportunities. Through GeoConnection packets, students can join professional societies which will assist their transition from school to the workplace. AGI’s member societies provide professional development course work, field trips, career services, interviewing opportunities, and community meetings. As part of the GeoConnection Network, AGI hosts informational webinars to highlight new workforce data, discuss current affairs in the geosciences, and to provide information about geoscience careers. Between December 2009 and August 2010, AGI hosted 10 webinars, with more than 300 total participants for all the webinars, and 5 additional webinars are planned for the remainder of the year. The webinars offer early-career

Bringing Career Education into Math and Science Classrooms: Sex Equitable Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Carol M.; Underiner, Tamara L.

Designed for the use of high school personnel, especially mathematics and science teachers, this manual provides ideas and mechanisms that will help reduce inappropriate career decisions based on emotions, sex role stereotyping, and misinformation. Contents include sections which focus on: (1) where the jobs are in science and engineering; (2)…

Standards-Based External Exams and Students' Science-Related Career Expectations: An International Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Seong Won

2016-01-01

Students' science-related career expectations are important for predicting their future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related educational and occupational attainments. This study examines the degree to which standards-based external examinations are associated with a student's propensity for pursuing science-related…

Some reminiscences about my early career

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domb, Cyril

1990-09-01

The author recalls some of the highlights of his scientific career before he took up a professional appointment at King's College, London in 1954. The periods covered are: High School and undergraduate studies at Cambridge University 1932-1941; radar research for the British Admiralty 1941-1946; graduate studies at Cambridge University 1946-1949; post-doctoral research at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University 1949-1952; faculty appointment at Cambridge University 1952-1954. A brief description is given of the personalities with whom the author was associated, the research problems in which he was involved, and of the early post world war 2 scientific conferences.

Careers in Virology: Working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

PubMed Central

Burns, Cara C.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT As nonacademic careers in science have become less and less “alternative,” one field that has consistently attracted early-career virologists is public health research. The desire to make tangible contributions to public health needs and better protect the public from infectious disease often motivates the transition. In this career-related Gem, two academically trained virologists offer insights into pursuing a research career in public health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PMID:28202750

The CSI Academy: Encouraging Diverse Students to Consider Science Careers and Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaye, Karen; Turner, John F.; Emigh, James

2011-01-01

The CSI academies employed a multi-layered, collaborative approach to encourage diverse students to consider STEM careers, including science teaching. The academies recruited a diverse group of high school students. This was due, in large part, to the creation of a unique selection process that identified students with unrealized potential. The…

The Effect of Career Decisions on Entrepreneurial Intention Levels of University Students Studying Sport Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Kadir

2018-01-01

This study investigates the entrepreneurial intention levels and career decisions of a sample of 340 university students studying sport sciences. Entrepreneurship refers to a career-related choice that is driven by a risk-taking and innovation imperative. Entrepreneurs of the future are expected to make their career related choices well before…

Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Lock, Robynne M.; Lung, Florin; Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.

2013-12-01

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using multivariate matching methods on national data drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project (n=7505), we test the following five commonly held beliefs regarding what factors might impact females’ physical science career interest: (i) having a single-sex physics class, (ii) having a female physics teacher, (iii) having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, (iv) discussing the work of female scientists in physics class, and (v) discussing the underrepresentation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences on physical science career interest is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including prior science interests, prior mathematics interests, grades in science, grades in mathematics, and years of enrollment in high school physics. No significant effects are found for single-sex classes, female teachers, female scientist guest speakers, and discussing the work of female scientists. However, discussions about women’s underrepresentation have a significant positive effect.

Career flexibility and family-friendly policies: an NIH-funded study to enhance women's careers in biomedical sciences.

PubMed

Villablanca, Amparo C; Beckett, Laurel; Nettiksimmons, Jasmine; Howell, Lydia P

2011-10-01

Although women receive nearly half of all doctoral degrees and show a high interest in academic careers, the pipeline is leaky. The challenge of balancing life course events with career trajectory is an important determinant leading to premature dropout or slower career advancement. This report describes the findings of the first phase of a National Institute of Health Office of Research on Women's Health (NIH ORWH)-funded study using survey and academic data for exploring satisfaction and awareness of/intent to use specific career flexibility options at the University of California, Davis (UCD). All men and women faculty in the UCD's Schools of Medicine (SOM) and Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and College of Biological Science (CBS) were surveyed. Data also were obtained from deans' offices on use of family-friendly benefits by faculty. Three hundred twenty-five total survey responses were received from the SOM, 83 from SVM, and 64 from CBS, representing 42%, 46%, and 52% of their total faculty, respectively. In each school, large percentages of men (32%-60%) and women (46%-53%) faculty have children under 18 and a moderately high level of demand of family care responsibilities. Women were significantly more likely to be childless, particularly in the SOM (35% vs. 14%, p<0.001). For all schools, documented use of any family-friendly policy was low (0%-11.5%), as was awareness of policies, although both were significantly higher for women than for men. Significantly more women than men wanted to use policies or chose not to, particularly in the SOM (51% vs. 28%, p<0.001, and 37% vs. 23%, p=0.016, respectively), because of multiple barriers. Faculty in all schools agreed/highly agreed that policies were important to recruitment, retention, and career advancement. Family-friendly policies are pertinent to men and women, as both demonstrate interest and need, linked to increased career satisfaction. A family-friendly policy is important, particularly for women in the

Career Flexibility and Family-Friendly Policies: An NIH-Funded Study to Enhance Women's Careers in Biomedical Sciences

PubMed Central

Beckett, Laurel; Nettiksimmons, Jasmine; Howell, Lydia P.

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Although women receive nearly half of all doctoral degrees and show a high interest in academic careers, the pipeline is leaky. The challenge of balancing life course events with career trajectory is an important determinant leading to premature dropout or slower career advancement. This report describes the findings of the first phase of a National Institute of Health Office of Research on Women's Health (NIH ORWH)-funded study using survey and academic data for exploring satisfaction and awareness of/intent to use specific career flexibility options at the University of California, Davis (UCD). Methods All men and women faculty in the UCD's Schools of Medicine (SOM) and Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and College of Biological Science (CBS) were surveyed. Data also were obtained from deans' offices on use of family-friendly benefits by faculty. Results Three hundred twenty-five total survey responses were received from the SOM, 83 from SVM, and 64 from CBS, representing 42%, 46%, and 52% of their total faculty, respectively. In each school, large percentages of men (32%–60%) and women (46%–53%) faculty have children under 18 and a moderately high level of demand of family care responsibilities. Women were significantly more likely to be childless, particularly in the SOM (35% vs. 14%, p<0.001). For all schools, documented use of any family-friendly policy was low (0%–11.5%), as was awareness of policies, although both were significantly higher for women than for men. Significantly more women than men wanted to use policies or chose not to, particularly in the SOM (51% vs. 28%, p<0.001, and 37% vs. 23%, p=0.016, respectively), because of multiple barriers. Faculty in all schools agreed/highly agreed that policies were important to recruitment, retention, and career advancement. Conclusions Family-friendly policies are pertinent to men and women, as both demonstrate interest and need, linked to increased career satisfaction. A family

Retaining early career registered nurses: a case study.

