How science, technology, engineering, and mathematics project based learning affects high-need students in the U.S.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project based learning (PBL) affected high-need students in the United States (U.S.) in terms of their academic achievement. Among high-need students in the U.S., we focused on two student groups: Hispanic and at-risk students. The participants included 528 students in the three STEM PBL high schools and 2688 students in non-STEM PBL schools in the same region. Approximately 71% of the participants were Hispanic, at-risk, or Hispanic and at-risk. Latent growth modeling with repeated measures was used to analyze the data. The data were mathematics tests from 2008 to 2010 of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. STEM PBL instruction positively influenced Hispanic students' achievement in mathematics, but not at-risk students. The findings of this study imply that curriculum integrating STEM PBL may help Hispanic students having language and cultural differences improve communication and collaboration skills in classrooms.