Read “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett

Dear _________________________________,

You are invited to participate in a study that I am conducting as part of my graduate studies at Minot State University. I am investigating how teachers who attended the six-day STEM Institute in July of 2010, have applied the information they learned to their 2010-2011 school year classrooms. As one of these teachers you are invited to participate in a focus group where you will share your experiences during the 2010-2011 year, regarding the following: 1) your successes and struggles while applying the information you learned at the 2010 STEM Institute, 2) any new technologies, content, practices, or ideas that you incorporated into lessons to promote 21^st century skills, and 3) how you encouraged students’ interests in STEM fields. All teachers who participated in the July 2010 STEM Institute are invited to participate in this study.

If you decide to participate, you can attend a focus group interview on July __, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or if that time is inconvenient, a person-to-person interview can be schedule. Digital recordings will be made of the focus group interview and person-to-person interviews. All participants who participate in the study will receive a $50 stipend.

Names of participants and the participant’s schools will remain confidential. All data collected will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in my office or on my password-protected computer.

Please e-mail s.egli@dickinsonstate.edu or call me at 1-701-690-6459 to say if you are or are not interested in participating in the study.

Thank you,

Shawna Egli

Using STEM Education to Promote 21^st Century Math Skills

Shawna Egli

Purpose of Research

I am currently attending Minot State University, working toward my Masters of Arts of Teaching: Mathematics degree. As part of my graduate studies, I am investigating how teachers who attended the six-day STEM Institute in July of 2010, have applied the information they learned to their 2010-2011 school year classrooms.

At the end of the 2010-2011 school year, teachers who participated in the STEM Institute during July 2010 will participate in a focus group interview or an individual interview. A predetermined protocol will be used to lead the focus group as well as the personal interviews. Information collected will be used to: 1) discover teacher’s successes and struggles while applying the information from the 2010 STEM Institute, 2) find out any new technologies, content, practices, or ideas that teachers incorporated into lessons to promote 21^st century skills, and 3) how teachers encouraged students’ interests in STEM fields.

As explained in the letter of invitation, the focus group will last approximately three hours. If you are participating in an interview, it should last approximately an hour. Once the focus group or interview is complete, your participation is complete.

Names of participants and the participant’s schools will remain confidential. All data collected will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in my office or on my password-protected computer.

There are no anticipated risks to participants in this study.

The anticipated benefits of participating in this study are being able to communicate, share, and learn what other participates from the Institute are doing in their classroom. You will also receive a $50 stipend for your participation.

This research has been approved by Minot State University’s Institutional Review Board. If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, please contact Dr. Brent Askvig, IRB Chair, at 701-852-3052.

If you have any questions or concerns about the study, feel free to contact me at 1-701-690-6459 or email me at s.egli@dickinsonstate.edu. Thank you for your consideration.

This study is voluntary. If you decide to participate you can withdraw your consent and discontinue participation at any time. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your consent at any time. If you do not consent or withdraw your consent, your responses will not be included in my results.

You are voluntarily making a decision whether or not to participate in this study. With your signature below, you are indicating that upon reading and understanding the above information, you agree to allow your focus group/interview responses to be used in this study. You will be given a copy of the consent form to keep.

Name of Participant (Print) Date Participant Signature

Name of Researcher (Print) Date Researcher Signature

Thank you for your participation.
Sincerely,
Shawna Egli

Appendix G
Focus Group Protocol

Script for Facilitator

Facilitator should arrive 15 minutes before the participants. Arrange the seating so it is in a circle or around a large table so participants can clearly see each other. The facilitator should greet each participant with a friendly welcome to help participants feel comfortable and set the tone for an enjoyable, fun discussion. If refreshments are available, inform participants to help themselves. Hand out the Participant’s Stipend form and ask participants to fill out the form. Explain this form is for the $50 stipend. Also, have them sign the participant sign in sheet for verification of participants. This sheet will also include geographic data needed for the study.