PubMed

Mills, Jane; Chamberlain-Salaun, Jennifer; Harrison, Helena; Yates, Karen; O'Shea, Andrea

2016-01-01

A core objective of the Australian health system is to provide high quality, safe health care that meets the needs of all Australians. To achieve this, an adequate and effective workforce must support the delivery of care. With rapidly changing health care systems and consumer demographics, demand for care is increasing and retention of sufficient numbers of skilled staff is now a critical priority to meet current and future health care demands. Nurses are the largest cohort of professionals within the health workforce. Reducing the rates at which nurses leave the profession and supporting nurses to practice in their profession longer will have beneficial implications for the sustainability of a nursing workforce and, ultimately, to patient outcomes. The aim of the study was to describe and explain early career registered nurses' (ECRNs) experiences and support requirements during the first five years of practice for the purposes of identifying strategies that would support greater retention of ECRNs. A single case study design focused on early career registered nurses (ECRNs) working in a hospital and health service in northern Australia. The research team adopted Djukic et al's definition of ECRNs as "RNs who have practiced for less than 5 years". Data was collected via three individual interviews and two focus groups. Thirty-five ECRNs participated in the study. Qualitative analysis of data generated during interviews and focus groups, identified the key themes of receiving career advice and choice or no choice . Analysis of study data in the context of the broader literature resulted in the researchers identifying six areas of focus for ECRN retention: 1) well-planned, supported and structured transition periods; 2) consideration of rotation through different areas with a six month minimum for skills development; 3) empowering decision making; 4) placement opportunities and choice in decisions of where to work; 5) career advice and support that considers ECRNs

Undergraduate Female Science-Related Career Choices: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curry, Kathy S.

2010-01-01

This qualitative phenomenological study used a modified Groenewald's five steps method with semi-structured, recorded, and transcribed interviews to focus on the underrepresentation of females in science-related careers. The study explored the lived experiences of a purposive sample of 25 senior female college students attending a college in…

Recruitment of Early STEM Majors into Possible Secondary Science Teaching Careers: The Role of Science Education Summer Internships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgerding, Lisa A.

2015-01-01

A shortage of highly qualified math and science teachers pervades the U.S. public school system. Clearly, recruitment of talented STEM educators is critical. Previous literature offers many suggestions for how STEM teacher recruitment programs and participant selection should occur. This study investigates how early STEM majors who are not already…

"Hard Science": A Career Option for Socially and Societally Interested Students? Grade 12 Students' Vocational Interest Gap Explored

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Struyf, Annemie; Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle; Van Petegem, Peter

2017-01-01

A key theme in science education research concerns the decline in young peoples' interest in science and the need for professionals in hard science. Goal Congruity Theory posits that an important aspect of the decision whether to pursue hard science for study or as a career is the perception that hard science careers do not fulfil social (working…

Gender, Ethnicity, and Students' Perceptions about Science and Science-Related Careers in Fiji.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rennie, L. J.; Dunne, M.

1994-01-01

From data obtained from a questionnaire administered to a stratified, random sample of Form 5 (16-year-old) students in Fiji, it was concluded that gender and ethnicity were found to have no consistent relationship with students' perceptions, attitudes, and attributions about science. Different kinds of career advice were given to students on the…

Building Early Career Teacher Resilience: The Role of Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Cornu, Rosie

2013-01-01

There are serious concerns around the sustainability of teaching given the attrition rate of early career teachers. In Western countries we know that between 25% and 40% of beginning teachers are likely to leave the teaching profession in the first 5 years (Ewing & Smith, 2003; Day & Gu, 2010). Clearly, there is a need to better understand…

Strengthening the Teaching Self-Efficacy of Early Career Academics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmings, Brian Colin

2015-01-01

This article reports on a qualitative study exploring teaching self-efficacy (defined as a belief in capability to execute teaching-related tasks) in a higher education context. It is based on the views of 12 early career academics (ECAs) employed at Charles Sturt University who were interviewed to learn more about how their teaching self-efficacy…

Impact of a Sophomore Seminar on the Desire of STEM Majors to Pursue a Science Career

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeder, Ryan D.; Strong, Philip E.

2012-01-01

This study focuses on the impact of a sophomore seminar on STEM majors desire to pursue a science career. This seminar was a component in a broader scholarship program and focused on helping students gain a broader understanding of the process of science, expose students to a range of career options and provide opportunities for outside of class…

Science communication: a career where PhDs can make a difference.

PubMed

Irion, Robert

2015-02-15

Among careers for biologists with PhDs, science communication is one of the most diverse and rewarding pathways. Myriad options exist, from traditional journalism to new media, from writing for specialists to working in public outreach. Textbooks, mass-market books, and freelance writing that combines many of these pursuits are all viable choices. Communicating about science allows researchers to step away from the minutiae of a subdiscipline and to once again explore the breadth of science more fully through an ever-evolving array of stories. A doctoral degree can confer distinct advantages in the eyes of prospective editors and employers. Here I describe those advantages, possible career directions, and steps toward making such a transition. © 2015 Irion. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Indicators of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career interest among middle school students in the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Leila A.

This study examines middle school students' perceptions of a future career in a science, math, engineering, or technology (STEM) career field. Gender, grade, predispositions to STEM contents, and learner dispositions are examined for changing perceptions and development in career-related choice behavior. Student perceptions as measured by validated measurement instruments are analyzed pre and post participation in a STEM intervention energy-monitoring program that was offered in several U.S. middle schools during the 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model, developed by incorporating predictors identified by an examination of the literature and a hypothesis-generating pilot study for prediction of STEM career interest, is introduced. Theories on the career choice development process from authors such as Ginzberg, Eccles, and Lent are examined as the basis for recognition of career concept development among students. Multiple linear regression statistics, correlation analysis, and analyses of means are used to examine student data from two separate program years. Study research questions focus on predictive ability, RSQ, of MLR models by gender/grade, and significance of model predictors in order to determine the most significant predictors of STEM career interest, and changes in students' perceptions pre and post program participation. Analysis revealed increases in the perceptions of a science career, decreases in perceptions of a STEM career, increase of the significance of science and mathematics to predictive models, and significant increases in students' perceptions of creative tendencies.

Vision, Identity, and Career in the Clinical and Translational Sciences: Building upon the Formative Years

PubMed Central

Martinez, Dominic F.; Buchwald, Dedra S.; Rubio, Doris M.; Moss, Marc

2015-01-01

Abstract This paper is the second in a five‐part series on the clinical and translational science educational pipeline. It focuses on the role that Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) programs can play in supporting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in primary and secondary schools, as well as in facilitating these interests during transition to undergraduate training. Special emphasis should be placed on helping to form and sustain an identity as a scientist, and on instilling the persistence necessary to overcome numerous barriers to its actualization. CTSAs can contribute to cementing this sense of self by facilitating peer support, mentorship, and family involvement that will reinforce early educational decisions leading to clinical and translational science research careers. Meanwhile, the interests, skills, and motivation induced by participation in STEM programs must be sustained in transition to the next level in the educational pipeline, typically undergraduate study. Examples of CTSA collaborations with local schools, businesses, interest groups, and communities at large illustrate the emerging possibilities and promising directions with respect to each of these challenges. PMID:26271774

Vision, Identity, and Career in the Clinical and Translational Sciences: Building upon the Formative Years.

