2025 STEM/STEAM and Education

²James I. Perkins College of Education
Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, Texas

Title
Indigenous Culture and English Language Learning in Ghana

Synopsis
Over 70 indigenous languages are spoken in Ghana. The current language policy of teaching reading in the local languages begins in kindergarten, and addresses a problem rooted in Ghana’s colonial heritage. The current shape of the country developed from four British colonial territories with different languages and cultures. Consequently, the linguistic attunement necessary to the “expression and transmission of [a Ghanaian] culture” that may serve as a cornerstone of national identity (Rovira, 2008; p. 66) proves problematic, especially given the dominating influence of the English language. Retaining English as its national language subjects Ghana to certain tensions both domestically and internationally. It is also clear empirically that bilingualism can help improve a child’s educational development, cognitive functions, social skills, literacy, emotional skills, and creativity (Bialystok, 2011). This paper is about teaching reading to multilingual students in Ghana who are learning English as their second language. It attempts to draw some parallels to lessons learned in America that Ghana may find useful.

View Paper

Title
An Analysis of Gender and Sexuality Lessons in the Teaching of Mathematics for Social Justice NCTM/Corwin Textbooks

Synopsis
This paper explores the representation of gender and sexuality in four textbooks designed to promote mathematics education for social justice. Despite the growing recognition of these topics’ importance in K-12 education, our analysis reveals that discussions surrounding gender and sexuality remain limited and often binary. While early elementary lessons foster empathy and respect, only upper elementary and middle school textbooks begin to challenge cisheteronormative norms directly.

View Paper

Title
Impact of STEM on Students’ Intellectual Engagement

Synopsis
This mixed-methods study investigated the experiences of 43 students (Grades 6-8) and 5 adults (2 principals, 2 STEM teachers, and 1 STEM support teacher) from two middle schools following an 8-week STEM intervention. It evaluated the intervention’s impact on students’ intellectual engagement, focusing on critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.

View Paper

Title
Assessment of Walkability of University Campus and Communities: Associations with Perceived Safety & Student Retention

Synopsis
Approximately 80% of Americans do not meet minimum guidelines for regular physical activity. Among ways to promote physical activity is to optimize the Built Environment to promote and increase access to walking and cycling. Walkable and accessible university campus environments and proximal communities can promote physical activity and are assessed and compared in this study.

View Paper

²Department of Biological Sciences
Georgia Gwinnett College
Lawrenceville, Georgia

Title
STEM Majors Fail to Take Advantage of On-campus Resources When at Risk of Not Passing Introductory Courses in Their Major

Synopsis
At Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), an open-access four-year state college, 30-40% of students enrolled in the introductory courses for the Biology and Chemistry majors did not complete that course. This project aimed to better understand why students withdraw from the gateway, introductory STEM courses required for their major. We plan to summarize our analysis of responses from 170 STEM majors in 2019-2021.

View Paper

Title
Do Students Learn when the use of a GPT is Available?

Synopsis
This paper presents a discussion on the preliminary results of a survey about ChatGPT and its like, and their use by undergrad students. There is a large international debate on the value of the so-called “AI tools” and the two sides, one wanting it banned, and others saying to embrace it or get left behind. There is no consensus on which way to go and some do both. And, more importantly, what is the impact to students currently (and potentially the future) in the education system? What about lost skills? Are the students actually qualified for the job market upon graduation? This paper lays a foundation based on preliminary survey data and some related anecdotal experiences for initiating a greater, more formal, discussion on the entire topic and potentially influence a change in teaching methods/pedagogy.

View Paper

Title
Color-Based Butterfly Image Segmentation Using K-Means Clustering Approach

Synopsis
This study explores the use of image processing techniques to classify butterfly images based on color features. By applying K-Means clustering, the images were segmented into three distinct color groups—Cream, Yellow, and Orange—each capturing meaningful regions of the butterfly. These clusters were analyzed using color histograms and Lab* color space, which highlighted clear visual and chromatic differences among them. The results demonstrate the potential of color-based segmentation as an effective approach for analyzing and organizing butterfly images, with broader implications for image classification tasks in similar contexts.

View Paper

Title
Public Perceptions of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Threats: A PCA-Based K-Means Clustering Approach

Synopsis
The study employed a publicly accessible data set to investigate public perceptions regarding significant threats to marine and coastal ecosystems. The primary aim was to classify respondents through PCA-based K-Means clustering. The analysis identified three unique clusters of participants, each reflecting varied perspectives on the severity of these threats. By mapping these perceptions, the results provided critical insights for environmental conservation and marine protection.

View Paper

Title
Paradigms of Sustainable Development: Hard + Soft Green Strategies

Synopsis
Economic science explores rational strategies for allocating scarce resources in limited time and space among all stakeholders – human, flora, fauna, and nature itself. The goal is sustainable development. From an economic perspective, there are two main schools of thought about how to achieve and maintain harmony among and within all living species: Soft Green thinkers advocate reducing demand, Hard Green thinkers advocate increasing supply. We will explore the paradigms’ values.