“Good morning and I am glad that all of you could make it today. In the next 2 to 3 hours, we are going to discuss STEM Education. I am gathering input from you, the teachers who attended the six-day STEM Institute in July of 2010. I hope to learn about the successes and struggles you had while integrating STEM pedagogy into your curriculum. I would like to know about new technologies or ideas you have incorporated into your lessons to promote 21^st century skills. I am interested in the available activities you used to encourage students’ interest in STEM fields. Before we get started, we need to talk about the consent form. This form explains important information about this process.”

Give each participant the consent form and read it aloud to the group. Have participants sign it and then collect the consent forms.

3. Explain the Focus Group Process

Ask if anyone has participated in a focus group discussion before. “A focus group brings participants together for an interview that is intended to explore certain topics in depth. For this particular focus group, we are going to discuss three main topics while reflecting back on the 2010-2011. Those three topics are:

1. Success and struggles of implementing STEM education content and practices.

2. New technologies/ideas/practices/content you have incorporated into your lessons to promote 21^st Century Skills

3. Activities students participated in to encourage students’ interests in STEM fields

We are here today to collect information on those three topics.

• 
  Information provided in the focus group must be kept confidential
  
• 
  Turn off cell phones
  
• 
  Everyone should participate
  
• 
  Have fun
  

State aloud “Today’s Date is __(today’s date)__ and this is the STEM Institute focus group discussion”

Have each participant state his or her name, where they taught, and what grades/subjects during the 2010-2011 school year, as a reintroduction to the group.

Remind participants to sign the participant sign-in sheet.

8. Questions

{It is important to give people time to think before answering the questions. The facilitator may ask spontaneous questions that arise from the discussion in order to probe deeper into a topic.}

“Please answer the following questions in regards to the 2010-2011 school year.”

1. Think back on the 2010-2011 school year, what are some success stories of integrating STEM Education into your curriculum?

2. What are some lessons learned as a result of integrating STEM Education into your curriculum this past year?

3. Describe any new technologies/ideas/practices/content that you integrated into your classroom that promote 21^st century skills. The technology/idea/practice/content does not have to be new to the world, just new to you and your class.

4. Reviewing the 2010-2011 school year, by show of hands, how many of you worked with other teachers/professionals to plan student activities that involved using a variety of STEM content areas? Those of you who raised your hand, please explain the student activity(s).

5. Reviewing the 2010-2011 school year, by show of hands, how many of you did NOT work with other teachers/professionals to plan student activities that involved using a variety of STEM content areas? Those of you who raised your hand, please explain and discuss the barriers that prevented it.

6. Still referring to the 2010-2011 school year, give examples of activities that were available to you and your students that encouraged students’ interest in STEM fields.

7. {Facilitator gives each participant the “STEM Activity Table” worksheet}

Did students in your class participant in the following activities? If they did participate in that particular activity, please explain that activity (s) in the “Yes” column. If they did not participate in the activity, please describe the barrier (s) that prevented the activity.

9. Did students in your class participant in the following activities: STEM related field trip(s), STEM guest speaker(s), interdisciplinary project(s)/assignment(s), math/science problems from a textbook, actual real-life application of STEM fields, STEM career awareness class discussions, activities that develop creativity and innovation skills, computer applications, on-line learning, and mobile learning. For the activities students did not participate in, please describe the barriers.

10. Other comments about STEM Education, 21^st century skills, and/or the 2010-2011 school year that you would like to share?

Facilitator needs to:

• 
  Verify that all participants signed the participant sign-in sheet. Then collect the sign-in sheet.
  
• 
  Collect each Participant’s Stipend Form.
  
• 
  Collect each Participant’s STEM Activity Table.
  