PubMed

Manson, Spero M; Martinez, Dominic F; Buchwald, Dedra S; Rubio, Doris M; Moss, Marc

2015-10-01

This paper is the second in a five-part series on the clinical and translational science educational pipeline. It focuses on the role that Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) programs can play in supporting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in primary and secondary schools, as well as in facilitating these interests during transition to undergraduate training. Special emphasis should be placed on helping to form and sustain an identity as a scientist, and on instilling the persistence necessary to overcome numerous barriers to its actualization. CTSAs can contribute to cementing this sense of self by facilitating peer support, mentorship, and family involvement that will reinforce early educational decisions leading to clinical and translational science research careers. Meanwhile, the interests, skills, and motivation induced by participation in STEM programs must be sustained in transition to the next level in the educational pipeline, typically undergraduate study. Examples of CTSA collaborations with local schools, businesses, interest groups, and communities at large illustrate the emerging possibilities and promising directions with respect to each of these challenges. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Schooling girls in a rural community: An examination of female science identity and science career choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, Melisa Diane Creasy

There is a gap in existence between the number of males and females entering science careers. Research has begun to focus largely on how identity impacts the selection of such careers. While much research has been done to examine the factors that impact student identity, little work has been done to examine what happens to female students who have been successful in science in a rural K-12 school once they leave high school and enter the world of academia. Thus, this study examined the following questions: (1) How do three recent female high school graduates from rural K-12 high schools narrate their identity? (2) How do the females narrate their experiences in a rural community and high school in relation to their science identity? (3) What do the participants describe as influencing their academic and career choices as they transition into the life of a college student? This study involved three female participants from a small rural community in a southeastern state. Each female has lived their entire life in the community and has attended only one K-12 school. All three females ranked in the top ten of their senior class and excelled in their science coursework. Additionally, each female elected to attend college locally and to live at home. The study utilized the qualitative methodology of interpretive biography. The researcher used a guided interview protocol with participants which served as the basis for the creation of their narrative biographies. The biographies were then analyzed for emergent themes. Sociocultural theory, identity theory, and critical feminism provided the theoretical frameworks utilized in data analysis. Findings from this study suggested that there were many differing factors influencing the science identity and career choices of the females under study. However, the most salient factor impacting their choices was their desire to remain in their hometown. Directions for future research suggestions involve exploring female students who

Marine Science Careers. A Sea Grant Guide to Ocean Opportunities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maine Univ., Orono.

This document, which is intended for high school students who are considering a marine science career, contains 38 profiles of individuals employed in one of the following occupations: marine biologist, environmental educator, fishery biologist, marine ecologist, aquaculture microbiologist, geological oceanography, environmental consultant, ocean…

Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Providing resources and support for new faculty to succeed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, T. M.; Beane, R. J.; Macdonald, H.; Manduca, C. A.; Tewksbury, B. J.; Allen-King, R. M.; Yuretich, R.; Richardson, R. M.; Ormand, C. J.

2015-12-01

A vital strategy to educate future geoscientists is to support faculty at the beginning of their careers, thus catalyzing a career-long impact on the early-career faculty and on their future students. New faculty members are at a pivotal stage in their careers as they step from being research-focused graduate students and post-doctoral scholars, under the guidance of advisors, towards launching independent careers as professors. New faculty commonly, and not unexpectedly, feel overwhelmed as they face challenges to establish themselves in a new environment, prepare new courses, begin new research, and develop a network of support. The workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career has been offered annually in the U.S. since 1999. The workshop is currently offered through the National Association of Geoscience Teachers On the Cutting Edge professional development program with support from the NSF, AGU and GSA. This five-day workshop, with associated web resources, offers guidance for incorporating evidence-based teaching practices, developing a research program, and managing professional responsibilities in balance with personal lives. The workshop design includes plenary and concurrent sessions, individual consultations, and personalized feedback from workshop participants and leaders. Since 1999, more than 850 U.S. faculty have attended the Early Career Geoscience Faculty workshop. Participants span a wide range of geoscience disciplines, and are in faculty positions at two-year colleges, four-year colleges, comprehensive universities and research universities. The percentages of women (~50%) and underrepresented participants (~8%) are higher than in the general geoscience faculty population. Multiple participants each year are starting positions after receiving all or part of their education outside the U.S. Collectively, participants report that they are better prepared to move forward with their careers as a result of

Libraries and Information Science: the Profession. Alternative Career Opportunities for Atmospheric, Earth, and Geo-scientists.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Love, A. M.

2003-12-01

Many graduate students, researchers and scientists may not be aware that there are other career opportunities available to them as scientists besides the traditional academic, government, industrial and private sector tracks. Subject specialists with science backgrounds are in great demand. Knowledge management and information services affiliated with science and research is an exciting and creative profession. Contributing to, finding and delivering the range of information now emerging from new and established disciplines in all formats defines Information Science and Librarianship with a multitude of opportunities. This poster will offer information to encourage students and researchers with these skills and backgrounds to consider Information and Library Science as an exciting career path.

The Future of Our Organizations: Students and Early Career Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yakushko, Oksana; Wang, Sherry C.; Warrior, Anitra M.

2012-01-01

This response focuses on the significance of ethnic minority psychology organizations and other related membership structures to early career psychologists (ECPs) and counseling psychology students. We discuss not only reasons for why students and ECPs may not be joining professional organizations, but also strategies for recruiting, supporting,…

Managing the Process: The Intradepartmental Networks of Early-Career Academics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pifer, Meghan J.; Baker, Vicki L.

2013-01-01

This article relies on data from surveys and interviews to explore the networking behaviors and strategies of early-career faculty members within the contexts of their academic departments. Findings suggest that faculty members' approaches to interactions and relationships with colleagues may be conceptualized according to a continuum of…

Instructional Development for Early Career Academics: An Overview of Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stes, Ann; Van Petegem, Peter

2011-01-01

Background: Over the past decades, the issue of improving teaching in higher education has been seriously addressed. Centres for instructional development, aimed at enhancing teaching, have been set up in many countries. Instructional development for early career academics is perceived to be of particular importance. Given the considerable…

The Transition into the Workforce by Early-Career Geoscientists, a Preliminary Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C. E.; Keane, C.

2017-12-01

The American Geosciences Institute's Geoscience Student Exit Survey asks recent graduates about their immediate plans after graduation. Though some respondents indicate their employment or continuing education intention, many of the respondents are still in the process of looking for a job in the geosciences. Recent discussions about geoscience workforce development have focused on the critical technical and professional skills that graduates need to be successful in the workforce, but there is little data about employment success and skills development as early-career geoscientists. AGI developed a short preliminary survey to follow up with past participants in AGI's Exit Survey investigating their career path, their skills development after entering the workforce, and their opinions on skills and knowledge they wished they had prior to entering the workforce. The results from this survey will begin to indicate the occupation availability for early-career geoscientists, the continuing education completed by these recent graduates, and the possible attrition away from the geoscience workforce. This presentation presents the results from this short survey and the implications for further research in this area of workforce development and preparation.