View Paper

Title
A Top-Down Approach to Teaching STEM Concepts Behind Information Science and Technology to Non-STEM Students

Synopsis
Information science and technology education is required by professionals of all fields, regardless of whether they are from a STEM background, or not. This paper explores how, even though information science and technology education is built on a foundation of mathematics, even students from a non-STEM background can be provided with a basic level of information science and technology education if it is taught in a top-down fashion.

View Paper

Title
A Framework on Hosting Capacity for Airborne Wind Energy in Urban Environments

Synopsis
This work proposes a framework on the energy hosting capacity requirements for airborne wind energy (AWE) application in urban environments. AWE can be more effective than other traditional clean energy sources such as solar and wind turbines due to the height they can harness wind energy, sizing, and installation infrastructure. Still, to enable their successful system integration, many factors must be considered to ensure that the power grid technical requirements are met.

View Paper

Title
Changes in Learning Scene Interest Through Documentation by Non-Teaching Career Aspirants: Insights from Practices in a Private Programming School

Synopsis
This study explores how instructors in a private programming school, who do not aspire to become teachers, changed their perspectives on learning scenes through documentation. Analysis of documentation, surveys, and interviews revealed three findings: (1) instructors’ focus shifted from completed products to the trial-and-error process, (2) they perceived learning scenes based on preconceived notions, and (3) their reflections remained personal, lacking shared discussion.

View Paper

²Department of Curriculum and Instruction & Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China

Title
Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Epistemic Cognition in the Engineering Design Process: Experiences as STEM Mentors

Synopsis
Harnessing the epistemic analytical model of AIR (composed of Aims, Ideals, and Reliable processes), this qualitative study delved into the epistemic cognition (EC) of 11 engineering undergraduates serving as mentors in a secondary-school STEM project in Hong Kong. Based on the empirical data, we refined the AIR model to AIRK by adding a new component “K” (Knowledge resources) to better interpret the undergraduates’ EC during the engineering design process (EDP).

View Paper

³Faculty of Engineering
Tokyo University of Science
Tokyo, Japan

Title
Research on Innovation Promotion Education Using Generative AI

Synopsis
Generative AI has developed remarkably in recent years and is being used in invention creation activities, patent document preparation, and business activities. On the other hand, its use in university education is still in the exploratory stage. Based on this recognition of the current situation, this study conducted a survey and research to develop an educational program utilizing generative AI to promote innovation education in university education.

View Paper

Title
Leveling the Playing Field: Mentoring Women in Gaming to Promote Gender Equity in STEM

Synopsis
The video game industry is one of the fastest growing tech industries in the world and women represent nearly half of the enthusiasts supporting this growth. However, women still represent less than a quarter of professionals in this industry. This paper shares interviews with four professional women in gaming industry careers to explore their experiences, barriers, and supports they had along the way. Suggestions for how educators can support young women with these career goals.

View Paper

²Electrical and Computer Engineering
Utah Valley University

Title
Enhancing STEM Education through Project-Based Learning: Integrating Computer Vision in Undergraduate Courses

Synopsis
This paper explores the integration of advanced computer vision technologies into undergraduate STEM education through a project-based learning approach at Utah Valley University. Utilizing YOLOv12 and RoboFlow’s auto-labeling tools, students engaged in a hands-on capstone project focused on autonomous vehicle safety. This pedagogical strategy aimed to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application, emphasizing the learning process over technical performance metrics by significantly reducing manual annotation time.

View Paper

Title
Presentation and Effectiveness of a Diverse Menu of Experiences at an Open Campus for Department of Information Engineering

Synopsis
In this paper, we report on the open campus held in the previous year for the newly established Faculty of Science and Engineering at the author’s university. The author belongs to the Department of Information Engineering and prepared and managed many hands-on activities at the open campus. We quantitatively show that this event had a significant impact on the number of visitors. We also consider that it is evaluated that this initiative has actually led to the filing of applications.

View Paper

Title
The Practice of Data Science Education Enhanced by Generative AI

Synopsis
This research explores the use of generative AI in data science education to foster practical data utilization skills directly applicable to real-world scenarios. In the SSU(Shizuoka Sangyo University) Data Science Education program, we believe it is crucial to equip students with the ability to solve problems and identify issues using real-world data. To achieve this, we will clarify the scope of learning and the positioning of subjects, and consider a mechanism for acquiring real-world data.

View Paper

Title
Toward Bidirectional STEAM Operation: Investigating Intersemiotic Translation at the Intersection of Science, Technology, and Creative Practices

Synopsis
This study explores the potential of art thinking as a creative and cognitive approach applicable beyond the boundaries of the arts, particularly in interdisciplinary science and technology contexts. Art thinking is here understood as a process-driven mode of inquiry that enables individuals to navigate complex, real-world challenges with agility and interdisciplinary engagement. Drawing on Wesseling’s (2011) view of artistic practice as thought-in-action and Bourriaud’s (1998) theory of boundary-crossing creativity, the authors position art thinking as a valuable tool in addressing multifaceted problems.

