• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.532-540
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• 2012

This research investigated the motivation and interests of a sample of predominately-underrepresented populations to better understand whether informal STEM learning experiences offer support for developing STEM identities. A valid and reliable three-section self-reporting survey was administered to 169 secondary students as the primary data source. Identity was used as a theoretical lens along with descriptive statistics to reveal students' perceived benefits of the informal STEM learning experience, a Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program in the western U.S., for improving their understanding of science, mathematics, and engineering concepts, increasing their interest in science, mathematics, and engineering careers, and increasing their belief of the importance of these STEM disciplines. In summary, the findings emerging, considered alongside current identity research, suggest that informal STEM learning experiences offer students from underrepresented STEM populations the space needed for successful STEM identity bids, either for future career pursuits or participation in a STEM literate populace as a non-STEM professional societal member.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2010

The development and maintenance of human capacity in economies is critical to long term competitiveness, but also for the overall health and environment of regions. Yet, human science and technology-based capacity is multidimensional and has interrelated characteristics which present certain policy challenges. This paper addresses a range of issues specific to a discussion on human capacity in S&T. First, the paper emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the complexity of human capacity issues and how they evolve along the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) pipeline. The pipeline is an often used reference to describe the training and development in STEM disciplines, from early childhood education, to more advanced training, and finally to professional collaboration and interaction and serves as a useful organizing framework for the discussion of capacity along the career evolution process. Second, the paper offers an organizing framework for discussion of policy mechanisms that have been developed to address issues and gaps that occur along this STEM pipeline. Specifically, it contrasts the traditional mechanisms of building human capacity in STEM areas with newer "gap filling" and integrated approached to addressed human capacity disparities and priorities. Third, the paper addresses core challenges in human capacity in STEM, including the education and training, participation of women and underrepresented groups, brain drain/brain circulation issues, and the globalization of science. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implication for the development of human capacity.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.207-219
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• 2009

This study aims to investigate the key common topics identified and discussed in relevant literature associated with the integrative efforts among STEM disciplines. The key methodology and pedagogy were examined and the significant benefits of using the design method for STEM education were discussed. Meta-analysis was employed and qualitative approach was mainly used to synthesize the major findings and conclusions of the 33 empirical studies. The findings of this meta-analysis revealed that the types and names describing the design methods used the various terms, but the key features have reflected the similar pedagogical benefits and key characteristics. The engineering design is an effective strategic methodology and pedagogy for STEM education. In addition, the design methods show the key benefits including (1) to improve academic achievement, (2) to promote students' affective gains, (3) to facilitate collaborative learning, and (4) to explore STEM related careers and jobs. The collaborative works among STEM professions are needed to promote the benefits of using design methods for integrating STEM subjects.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.195-216
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• 2015

Students' perceived values of career play a core role in formation of their career motivation. In particular, science gifted students should build sound values of career in science and technology so that our society can retain the human resources for future science and technology. This study compared and analyzed the structure of science gifted and general middle school students' preferred job and values of career using semantic network analysis. Methodologically, we first collected science gifted and general middle school students' preferred careers and the reasons of the career choice using survey method. Then, we structuralize semantic networks of students' perceived values of their preferred careers using semantic network analysis. We identified the characters of networks that two different student groups showed based on the structure matrix indices of semantic network analysis. Findings revealed that science gifted students considered the creativeness as the most important value of career. Second, science gifted students considered more diverse values of career than general students. Third, science gifted students considered the self-realization such as displaying capability as a core value of career in STEM and medical science whereas general students considered the community service as a core value of the careers. This study identified the significant differences between science gifted and general middle school students' values of careers. The structures of students perceived values of careers can be used for teachers to counsel their students about students' future careers.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.129-141
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• 2014

Since 2006, an annual rocket competition for university students in America has been held by management of NASA to support the Space Launch System. This paper describes the significance and operational aspects of NASA Student Launch, a rocket competition for university students organized by NASA Marshall Center's Academic Affairs Office, to inspire students to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields, which is Furthermore, It describes briefly activities of Korean national rocket competition for university students.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.43-64
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• 2014

Korea has pursued an aggressive policy of inviting more foreign-born students to its universities since the late 1990s in the wake of the globalization of education markets and its changing demographic structure. While increasingly more students from Asia come to Korea for study, more than half of the graduates return home upon graduation. Given the issues of brain drain, brain circulation, and knowledge transfer that are raised by such a high return rate, this paper examines the factors that frame the foreign students' decision on their post-graduation careers. By analyzing survey data, we report that Asian students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are more likely to return than non-STEM majors. This suggests that Korea's aggressive policies of inviting foreign-born students have contributed to brain circulation and knowledge transfer between Korea and the other Asian countries. We also find that scholarships from Korean sources and positive attitudes toward Korean culture and life increase their inclination to stay in the country upon graduation. These findings, however, raise more questions than answers, since it becomes obvious that their post-graduation decisions are highly affected by what Korea as a society provides.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.55-76
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• 2020