Launching an Academic Career: On the Cutting Edge Resources for Geoscience Graduate Students, Post-doctoral Fellows, and Early Career Faculty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, R. M.; Ormand, C. J.; MacDonald, H.; Dunbar, R. W.; Allen-King, R. M.; Manduca, C. A.

2010-12-01

Launching an academic career presents a number of challenges. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education depicts academia as an “ivory sweatshop,” citing rising standards for tenure. Most graduate programs provide minimal training for life beyond graduate school. The professional development program “On the Cutting Edge” fills this gap by providing workshops and web resources on academic careers for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty. These workshops and web resources address a wide range of topics related to teaching, research, and managing one’s career, tailored for each group. The Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences workshop to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows make the transition into an academic career has been offered annually since 2003. It provides a panel on academic careers in different institutional settings, sessions on research on learning, various teaching strategies, design of effective teaching activities, moving research forward to new settings, effective teaching and research statements, the job search process, negotiation, and presenting oneself to others. Complementary online resources (http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/index.html) focus on these topics. The workshops and web resources offer guidance for each step of the job search process, for developing and teaching one’s own courses, and for making the transition from being a research student to being in charge of a research program. Online resources also include case studies of successful dual career couples, documenting their job search strategies. A four-day workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career, offered annually since 1999, provides sessions on teaching strategies, course design, developing a strategic plan for research, supervising student researchers, navigating departmental and institutional politics, preparing for tenure, time and

Home and Motivational Factors Related to Science-Career Pursuit: Gender differences and gender similarities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jongho; Lee, Hyunjoo; McCarthy-Donovan, Alexander; Hwang, Hyeyoung; Yim, Sonyoung; Seo, EunJin

2015-06-01

The purpose of the study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the mean levels of and relations between adolescents' home environments (parents' view of science, socio-economic status (SES)), motivations (intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs), and pursuit of science careers. For the purpose, the Programmed for International Student Assessment 2006 data of Korean 15-year-old students were analysed. The results of the study showed that girls had lower levels of science intrinsic and instrumental motivations, self-beliefs, and science-career pursuit (SCP) as well as their parents' values in science less than boys. Gender similarities, rather than gender differences, existed in patterns of causal relationship among home environments, motivations, and SCP. The results showed positive effects for parents' higher value in science and SES on motivations, SCP, and for intrinsic and instrumental motivations on SCP for girls and boys. These results provide implications for educational interventions to decrease gender differences in science motivations and SCP, and to decrease adolescents' gender stereotypes.

UNCF, Thurgood Marshall Collaboration Encourages Teaching Careers in Math, Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black Issues in Higher Education, 2005

2005-01-01

The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, the United Negro College Fund, and the Siemens Foundation have collaborated to establish the Siemens Teacher Scholarships, aimed at encouraging minority students to pursue teaching careers in math and science. This brief article discusses the details of the new program.

When I Grow Up: The Relationship of "Science Learning Activation" to STEM Career Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorph, Rena; Bathgate, Meghan E.; Schunn, Christian D.; Cannady, Matthew A.

2018-01-01

This paper proposes three new measures of components STEM career preferences (affinity, certainty, and goal), and then explores which dimensions of "science learning activation" (fascination, values, competency belief, and scientific sensemaking) are predictive of STEM career preferences. Drawn from the ALES14 dataset, a sample of 2938…

Envisioning a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: some challenges and possibilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharkawy, Azza

2015-09-01

In How High School Students Envision Their STEM Career Pathways, Lin Zhang and Michael Barnett attempt to shed light on the problem of underrepresented students (e.g., Aboriginals, Hispanics, African Americans, urban, females) in STEM higher education and related careers by exploring, in general terms, five high school students' career visions and the experiences that influenced their career visions. In this paper, I attempt to extend the authors' discussions on the underrepresentation of minority students in STEM higher education by highlighting some of the factors that begin to influence youths' career decisions long before they reach the high school level and are required to make specific career choices. I also draw on Glen Aikenhead's Sci Edu, 27, 1-52 (1996) notion of border crossing and research by Victoria Costa Sci Edu, 79, 313-333 (on the significance of the relationship between students' cultural worlds and the cultural world of school science.

Onto, up, off the Academic Faculty Ladder: The Gendered Effects of Family on Career Transitions for a Cohort of Social Science Ph.D.s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Emory; Rudd, Elizabeth; Nerad, Maresi

2011-01-01

With event history analysis, we examine the impact of gender, marital status and spouse type, and parenting at key transition points in the early careers of more than 2,000 social science Ph.D. graduates. This analysis (a) uses data from recent Ph.D. graduates; (b) disentangles the effects of marriage and parenting; and (c) observes the effects of…

Telling Tales: The Value of Storytelling for Early Career Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allard, Andrea C.; Doecke, Brenton

2017-01-01

This article examines how early career teachers, participants in a research project, make sense of their experiences through storytelling. The teachers' stories provide a significant counterpoint to the way standards-based reforms construct their professional development, prompting us as teacher educators to think again about what it means for our…

Long-term Academic and Career Impacts of Undergraduate Research: Diverse Pathways to Geoscience Careers Following a Summer Atmospheric Science Research Internship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trott, C. D.; Sample McMeeking, L. B.; Boyd, K.; Bowker, C.

2015-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduates (REU) have been shown to support the success of STEM undergraduates through improving their research skills, ability to synthesize knowledge, and personal and professional development, all while socializing them into the nature of science. REUs are further intended to support STEM career choice and professional advancement, and have thus played a key role in diversity efforts. Recruiting and retaining diverse students in STEM through REUs is of particular importance in the geosciences, where women and ethnic minorities continue to be significantly underrepresented. However, few studies have examined the long-term impacts of these REUs on students' academic and career trajectories. Further, those that do exist primarily study the experiences of current graduate students, scientists, and faculty members—that is, those who have already persisted—which overlooks the multiple academic and career paths REU students might follow and may preclude a thorough examination of REUs' diversity impacts. In this long-term retrospective study of the academic and career impacts of a REU program at a large Western U.S. research university, we interviewed 17 former REU participants on their expectations prior to their REU participation, their experiences during the REU, the immediate outcomes from the experience, and its long-term impacts on their academic and career choices. To address gaps in the existing literature on REU impacts, we purposively sampled students who have taken a variety of educational and career paths, including those not engaged in science research. Despite varied trajectories, the majority of the students we interviewed have persisted in the geosciences and attest to the REU's profound impact on their career-related opportunities and choices. This presentation describes students' diverse STEM pathways and discusses how students' REU expectations, experiences, and immediate outcomes continued to make an impact long-term.