“Thank you for participating in the discussion. The information gathered today will be used to help identify the successes/struggles of integrating STEM Education. The data will be evaluated to determine the new technologies/ideas/practices/content teachers are using to promote 21^st century skills. It will also be used to determine how students are being encouraged to explore STEM fields. Have a great afternoon. If anyone would like to continue the discussion, I am more than will to stay, but as of now the focus group discussion is dismissed. Again, thank you for your help in this study.”

Script for Facilitator

Facilitator should arrive 15 minutes before the participant. Arrange the seating so the participant and the facilitator can clearly see each other. The facilitator should greet the participant with a friendly welcome to help the participant feel comfortable and set the tone for an enjoyable, fun discussion. Hand out the Participant’s Stipend form and ask the participant to fill out the form. Explain this form is for the $50 stipend. Also, have them sign the participant sign in sheet for verification of participants. This sheet will also include geographic data needed for the study.

“Good morning and I am glad that you and I have a opportunity to discuss STEM Education. I am gathering input from you, because you are a teacher who attended the six-day STEM Institute in July of 2010. I hope to learn about the successes and struggles you had while integrating STEM pedagogy into your curriculum. I would like to know about new technologies or ideas you have incorporated into your lessons to promote 21^st century skills. I am interested in the available activities you used to encourage students’ interest in STEM fields. Before we get started, we need to talk about the consent form. This form explains important information about this process.”

Give the participant the consent form and read it aloud. Have participants sign it and then collect the consent forms.

3. Explain the Personal Interview Process

For this interview, we are going to discuss three main topics while reflecting back on the 2010-2011. Those three topics are:

1. Success and struggles of implementing STEM education content and practices.

2. New technologies/ideas/practices/content you have incorporated into your lessons to promote 21^st Century Skills

3. Activities students participated in to encourage students’ interests in STEM fields

We are here today to collect information on those three topics.

• 
  Information provided this interview must be kept confidential
  
• 
  Turn off cell phones
  
• 
  Have fun
  

State aloud “Today’s Date is __(today’s date)__ and this is the STEM Institute Personal Interview with (participates first and last name) ”

Ask the participant where they taught, and what grades/subjects during the 2010-2011 school year.

“Please answer the following questions in regards to the 2010-2011 school year.”

1. Think back on the 2010-2011 school year, what are some success stories of integrating STEM Education into your curriculum?

2. What are some lessons learned as a result of integrating STEM Education into your curriculum this past year?

3. Describe any new technologies/ideas/practices/content that you integrated into your classroom that promote 21^st century skills. The technology/idea/practice/content does not have to be new to the world, just new to you and your class.

4. Reviewing the 2010-2011 school year did you worked with other teachers/professionals to plan student activities that involved using a variety of STEM content areas and if you did please explain the student activity(s).

5. Reviewing the 2010-2011 school year, if you did NOT work with other teachers/professionals to plan student activities that involved using a variety of STEM content areas, please explain the barriers that prevented it.

6. Still referring to the 2010-2011 school year, give examples of activities that were available to you and your students that encouraged students’ interest in STEM fields.

7. {Facilitator gives the participant the “STEM Activity Table” worksheet}

Did students in your class participant in the following activities? If they did participate in that particular activity, please explain that activity (s) in the “Yes” column. If they did not participate in the activity, please describe the barrier (s) that prevented the activity.

9. Did students in your class participant in the following activities: STEM related field trip(s), STEM guest speaker(s), interdisciplinary project(s)/assignment(s), math/science problems from a textbook, actual real-life application of STEM fields, STEM career awareness class discussions, activities that develop creativity and innovation skills, computer applications, on-line learning, and mobile learning. For the activities students did not participate in, please describe the barriers.

10. Other comments about STEM Education, 21^st century skills, and/or the 2010-2011 school year that you would like to share?

Facilitator needs to:

• 
  Verify that the participant signed the participant sign-in sheet. Then collect the sign-in sheet.
  
• 
  Collect Participant’s Stipend Form.
  
• 
  Collect Participant’s STEM Activity Table.