Focusing on the international biosensor competition SensUs, the study analyzes collaboration between students from the Institute of Science Tokyo and RWTH Aachen University. Based on semi-structured interviews and communication records, examined through a translation studies framework, the research addresses two core questions: how art thinking influences knowledge exchange and communication in interdisciplinary development projects; and (2) how participants experience transformation through such engagement.

Preliminary findings from 2023 and 2024 reveal that: empathetic facilitation is key to team cohesion; disciplinary preconceptions persist even among youth; zones of loss and gain foster innovation; and early handling of misalignments might improve outcomes. The study tentatively suggests that while some disruptions can be managed through preparation and intersemiotic translation, some productive disruption and creative friction are essential for innovation. A structured yet flexible process can support interdisciplinary creativity without eliminating its disruptive potential, offering important implications for STEAM education and collaborative research activities.

View Paper

Title
Early STEAM Discourses in Postwar Science Textbooks in Japan

Synopsis
This study analyzes the stylistic characteristics of Shōgakusei no Kagaku (Science for Elementary School Students), a postwar Japanese science textbook imported and translated under the supervision of the GHQ. Focusing on the use of metaphorical and appraisal expressions, the analysis reveals a distinct narrative and child-centered style that contrasts with contemporary, content-focused science textbooks. Metaphors appear more frequently and are often sustained across entire sections, accompanied by corresponding illustrations. Their frequency and variation across units indicate an imaginative approach to science education.

Drawing on theoretical perspectives that frame metaphor as a bridge between the known and unknown (Nakamura, 1977), the findings underscore the textbook’s emphasis on emotional engagement and imaginative exploration. Appraisal expressions serve to blend empirical content with subjective responses, positioning learners as active participants in the construction of scientific understanding. This narrative-driven style aligns closely with current STEAM education principles, which advocate for the integration of logical, cognitive and creative dimensions in learning. Although this pedagogical approach was largely displaced by conventional models in subsequent decades (Shiba, 2000), revisiting it offers valuable insights into the development of more learner-centered, inquiry-based science education in the contemporary context.

View Paper

Title
Comparative Analysis of Electric Vehicle Purchase Behavior Across Generations X, Y, and Z: The Mediating Role of Environmental Concern

Synopsis
This research examines the differences in electric vehicle purchasing behavior between Generations X, Y, and Z, focusing mostly on how environmental concern mediates such discrepancies. The current global concerns towards sustainable means of transportation prompt this study to look into how each generation views these types of cars before using its attitude as a predictor for purchase choices.

View Paper

²School of Environment and Society
Institute of Science Tokyo
Japan

Title
Fostering innovation in Japanese companies through Art and Science: The Hybrid Innovation program at Science Tokyo

Synopsis
The Hybrid Innovation (HI) program is a STEAM-based business innovation training initiative developed by Science Tokyo and Central Saint Martins. Now in its fifth year, it integrates lessons from science, technology, and art education. Through 10 sessions combining lectures, material exercises, and key activities like translation strategies and empathy mapping, the program fosters critical thinking, transdisciplinarity, and reflective practice in Japanese companies.

View Paper

Title
A Comparative Analysis of Heterogeneous and Security Processors Based on Processor Evolution Trends

Synopsis
Modern computing requires higher performance, improved power efficiency, and stronger security, driving continuous advancements in processor architectures. This research explores heterogeneous processors and security processors, comparing the roles, advancements, and impact on modern computing.

View Paper

Title
A Hybrid Solution for Mitigating Adversarial Attacks on Machine Learning Models

Synopsis
Machine learning models are used in many areas, such as recognizing faces, self-driving cars, medical diagnosis, fraud detection, and personalized recommendations. However, as machine learning becomes more popular, it also becomes more vulnerable to attacks. This study thoroughly reviews various attacks, the implications on machine learning models, and existing mitigation techniques.

View Paper

Title
AI-Generated Versus Human-Recorded Lecture Videos: A Comparative Analysis of Learning Outcomes

Synopsis
Using a randomized experimental design, 74 undergraduate students watched instructional videos of identical content presented by either an AI avatar or a live-recorded human. Comprehension assessments and design quality surveys were used to analyze differences in student achievement and perceptions. Results suggest AI-generated videos may offer an efficient alternative to traditional studio production.

View Paper

Title
The Kuznets Curve and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Case of the U.S. Economy

Synopsis
This study applies econometric analysis to estimate the impact of economic growth on greenhouse gas emissions, drawing insights from the Environmental Kuznets Curve by Grossman and Krueger (1991). It finds no evidence of both short and long run EKC effect for the U.S. economy. It also confirms that the shift towards renewables is the pathway towards reduced emissions.

View Paper

Title
Reducing the Error in Measuring Strain Gradient Using Electrical-Resistance Strain Gages in Flexural Loading

Synopsis
This study aims to highlight the importance of managing the averaging effects of strain gages. In the measurement of strain in high stress gradient areas, the errors induced by the strain gages are inevitable and very high in many practical cases. In this study, the impact of the backing film is considered in reducing the inherent error of underestimating the peak strain. Examples are provided for the transformed gages and the results are compared with the original gages. It is demonstrated experimentally that the errors can be reduced significantly.

View Paper