Programmatic Efforts at the National Institutes of Health to Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical Science

PubMed Central

Bunker Whittington, Kjersten; Cassidy, Sara K.B.; Filart, Rosemarie; Cornelison, Terri L.; Begg, Lisa; Austin Clayton, Janine

2016-01-01

Although women have reached parity at the training level in the biological sciences and medicine, they are still significantly underrepresented in the professoriate and in mid- and senior-level life science positions. Considerable effort has been devoted by individuals and organizations across science sectors to understanding this disparity and to developing interventions in support of women’s career development. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) in 1990 with the goals of supporting initiatives to improve women’s health and providing opportunities and support for the recruitment, retention, reentry, and sustained advancement of women in biomedical careers. Here, the authors review several accomplishments and flagship activities initiated by the NIH and ORWH in support of women’s career development during this time. These include programming to support researchers returning to the workforce after a period away (Research Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers), career development awards made through the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health program, and trans-NIH involvement and activities stemming from the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers. These innovative programs have contributed to advancement of women by supporting the professional and personal needs of women in science. The authors discuss the unique opportunities that accompany NIH partnerships with the scientific community, and conclude with a summary of the impact of these programs on women in science. PMID:27191836

Programmatic Efforts at the National Institutes of Health to Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical Science.

PubMed

Plank-Bazinet, Jennifer L; Bunker Whittington, Kjersten; Cassidy, Sara K B; Filart, Rosemarie; Cornelison, Terri L; Begg, Lisa; Austin Clayton, Janine

2016-08-01

Although women have reached parity at the training level in the biological sciences and medicine, they are still significantly underrepresented in the professoriate and in mid- and senior-level life science positions. Considerable effort has been devoted by individuals and organizations across science sectors to understanding this disparity and to developing interventions in support of women's career development. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) in 1990 with the goals of supporting initiatives to improve women's health and providing opportunities and support for the recruitment, retention, reentry, and sustained advancement of women in biomedical careers. Here, the authors review several accomplishments and flagship activities initiated by the NIH and ORWH in support of women's career development during this time. These include programming to support researchers returning to the workforce after a period away (Research Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers), career development awards made through the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health program, and trans-NIH involvement and activities stemming from the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers. These innovative programs have contributed to advancement of women by supporting the professional and personal needs of women in science. The authors discuss the unique opportunities that accompany NIH partnerships with the scientific community, and conclude with a summary of the impact of these programs on women in science.

A longitudinal study of the educational and career trajectories of female participants of an urban informal science education program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadigan, Kathleen A.; Hammrich, Penny L.

2004-10-01

The purpose of this longitudinal case study is to describe the educational trajectories of a sample of 152 young women from urban, low-income, single-parent families who participated in the Women in Natural Sciences (WINS) program during high school. Utilizing data drawn from program records, surveys, and interviews, this study also attempts to determine how the program affected the participants' educational and career choices to provide insight into the role informal science education programs play in increasing the participation of women and minorities in science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET)-related fields. Findings revealed 109 participants (93.16%) enrolled in a college program following high school completion. Careers in medical or health-related fields followed by careers in SMET emerged as the highest ranking career paths with 24 students (23.76%) and 21 students (20.79%), respectively, employed in or pursuing careers in these areas. The majority of participants perceived having staff to talk to, the job skills learned, and having the museum as a safe place to go as having influenced their educational and career decisions. These findings reflect the need for continued support of informal science education programs for urban girls and at-risk youth.

Qualitative exploration of the career aspirations of rural origin health science students in South Africa.

PubMed

Diab, Paula N; Flack, Penny S; Mabuza, Langalibalele H; Reid, Stephen J Y

2012-01-01

There is evidence in the literature that rural background significantly encourages eventual rural practice. Given the shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas, we need to explore ways of ensuring throughput and success of rural-origin students in health sciences. It is therefore important to understand who these students are, what motivates them and the factors involved in the formation of their career choices. The aim of this study is to understand the aspirations of undergraduate health science students of rural origin with regard to their future career plans. The objectives of the study include to explore and identify the key issues facing rural-origin students with regard to their future career plans. Individual interviews were conducted with 15 health science students from two South African universities. Transcriptions were analyzed with the aid of Nvivo v8 (www.qsrinternational.com). The findings suggest health science students of rural origin studying at universities in the South African context face specific challenges related to the nature of the contrast between rural and urban life, in addition to the more generic adaptations that confront all students on entering tertiary education. In order to support rural students in their studies, academic, financial, emotional and social stressors need to be addressed. Universities should strengthen existing support structures as well as aid the development of further support that may be required.Key words: career plan, health science, rural background, South Africa.

Secondary School Students' Perceptions of Working Life Skills in Science-Related Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salonen, Anssi; Hartikainen-Ahia, Anu; Hense, Jonathan; Scheersoi, Annette; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-01-01

School students demonstrate a lack of interest in choosing science studies and science-related careers. To better understand the underlying reasons, this study aims to examine secondary school students' perceptions of working life skills and how these perceptions relate to the skills of the twenty-first century. The participants in this study were…

Aeronautics and Aviation Science: Careers and Opportunities Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Texter, P. Cardie

1998-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration funded project, Aeronautics and Aviation Science: Careers and Opportunities has been in operation since July, 1995. This project operated as a collaboration with Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications, the Federal Aviation Administration, Bridgewater State College and four targeted "core sites" in the greater Boston area. In its first and second years, a video series on aeronautics and aviation science was developed and broadcast via "live, interactive" satellite feed. Accompanying teacher and student supplementary instructional materials for grades 6-9 were produced and disseminated by the Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET). In the MCET grant application it states that project Take Off! in its initial phase would recruit and train teachers at "core" sites in the greater Boston area, as well as opening participation to other on-line users of MCET's satellite feeds. "Core site" classrooms would become equipped so that teachers and students might become engaged in an interactive format which aimed at not only involving the students during the "live" broadcast of the instructional video series, but which would encourage participation in electronic information gathering and sharing among participants. As a Take Off! project goal, four schools with a higher than average proportion of minority and underrepresented youth were invited to become involved with the project to give these students the opportunity to consider career exploration and development in the field of science aviation and aeronautics. The four sites chosen to participate in this project were: East Boston High School, Dorchester High School, Randolph Junior-Senior High School and Malden High School. In year 3 Dorchester was unable to continue to fully participate and exited out. Danvers was added to the "core site" list in year 3. In consideration of Goals 2000, the National Science Foundation

Early Career Teacher Attrition: New Thoughts on an Intractable Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallant, Andrea; Riley, Philip

2014-01-01

Early career exit from teaching has reached epidemic proportions and appears intractable. Previous attempts to find solutions are yet to make much of an inroad. The aim of the research was to discover what nine beginning teachers required to remain in the classroom, by adopting a phenomenological approach. The authors identified participants'…

Career Resources

Science.gov Websites

Collaboration Careers Community Environment Science & Innovation Facilities Science Pillars Research Library Science Briefs Science News Science Highlights Lab Organizations Science Programs Applied Energy Programs

Let's Go Toy Shopping! Exploring Early Anticipatory Socialization for Careers and Gender Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones-Bodie, Ashley

2016-01-01

Courses: Gender Communication, Communication and Careers, Organizational Communication. Objectives: At the end of the activity, students will be able: to identify and analyze the socialization of gender expectations, to recognize and describe how early this type of socialization can occur, to critique the early socialization of gendered career…

Facebook use among early-career veterinarians in Ontario, Canada (March to May 2010).

