Call for papers – Journal of Science Education and Technology

The Journal of Science Education and Technology is soliciting manuscripts for a special issue on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Development Education.

Important Dates

• Letter of interest deadline: January 5, 2015 (non-binding, 150-200 word description to help plan for reviewers)

• Full paper submission deadline: June 15, 2015

• Review decision: September 20, 2015

• Final version submission: November 1, 2015

Aims and Scope for the Special Issue

The National Science Foundation Indicators (2010) document shows that while the proportions of Blacks (5%) and Latinos (5%) have increased in nonacademic science and engineering occupations, these numbers are still significantly lower than the percentage of those groups in the general population. A recent report to the president entitled Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America noted that many American students gravitate away from science and engineering toward other fields in their early education (PCAST, 2010). This is problematic, not just from a social justice and equity viewpoint, but also from an economic perspective given the growing role of STEM fields across the economy in the United States.

Since 2003, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program has funded researchers and educators to build an understanding of best practices, contexts and processes contributing to K-12 students' motivation and participation in the STEM core domains along with other STEM cognate domains (e.g., information and communications technology, computing, computer sciences, data analytics, among others). These projects have resulted in broad knowledge-building regarding strategies, successes, models, and interventions that support and encourage youth to pursue STEM careers.

The current proposed special issue will offer research-based insights into the current understanding that has been gleaned from a decade of work in STEM career development through the NSF-funded ITEST program.

The following are topics of interest (but not limited to) for this special issue:

• Research on motivation and interest of underrepresented populations to pursue STEM careers

• Empirical studies on the effects of technology-enhanced STEM educational experiences (in- or out-of-school) on students’ beliefs/aspirations/motivation to pursue STEM careers

• Empirical studies that examine or test conceptual/theoretical models that can be used to explain youth STEM career development processes

• Design-based research that examines the design and implementation of youth-based STEM career development programs

• Empirical studies that examine how to best prepare K-12 teachers to support youth in pursuing STEM career fields

• Longitudinal studies that examine how and why youth choose to pursue (or not pursue) STEM careers

• Empirical studies on the role that gender, race, and ethnicity play in youths’ pursuit of STEM careers

• Teacher education or professional development for technology-enhanced STEM career development education

Authors should prepare manuscripts using instructions on the website of the Journal of Science Education and Technology. Manuscripts should not exceed 30 pages (including figures, diagrams and references). The page limit refers to double-spaced pages. Manuscripts should be submitted using the online submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/jost/).

All papers will be peer-reviewed based on quality, originality, organization and clarity of writing, and evidence provided for assertions and conclusions.

Guest Editors

Michael Barnett, Boston College, [email protected]David Blustein, Boston College, [email protected]Alice Connors-Kellgren, Boston College, [email protected]Caroline E. Parker, Educational Development Center, Inc., [email protected]