Spotlight

Camp Invention - Invention Education as a Context for Children's Identity Exploration

Grantee: Camp Invention

Study Type: Pre-Post

Principal Investigator: Joanna K. Garner & Melissa Kuhn – Old Dominion University, Erica Matheny & Alaina Rutledge – National Inventors Hall of Fame

Project Description: This is a descriptive pre-post study of Camp Invention®, a virtual summer enrichment program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade that utilizes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) principles and hands-on learning to encourage student interest and achievement in STEM. The study sample is comprised of a subset of 108 students, age eight to 12, who participated in Camp Invention in the summer of 2020 and completed surveys both before and after the five-day camp. Participants reported on a range of measures of attitudes and knowledge about STEM subjects and self-concept related to STEM careers, including persistence, entrepreneurship, and risk-taking. The research team reports on students’ identification with the STEM field and key concepts, and students’ perceptions and preferences regarding different features of the camp experience.

Key Findings: The analysis of pre- and post-camp questionnaire responses from 108 upper elementary and middle school-aged children generated a measure of inventive mindset which was stable over time but largely independent of children’s identification with three STEM subjects typically encountered in school. In alignment with prior studies examining features of educational contexts that support identity development, researchers found that children’s most preferred activities supported perceived confidence, task novelty, and task utility, and least preferred activities received lower ratings on perceived autonomy and psychological safety.

Study Citation: Garner, Joanna K., Matheny, Erica, Rutledge, Alaina, & Melissa Kuhn. Invention education as a context for children’s identity exploration. Journal of STEM Research, August 2021, vol. 4, issue 1. doi: http://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v4i1.07.

Full report here.

The Key Findings above were reproduced from the published report and do not necessarily reflect interpretation of Overdeck Family Foundation staff.

Research Repository

A collection of research funded by Overdeck Family Foundation.

Summaries of Research Grants

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As a leading education funder, we are dedicated to advancing the belief that “evidence matters” through novel, methodologically sound, and actionable research that uncovers programs and models with the potential to positively improve outcomes for all children. We believe research is a key way to increase awareness of what’s effective and to impact evidence-based decision-making and practice across our main grantmaking areas: early childhood, hands-on STEM education, and K-9 programs that include supporting educators and student-centered learning environments.

Aligned with our core value of “learn better, together,” Overdeck Family Foundation is committed to promoting transparent research practices by lifting up timely findings of the research we fund. We update this page as research is concluded and published, ensuring transparency for the field and our grantees.

Research Areas

Early Childhood

Validation and knowledge generation studies in the field of early childhood.

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K-9 Education

Research into what works for students and educators in the classroom.

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Out-of-School STEM

Validation and knowledge generation studies on the impact of out-of-school STEM.

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Other

Research into cross-cutting topics across the education sector.

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Early Childhood

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COVID-19 Relief Bolstered U.S. Child Care Programs in Crisis

Effect of Family Connects' Universal Postpartum Nurse Home Visiting Program on Child Maltreatment and Emergency Medical Care at 5 Years of Age: A Randomized Clinical Trial

I-LABS - Dual-MEG Interbrain Synchronization During Turn-Taking Verbal Interactions Between Mothers and Children

I-LABS - Language Experience During Infancy Predicts White Matter Myelination at Age Two

I-LABS & LENA - Language Input in Late Infancy Scaffolds Emergent Literacy Skills and Predicts Reading-Related White Matter Development

LENA - The Impact of a Language-Based Intervention, a Two-Part Study

LENA - The Relationship Between Conversational Turns and Student Achievement

Effect of Nurse-Family Partnership's Intensive Nurse Home Visiting Program on Adverse Birth Outcomes in a Medicaid-Eligible Population: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The Effect of Exposure to Reach Out and Read on Shared Reading Behaviors

University of Nebraska - Nebraska Spotlight: Key Findings That Highlight Connections Among Early Childhood Development, Families and Communities

Young Mathematicians in Worcester Evaluation

K-9 Education

Teaching Lab Professional Learning Series: Supporting Teachers to Deliver High-Quality, Equity-Oriented, and Curriculum-Aligned Mathematics Instruction

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EdReports - State of the Instructional Materials Market: Use of Aligned Materials in 2022

EdTech Evidence Exchange - EdTech Context Inventory: Factor Analyses for Ten Instruments to Measure EdTech Implementation Context Features

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The Impact and Implementation of Leading Educators' Chicago Collaborative Teacher Professional Development Program

New Jersey Tutoring Corps School Year 2022-23 Efficacy Report

Next Education Workforce - Team-Based Staffing Models Can Make Schools Work Better for Both Learners and Educators

OnYourMark - The Effects of Virtual Tutoring on Young Readers

PERTS - Learning Conditions Are an Actionable, Early Indicator of Math Learning

Examining PowerMyLearning's Family Playlists' Impact on Student Social Emotional Learning and Science Mastery through Short-Cycle RCTs

Impact of PowerMyLearning's Social Emotional Learning Program: 2021-2022 Mid-Year and School Year Analysis

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Saga Education - Not Too Late: Improving Academic Outcomes among Adolescents

Effects of ST Math on Growth in Math Performance at the Grade-Level

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TNTP - Unlocking Acceleration: How Below-Grade Level Work is Holding Students Back in Literacy

UPchieve - Report on Impact of Online Tutoring on Math Achievement

Efficacy Analysis of Zearn Math: Findings from implementation in Louisiana

Efficacy Analysis of Zearn Math in DC Public Schools

Zearn - Catching Up and Moving Forward: Accelerating Math Learning for Every Student

Out-of-School STEM

Camp Invention - Invention Education as a Context for Children's Identity Exploration

DiscoverE - Messages Matter

FIRST® Longitudinal Study: 2022 Survey Results (108-Month Follow-Up)

Museum Digital Engagement: Before, During, and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

RAND - Expanding Afterschool Opportunities: Connecting STEM Afterschool Providers and Schools

WNET - Cyberchase’s Impact on Environmental and STEM Learning

Other

Access to Afterschool Programs Remains a Challenge for Many Families

Afterschool Rising to the Challenges Brought on by the Pandemic

Learning Heroes' Parents 2022 - Hidden in Plain Sight: A Way Forward for Equity-Centered Family Engagement

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