PubMed

Weijs, Cynthia A; Coe, Jason B; Christofides, Emily; Muise, Amy; Desmarais, Serge

2013-04-15

To explore the nature and content of information publicly posted to Facebook by early-career veterinarians. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Sample-352 early-career veterinarians. Publicly accessible Facebook profiles were searched online from March to May 2010 for profiles of early-career veterinarians (graduates from 2004 through 2009) registered with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, Canada. The content of veterinarians' Facebook profiles was evaluated and then categorized as low, medium, or high exposure in terms of the information a veterinarian had publicly posted to Facebook. Through the use of content analysis, high-exposure profiles were further analyzed for publicly posted information that may have posed risks to an individual's or the profession's public image. Facebook profiles for 352 of 494 (71%) registered early-career veterinarians were located. One-quarter (25%) of profiles were categorized as low exposure (ie, high privacy), over half (54%) as medium exposure (i.e., medium privacy), and 21% as high exposure (i.e., low privacy). Content analysis of the high-exposure profiles identified publicly posted information that may pose risks to an individual's or the profession's reputation, including breaches of client confidentiality, evidence of substance abuse, and demeaning comments toward others. Almost a quarter of veterinarians' Facebook profiles viewed in the present study contained publicly available content of a questionable nature that could pose a risk to the reputation of the individual, his or her practice, or the veterinary profession. The increased use of Facebook and all types of social media points to the need for raised awareness by veterinarians of all ages of how to manage one's personal and professional identities online to minimize reputation risks for individuals and their practices and to protect the reputation and integrity of the veterinary profession.

The early career researcher's toolkit: translating tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell therapy products.

PubMed

Rafiq, Qasim A; Ortega, Ilida; Jenkins, Stuart I; Wilson, Samantha L; Patel, Asha K; Barnes, Amanda L; Adams, Christopher F; Delcassian, Derfogail; Smith, David

2015-11-01

Although the importance of translation for the development of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies is widely recognized, the process of translation is less well understood. This is particularly the case among some early career researchers who may not appreciate the intricacies of translational research or make decisions early in development which later hinders effective translation. Based on our own research and experiences as early career researchers involved in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine translation, we discuss common pitfalls associated with translational research, providing practical solutions and important considerations which will aid process and product development. Suggestions range from effective project management, consideration of key manufacturing, clinical and regulatory matters and means of exploiting research for successful commercialization.

Evaluation of the NOAA CAREERS Weather Camp's Effectiveness in Promoting Atmospheric Science amongst High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olgin, J. G.; Fitzgerald, R. M.; Morris, V. R.

2013-12-01

The NOAA Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) sponsors the Channeling Atmospheric Research into Educational Experiences Reaching Students program (CAREERS); a program that manages a network of weather camps for students in secondary education with particular focus on increasing access for students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Hosted by a college or university, the primary mission goals of the program are to engage students in discussions, lectures and interactive projects to better learn and comprehend a suite of atmospheric science disciplines (i.e. weather forecasting, environmental modeling, atmospheric data acquisition), and guide talented students towards higher education to pursue careers in atmospheric science primarily, or toward other STEM field professions. The need to evaluate and analyze the program's efficacy is crucial for continued growth and sustainability. Therefore a means to identify and measure the success of the program's initiatives will be addressed. Two Hispanic serving institutions, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez (UPRM), both hosted the CAREER weather camps during the summers of 2012 and 2013, and provide the basis of this initial analysis. Participants performed entrance surveys of their knowledge of atmospheric science prior to the course. They were then re-evaluated through exit surveys over the topics covered during the weather camp. These data will be analyzed to correlate which program activities worked best in increasing participant awareness (i.e. geology tours of the local area, discussion on local climate variations, geophysical and geochemical demonstrations), and comprehension of atmospheric science. A comparison between the two universities on their uniqueness in program design and execution will also highlight those activities that best progressed CAREERS' program goals. Results from this analysis, along with possible new strategies for improved

Second-Career Science Teachers' Classroom Conceptions of Science and Engineering Practices Examined through the Lens of Their Professional Histories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Brown, Ryan A.

2017-01-01

Science standards in the U.S. have shifted to emphasise science and engineering process skills (i.e. specific practices within inquiry) to a greater extent than previous standards' emphases on broad representations of inquiry. This study examined the alignment between second-career science teachers' personal histories with the latter and examined…

Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Ethnic Identity, Gender, and Career Interests Related to Mathematics and Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Virginia; Martinez-Pons, Manual; Kopala, Mary

1999-01-01

Surveyed 11th graders to examine the relations among mathematics self-efficacy (SE), gender, ethnic identity, and career interests (CI) in mathematics and science. Researchers also examined socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement. Science CI was predicted solely by science-mathematics SE. SE was predicted by academic performance and…

Conceptualising Institutional Support for Early, Mid, and Later Career Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Kym; Greenfield, Rosie; Pancini, Geri

2017-01-01

In this paper we argue that institutions need to support early career teachers to learn to teach in much the same way that students who are new to higher education are supported: through integrated and intentionally designed transition strategies. We take a published student transition typology and adapt it to identify ways of supporting early…

Pathways to Success for Psychologists in Academic Health Centers: From Early Career to Emeritus

PubMed Central

Breland-Noble, Alfiee M.; King, Cheryl A.; Cubic, Barbara A.

2017-01-01

Careers in academic health centers (AHCs) come with a unique set of challenges and rewards. Building a stable and rewarding career as a psychologist in an AHC requires the efforts of a whole team of players and coaches. This paper outlines the characteristics of AHCs and the general skills psychologists need to thrive in this type of setting. Advice specific to each stage of career development (early, mid, and late) is offered, highlighting the themes of coaching and teamwork that are critical to success in an AHC. PMID:21132456

Early Career School Counselors' Training Perspectives: Implications for School Counselor Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slaten, Christopher D.; Scalise, Dominick A.; Gutting, Krystle; Baskin, Thomas W.

2013-01-01

The current study examined early career professional school counselors' experiences related to their work as mental health professionals in schools. Nine individuals participated in qualitative interviews that were analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods (Hill, 2012). All individuals were professional school counselors trained in…

Adolescents' Motivation to Select an Academic Science-Related Career: The Role of School Factors, Individual Interest, and Science Self-Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taskinen, Päivi H.; Schütte, Kerstin; Prenzel, Manfred

2013-01-01

Many researchers consider a lacking interest in science and the students' belief that science is too demanding as major reasons why young people do not strive for science-related careers. In this article, we first delineated a theoretical framework to investigate the importance of interest, self-concept, and school factors regarding students'…

How an inquiry-based classroom lesson intervenes in science efficacy, career-orientation and self-determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, S.; Bogner, F. X.

2017-11-01

Three subscales of the 'Science Motivation Questionnaire II' (SMQII; motivational components: career motivation, self-efficacy and self-determination), with 4 items each, were applied to a sample of 209 secondary school students to monitor the impact of a 3-hour structured inquiry lesson. Four testing points (before, immediately after, 6 and 12 weeks after) were applied. The modified SMQII was factor-analyzed at each testing cycle and the structure confirmed. Only self-determination was shown to be influenced by an inquiry course, while self-efficacy and career motivation did not. Only self-efficacy and career motivation were intercorrelated and also correlated with science subject grades and subsequent achievement. Implications for using the modified SMQII subscales for research and teaching in secondary school are discussed.

