Northern Illinois University
STEM Interest and Engagement (STEM IE)

Professional Development Resources on Supporting Agency Developed by the STEM IE Project

Materials for professional development are provided. PowerPoint slides and an accompanying Facilitator's Guide can be customized for professional development offered to STEM summer program staff or used individually for self-study.

• PowerPoint
• Facilitator's Guide (PDF)

Further Reading

Windschitl, M., Thompson, J., & Braaten, M. (2018). Ambitious science teaching. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

This book discusses an approach broadly aligned with inquiry-based learning in science.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2018). Self-determination theory. Retrieved from http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/publications/

Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that a sense of agency or autonomy is a basic psychological need. For those wishing to read more about SDT, Ryan and Deci’s website contains many articles on both the basic theory and practical educational applications of it.

Denner, J., Werner, L., Bean, S., & Campe, S. (2005). The girls creating games program: Strategies for engaging middle-school girls in information technology. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 26(1), 90–98. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/4137437?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Girls lag behind boys in pursuing computer science and related technological coursework and careers. Girls also tend to report a lower sense of agency than boys in many studies. This article describes a project that put girls in leadership positions as designers with positive results.

Grossman, J. B., Price, M. L., Fellerath, V., Jucovy, L. Z., Kotloff, L. J., Raley, R., & Walker, K. E. (2002). Multiple choices after school: Findings from the Extended-Service Schools initiative.

Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED468056.pdf

This report is an evaluation of an initiative that supported 60 extended learning programs in 20 communities with predominately low-income families. Page 38 of the document pertains to one of the STEM programs created by the initiative that was especially supportive of youth agency: What Works? Lego Robotics: Youth Working Together to Solve Problems and Make Decisions.

Hull, G. A., & Greeno, J. G. (2006). Identity and agency in nonschool and school worlds. Counterpoints, 249, 77–97. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/42979590?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

This is a theoretical article about the importance of agency and identity in learning in both formal and informal educational contexts.

Larson, R. W., & Angus, R. M. (2011). Adolescents’ development of skills for agency in youth
programs: Learning to think strategically. Child Development, 82(1), 277–294. Retrieved from http://youthdev.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Larson-Angus-2011-Adolescents-development-of-skills-for-agency-in-youth-programs.pdf

This article describes both the mechanisms by which youth develop skills by being provided opportunities to experience agency and how ALs can best support offering and scaffolding such opportunities.

Schmidt, J. A., Rosenberg, J. M., & Beymer, P. N. (2018). A person‐in‐context approach to student engagement in science: Examining learning activities and choice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 55(1), 19–43.