Motivating students with disabilities to prepare for SEM careers

Journal of Engineering Education, Jul 2002 by Napper, Stan A, Hale, Paul N Jr, Puckett, Frank J

An Educational Brief

ABSTRACT

The National Science Foundation funded the project Enabling SUCCESS (Enabling Students to Undertake the Challenge of Careers in Engineering and Science) at Louisiana Tech University beginning in 1996. The goals ofthis three-year project were to: stimulate student interest in science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM); heighten the awareness among middle school students, their families, and their science teachers ofthe opportunities for persons with disabilities in these fields; and provide them with an understanding ofthe importance of career exploration and taking appropriate college preparatory courses in high school. The project at Louisiana Tech University built upon twenty years of experience in applying assistive technology to the needs ofpeople with disabilities and a ten-year history of national educational reform initiatives. The project staff included engineering and science professors, teacher educators, college students, practicing engineers and scientists with disabilities, and rehabilitation technology professionals. A unique feature of this project was its focus on middle school students (grades six through nine) with disabilities, their parents, and their teachers. Through on-campus workshops and showcases, home science activities, and college student mentoring, the project sought to inform and motivate. This paper summarizes the major activities of the model project and the results of the three-year effort.

I. INTRODUCTION

Demographic trends indicate that new entrants into the workforce are comprised of increasing numbers of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. The jobs facing these new workers will require higher skill levels in science and engineering than ever before. The number of persons with disabilities who enter careers in science, engineering, and mathematics is a national concern [1, 2]. Among the reasons are that role models are not known to students with disabilities and appropriate information and counseling is not provided when college preparation decisions are made. Additionally, these students and their teachers may be unaware of their true capabilities, future potential, and available assistive technology.

Students begin to make career preparation decisions in the middle school grades. This is particularly true as students enter high school where college preparatory electives require decisions to be made in earlier grades. For example, the mathematics sequence requires algebra and trigonometry in early high school. Also, high school science courses such as physics, chemistry, and biology are generally offered as electives. Students and their parents need to be prepared to make these decisions which may influence the decision to pursue college and which major to choose. For students with disabilities, neglecting fundamental skills may exclude them from the opportunity to enroll or succeed in SEM curricula when they enter college.

II. SCIENCE EXPLORERS

Participants in the Enabling SUCCESS project were called Science Explorers, as we explored together the possibilities in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Participants were recruited with the assistance of Special Education Coordinators in twenty northern Louisiana parishes. The Special Education Coordinators mailed a package of information to prospective students and their parents on behalf of the project. Interested families were encouraged to contact the project staff. Students, parents and science teachers received an invitation to a workshop on the Louisiana Tech University campus. The first year of the project, the focus was on students with physical disabilities. During the second year, students with sensory impairments (hearing and visual) were recruited in the same manner and invited to a workshop on the campus. The workshops included science demonstrations, science activities at the IDEA Place (the University's science discovery museum), and personal experiences from scientists and engineers who have disabilities. There were seventeen Explorers the first year. Eleven additional students enrolled as Explorers in the second year, bringing the total to twenty-eight. The distribution of Explorers by grade and by disability is shown in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively.

The students were broadly distributed across the northern part of the state and live within a 100-mile radius of Ruston. Over twothirds of the Explorers lived in communities or towns of less than 20,000 residents, making the project primarily a rural-based project.

III. HOME SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Apart from classroom instruction and projects, children typically learn independently, at home, individually, or with family members. They seek activities which they enjoy and to which they have ready access. Informal science activities have been found to be generally effective in facilitating knowledge of science content and skills for students with disabilities [3, 4]. Science experiments were adapted and prepared by project staff for the Science Explorers to explore science concepts at home. Home science kits were distributed to students with physical disabilities beginning in year one and to students with sensory impairments beginning in year two. The kits contain a variety of age-appropriate, science projects and experiments, including necessary supplies and adapted equipment.