Career-Life Balance for Women of Color: Experiences in Science and Engineering Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kachchaf, Rachel; Ko, Lily; Hodari, Apriel; Ong, Maria

2015-01-01

The National Science Foundation recently recognized that career-life balance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) may present some unique challenges for women of color compared with their White and/or male counterparts, thus negatively impacting retention and advancement for a minority demographic that has long been…

Snow, Ice, & Satellites: An Early Career Researcher's Experience with Twitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, A.; Scambos, T. A.

2014-12-01

As a doctoral student, I was lucky enough to be able to experiment with a variety of communication and outreach activities (classroom visits, museum events, science festivals, blogging, social media, etc.) to build communication skills and learn how to talk about my science without writing a journal article. More importantly, the wide range of experience helped me identify what worked for me. My favorite way to share my science now? Twitter. To many, Twitter is a frivolous platform for sharing snippets 140 characters or less. To me, however, it is how I can connect directly with the elusive "wider public" and share my science. Specifically, I use satellite imagery (mostly Landsat 8) to study glaciers around the world. I look at long-term change related to climate, and I also investigate new, innovative ways to use satellite imagery to better understand glaciers and ice sheets. Luckily for me, my research is very visual. Whether fieldwork snapshots or satellite data, images make for great, shareable, accessible tweets. In this presentation, I propose to share my experience of tweeting as an early career researcher. I will include successful strategies (e.g. particular #hashtags, creating new content, using story-telling, timely tweets), as well as some not-so-successful attempts. I will also talk about how I built my Twitter network. In addition to anecdotes, I will include evaluation of my Twitter activity using available metrics and analytics (e.g. followers, favorites, re-tweets, Klout score, etc.). While misunderstood by many in the scientific community, Twitter is a platform increasingly being adopted by researchers. Used correctly, it can be a great tool for connecting directly with an interested, non-technical audience eager to learn about your research. With my experiences and evaluation, I will show how both scientists and the networks that they join and create can benefit by using Twitter as a platform for science communication.

Integrating theory and practice to increase scientific workforce diversity: a framework for career development in graduate research training.

PubMed

Byars-Winston, Angela; Gutierrez, Belinda; Topp, Sharon; Carnes, Molly

2011-01-01

Few, if any, educational interventions intended to increase underrepresented minority (URM) graduate students in biological and behavioral sciences are informed by theory and research on career persistence. Training and Education to Advance Minority Scholars in Science (TEAM-Science) is a program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the twin goals of increasing the number of URM students entering and completing a PhD in BBS and increasing the number of these students who pursue academic careers. A framework for career development in graduate research training is proposed using social cognitive career theory. Based on this framework, TEAM-Science has five core components: 1) mentor training for the research advisor, 2) eight consensus-derived fundamental competencies required for a successful academic career, 3) career coaching by a senior faculty member, 4) an individualized career development plan that aligns students' activities with the eight fundamental competencies, and 5) a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats personal career analysis. This paper describes the theoretical framework used to guide development of these components, the research and evaluation plan, and early experience implementing the program. We discuss the potential of this framework to increase desired career outcomes for URM graduate trainees in mentored research programs and, thereby, strengthen the effectiveness of such interventions on participants' career behaviors.

Integrating Theory and Practice to Increase Scientific Workforce Diversity: A Framework for Career Development in Graduate Research Training

PubMed Central

Byars-Winston, Angela; Gutierrez, Belinda; Topp, Sharon; Carnes, Molly

2011-01-01

Few, if any, educational interventions intended to increase underrepresented minority (URM) graduate students in biological and behavioral sciences are informed by theory and research on career persistence. Training and Education to Advance Minority Scholars in Science (TEAM-Science) is a program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with the twin goals of increasing the number of URM students entering and completing a PhD in BBS and increasing the number of these students who pursue academic careers. A framework for career development in graduate research training is proposed using social cognitive career theory. Based on this framework, TEAM-Science has five core components: 1) mentor training for the research advisor, 2) eight consensus-derived fundamental competencies required for a successful academic career, 3) career coaching by a senior faculty member, 4) an individualized career development plan that aligns students’ activities with the eight fundamental competencies, and 5) a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats personal career analysis. This paper describes the theoretical framework used to guide development of these components, the research and evaluation plan, and early experience implementing the program. We discuss the potential of this framework to increase desired career outcomes for URM graduate trainees in mentored research programs and, thereby, strengthen the effectiveness of such interventions on participants’ career behaviors. PMID:22135370

Where are they now? - A case study of the impact of international travel support for early career Arctic researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majaneva, Sanna; Hamon, Gwénaëlle; Fugmann, Gerlis; Lisowska, Maja; Baeseman, Jenny

2016-09-01

Supporting and training the next generation of researchers is crucial to continuous knowledge and leadership in Arctic research. An increasing number of Arctic organizations have developed initiatives to provide travel support for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to participate in workshops, conferences and meetings and to network with internationally renowned scientific leaders. However, there has been little evaluation of the effectiveness of these initiatives. As a contribution to the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning, a study was conducted to analyze the career paths of ECRs who received travel funding from the International Arctic Science Committee between the start of the International Polar Year (2007-2008) and 2013. Two surveys were used: one sent to ECRs who received IASC travel support and one as a specific event study to those unsuccessfully applied for IASC travel support to the IPY 2010 Conference. The results of the surveys indicate that travel support was beneficial to both the research and careers of the respondents, especially if the ECR was engaged with a task or responsibility at the event. Survey responses also included suggestions on how funds could be better used to support the next generation of Arctic researchers.

Early Environmental Field Research Career Exploration: An Analysis of Impacts on Precollege Apprentices

PubMed Central

Flowers, Susan K.; Beyer, Katherine M.; Pérez, Maria; Jeffe, Donna B.

2016-01-01

Research apprenticeships offer opportunities for deep understanding of scientific practice, transparency about research careers, and possible transformational effects on precollege youth. We examined two consecutive field-based environmental biology apprenticeship programs designed to deliver realistic career exploration and connections to research scientists. The Shaw Institute for Field Training (SIFT) program combines introductory field-skills training with research assistance opportunities, and the subsequent Tyson Environmental Research Fellowships (TERF) program provides immersive internships on university field station–based research teams. In a longitudinal mixed-methods study grounded in social cognitive career theory, changes in youth perspectives were measured during program progression from 10th grade through college, evaluating the efficacy of encouraging career path entry. Results indicate SIFT provided self-knowledge and career perspectives more aligned with reality. During SIFT, differences were found between SIFT-only participants compared with those who progressed to TERF. Transition from educational activities to fieldwork with scientists was a pivotal moment at which data showed decreased or increased interest and confidence. Continuation to TERF provided deeper relationships with role models who gave essential early-career support. Our study indicates the two-stage apprenticeship structure influenced persistence in pursuit of an environmental research career pathway. Recommendations for other precollege environmental career–exploration programs are presented. PMID:27909017

Best Friends in Adolescence Show Similar Educational Careers in Early Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiuru, Noona; Salmela-Aro, Katariina; Nurmi, Jari-Erik; Zettergren, Peter; Andersson, Hakan; Bergman, Lars

2012-01-01

The present study investigated the role of best friends in educational career development from adolescence to adulthood. Participants' (N=476) reciprocal best friendships were identified at age 15, while their educational attainment was investigated in early adulthood (age 26), their intelligence (IQ) at age 13, and parental education, educational…

Friederike Range: Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Psychologist, 2012

2012-01-01

Presents a short biography of one of the winners of the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology. The 2012 winner is Friederike Range for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the complex social minds of nonhuman animals. Through ingenious experimental approaches,…

Elementary Career Education Guide, Volume 2: Career Awareness--Primary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watertown Independent School District 1, SD.

