The Influence of a Freshman iSTEAM Academy on Student Engagement and Educational Attitudes

Abstract

In this study, we attempted to combat the escalating problems of student disengagement and dropout at a partnering high school by piloting and evaluating a teacher professional development program to create a freshman “iSTEAM Academy” designed to radically transform the freshman experience. We found that students participating in the iSTEAM Academy were significantly more engaged, demonstrated more positive attitudes, and had greater aspirations to continue in STEM subjects than those in a more traditionally taught, comparison academy. Implications of the study for future practice included the importance of forums for transdisciplinary collaboration, a supportive administrative, and continued teacher professional development