Research - Articles

Scientists and the general public have markedly different views on any number of topics, from evolution to climate change to genetically modified foods. But one thing both groups agree on is that science and math education in the U.S. leaves much to be desired.

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) recently released the results from a comprehensive review examining the effects of expanded learning time on student academic and nonacademic performance. Researchers found mixed results from their study of 30 after-school and summer programs nationwide. While elementary school students demonstrated a positive effect on literacy and math achievement, middle school students experienced a small negative effect, while students who suffer from some type of learning disability benefited the most from increased learning time.

For the past several years, two researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have surveyed 5,300 women with degrees in engineering. They found that females frequently leave the profession because there aren’t enough opportunities for career advancement, or because they need to fulfill parenting or caregiving responsibilities in the absence of family-friendly work practices and policies. The research indicates that leaning in to an engineering career may not lead to leadership prospects or a lifelong vocation, as women may hope.

In a first-of-its-kind study, Brookings Institution scholar Jonathan Rothwell finds that the science, technology, engineering and math labor market suffers from a very particular kind of skills gap. It’s not just that there aren’t enough skilled workers to fill the jobs; it’s that the skills workers have aren’t specific enough. Read more of the article here.