Volume 2 of the six-volume articulated elementary education career guide deals with the career awareness level of career education and aims at developing student career identity. The lessons in the volume are divided and color-coded by grade level (early childhood, primary levels one, two, and three corresponding respectively with grades K-three,…

The Effect of a Horseshoe Crab Citizen Science Program on Middle School Student Science Performance and STEM Career Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiller, Suzanne E.; Kitsantas, Anastasia

2014-01-01

The purpose of the present quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of a horseshoe crab citizen science program on student achievement and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career motivation with 86 (n = 86) eighth-grade students. The treatment group conducted fieldwork with naturalists and collected data for a…

Mentoring Early-Career Faculty Researchers Is Important-But First "Train the Trainer".

PubMed

Sood, Akshay; Tigges, Beth; Helitzer, Deborah

2016-12-01

It has long been known that mentoring is critical to the success of junior faculty researchers. The controlled intervention study by Libby et al published in this issue of Academic Medicine demonstrates that institutional investment in a mentored research career development program for early-career faculty investigators provided significant long-term gains in grant productivity. Academic institutions hoping to replicate this program's success by launching similar mentoring programs for their junior faculty investigators will, however, find that the Achilles' heel lies in the scarcity of skilled research mentors and the relative lack of attention to and recognition of the importance of a supportive institutional climate for mentoring. It is essential, therefore, to begin by developing programs to "train the trainer" as well as programs and policies to support mentors. As a recent trial at 16 Clinical and Translational Science Award institutions demonstrated, competency-based, structured research mentor training can improve mentors' skills.In this Commentary, the authors offer a comprehensive two-pronged framework for mentor development with elements that address both individual mentoring competencies and the institutional climate for mentoring. The framework depicts the gaps, activities, and outcomes that a mentor development program can address. Activities directed at changing the institutional climate related to mentor development should complement training activities for individual mentors. The authors propose that employing this framework's approach to mentor development will lead to the desired impact: to increase the competence, productivity, and retention of a diverse clinical and translational research workforce.

Becoming a nurse: a meta-study of early professional socialization and career choice in nursing.

PubMed

Price, Sheri L

2009-01-01

This paper is a report of a meta-study of early professional socialization and career choice in nursing. The current and growing shortage of nurses is a global issue, and nursing recruitment and retention are recognized priorities internationally. The future of nursing will lie in the ability to recruit and retain the next generation to the profession. Studies were identified through a search of the CINAHL, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, PubMed; Medline and Embase databases from 1990 to 2007. Studies were included if they gave insight into the experience of choosing nursing as a career, used qualitative methodology and methods, and were published in English. Analysis was undertaken using Paterson et al.'s framework for qualitative meta-synthesis. Ten primary studies were included in the review. Their methodologies included: ethnography (4); descriptive qualitative (3); grounded theory (2); and phenomenology (1). The location of the research was Canada (3), United Kingdom (2), United States of America (2), Australia (1), Japan (1) and Sweden (1). Three main themes were identified: influence of ideals; paradox of caring and role of others. Career choice and early professional socialization are influenced by multiple factors. In future recruitment and retention strategies to address the critical nursing shortage, it is important to consider the role of mentors, peers and role models in the formulation of career expectations, and career choice decisions. It is also necessary to consider the role of mentors, peers and role models in the formulation of career expectations, and career choice decisions.

Cooperative Education. Cosmetic Science: A Career Option for Majors in Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtin, J. Leon; Radd, Billie L.

1987-01-01

Discusses the growing field of cosmetic science as a career option for chemistry majors. Outlines the design, formulation, manufacture, stabilization, evaluation, control management, safety, mechanism of action, and claim substantiation of cosmetic products. Provides information on the concerns and professional responsibilities of the cosmetic…

Career Preparation and the Political Science Major: Evidence from Departments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Todd A.; Knotts, H. Gibbs; Schiff, Jen

2012-01-01

We know little about the amount of career preparation offered to students in political science departments. This lack of information is particularly troubling given the state of the current job market and the growth of applied degree programs on university campuses. To address this issue, this article presents the results of a December 2010 survey…

Reaching their potential: Perceived impact of a collaborative academic-clinical partnership programme for early career nurses in New Zealand.

PubMed

McKillop, Ann; Doughty, Lesley; Atherfold, Cheryl; Shaw, Kathy

2016-01-01

The dynamic nature of healthcare ensures that early career nurses enter an uncertain and complex world of practice and consequently require support to develop their practice, build confidence and reach their potential. The New Zealand Nurse Entry to Practice programme for registered nurses in their first year of practice has been operating since 2005 to enable safe and confident practice, improve the quality of care, and positively impact on recruitment and retention. This academic and clinical programme was offered as a partnership between a university and a clinical provider with postgraduate academic credits gained. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived impact of postgraduate university education for early career nurses in one regional health area of New Zealand. Participants were registered nurses who had completed the early career nurse programme and their clinical preceptors. The research was conducted via an online survey of 248 nurses and three focus groups to explore how the programme was experienced and its impact on knowledge and practice. Early career nurses and their preceptors found that the programme enables improved knowledge and skills of patient assessment, application of critical thinking to clinical practice, perceived improvement in patient care delivery and outcomes, enhanced interprofessional communication and knowledge sharing, and had a positive impact on professional awareness and career planning. This clinical-academic partnership positively impacted on the clinical practice and transition experience of early career nurses and was closely aligned to an organization's strategic plan for nursing workforce development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal Study of Career Cluster Persistence from 8th Grade to 12th Grade with a Focus on the Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Career Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Judson

Today's technology driven global economy has put pressure on the American education system to produce more students who are prepared for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Adding to this pressure is the demand for a more diverse workforce that can stimulate the development of new ideas and innovation. This in turn requires more female and under represented minority groups to pursue future careers in STEM. Though STEM careers include many of the highest paid professionals, school systems are dealing with exceptionally high numbers of students, especially female and under represented minorities, who begin but do not persist to STEM degree completion. Using the Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) framework that attributes student motivation to a combination of intrinsic, utility, and attainment values, this study analyzed readily available survey data to gauge students' career related values. These values were indirectly investigated through a longitudinal approach, spanning five years, on the predictive nature of 8 th grade survey-derived recommendations for students to pursue a future in a particular career cluster. Using logistic regression analysis, it was determined that this 8 th grade data, particularly in STEM, provides significantly high probabilities of a 12th grader's average grade, SAT-Math score, the math and science elective courses they take, and most importantly, interest in the same career cluster.

Comparison of Science Process Skills with STEM Career Interests of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorlu, Fulya; Zorlu, Yusuf