The traditional occupational boundaries of human resources in science and technology (S&T) have quickly blurred in Korea. On the one hand, the knowledge-based economy has emerged and S&T proliferated beyond conventional areas, leading scientists and engineers to advance into various convergence fields. On the other hand, Korea's labor market is characterized by a higher percentage of highly-educated human resources and a relatively smaller number of high-quality jobs. As a result, the highly educated in S&T have flowed over the traditional careers into non-S&T careers. Focusing on doctorates in S&T, this paper analyzes changes in their career patterns and identifies main determinants. Specifically, jobs are categorized into traditional STEM occupations and the others in order to identify fluctuations in their share and to analyze factors affecting such changes. The analyses are based on data from the 'Survey on Careers and Mobility of Doctorate Holders 2012' conducted by the Science and Technology Policy Institute. The results exhibit marked changes in the occupational composition of doctorates in S&T. Occupational diversification has been proceeded faster in natural sciences, the private sector, and the younger generation than in engineering, the public sector, and the older generation.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.36-59
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop a theory appropriate to the context by identifying the career motivation formation process from the perspective of academic high school students using a grounded theory approach. In this study, participants were selected among non probability sampling was used for sampling by artificially reputational case selection methods. Forty two highschool students(21 male, 21 female) were participated in this study. Research data were collected mainly collected using in-depth interview data were analyzed by applying the grounded theory method of Strauss and Corbin (1998). According to the results, 319 concepts and 56 sub-categories, and 19 categories were derived n the open coding process. Academic high school students' formation of STEM career motivation were influenced by contextual conditions of "STEM-related career think that the instruments' causal conditions and 'STEM education experience in inside and outside of school' named 'STEM career understanding and self-understanding' using the strategy of being influenced in interventional conditions of social support and obstacle 'for the central phenomenon of "STEM efforts to achieve career goals, it appeared as a result of" satisfaction for STEM careers. And it had a 5-step process over time that the formation process of STEM career motivation. This is expected to provide homes, schools, communities, and contribute to have a new insight on the education of the country, given the direction of career education and counseling intervention and the basic data used to develop and apply STEM career education.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.375-384
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• 2014

The number of students choosing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related careers are declining. Thus it became a worldwide challenge in the $21^{st}$ century. As public images of the engineers are unfavorable and inaccurate, misconceptions and stereotypes about engineers are prevailing. The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school students' perceived mental and pictorial images of engineers and the nature of engineering work. This study involved 512 fifth and sixth grade students (Boys: 287 and Girls: 225) from four elementary schools at one of metropolitans in South Korea. The Draw An Engineer-Korean version (DAE-K) was developed based on Draw an Engineer (DAE) and Draw a Scientist (DAS), and Song and Kim (1999)'s instruments. A pilot-tested was conducted with 33 elementary students prior to the main study. The students were asked to answer how they think the engineers would be, to draw an engineer at work, and to write the engineer's personal information and the job description. Engineers were perceived as a person fixing, building, manufacturing, working outdoors in labors' clothes such as a robe. Engineers were shown with building tools, robots, airplanes, machines, conveyor belt, etc. Moreover, compared to the scientists, engineers were perceived as less intelligent, less imaginative, and less accurate. The results of this study revealed that elementary school students had a lack of accurate images of engineers. Students' current perceived images of engineers could help educators find the baselines for the future engineering education in elementary schools. In addition, the findings of this study could also contribute to the development of engineering education in terms of gender issues, STEM career choice, and even cultural diversity.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.205-213
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• 2019

Since 2011, when the Korean government initiated STEAM education in schools, many STEAM programs have been developed and many researches on STEAM education have been published in Korea. This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of STEAM education by calculating effect sizes using statistics from 177 studies that reported their efforts in examining the effectiveness of STEAM programs. The findings of this study are the followings: 1)the total mean effect size of STEAM education is above medium level(effect size=.69). 2)Mean effect sizes of all four effect factors are above medium level, .58-.74. Mean effect sizes are .65 for STEAM interests, .74 for STEAM capacity, .63 for STEAM academic achievement, and .58 for STEAM careers. 3)The mean effect size of STEAM education in middle schools is significantly higher than in other school levels. This result suggests that STEAM education is more effective in middle schools.