Using a classroom aquaponics project to improve urban (city) students’ perception of STEM disciplines and career pathways

There is a need for secondary schools to provide more hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and specifically, more contextualized project-based investigation environments in the classroom that manifest the next generation science standards. This study investigated how, and to what extent, a 10-week contextualized aquaponics project-based investigation (APBI) affected urban (city) high school students’ attitudes toward STEM, aquaculture and aquaponics, and interest in future STEM-related disciplines and/or STEM career pathways. Currently, there is little research published in technical literature on how APBI may engage students in increasing attitudes and interest in aquaculture/aquaponics fields as a career choice and, more generally, STEM disciplines. Using a quantitative quasi-experimental research design, two different student groups participated in a hands-on APBI project and were given pre- and post-attitude/interest surveys (n = 22). The 12 survey items were rated by a 5-point Likert-type scale that measured changes in student interest and attitudes toward STEM as discipline and as an area of interest. In addition, the survey included a profile of the respondents with the demographic items. The results revealed that the intervention contributed to the treatment group students’ positive attitudes toward STEM in general, and aquaculture and aquaponics specifically, and to students’ developing an interest in the disciplines of STEM and/or as career pursuits. Results suggest that APBI models may be effective in attracting urban (city) students to STEM-related disciplines and careers.