Research: Does family encouragement motivate students to take an interest in STEM?

Nov. 8, 2018

A project led by an Indiana University School of Education researcher will help families incorporate engineering and "making" activities in their homes.

A project led by an Indiana University School of Education researcher will help families incorporate engineering and "making" activities in their homes -- potentially a step toward promoting interest in STEM and awareness of science and technology careers.

"The hope with this project is to engage families in engineering and making to empower them to design and build solutions to challenges they face in their homes and communities," said Adam Maltese, principal investigator for the project and associate professor of science education. "Through this, we hope they are exposed to the diverse opportunities that they might pursue with STEM."

The project, supported with a $1.2 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, will be co-led by Amber Simpson, assistant professor of mathematics education in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership at Binghamton University.

To learn more, read "Research to focus on family's role in supporting STEM interest and careers" from Indiana University.

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski | Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector.