The Arizona region of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) celebrated a year of hard work at the 2024 regional convention. PC’s Rho Pi Chapter won many accolades! In addition to their All-Arizona Academic Team Honors, Maya Lee was awarded All-USA and Transfer Pathways Scholarship and Ro Loucks received the Gold Scholar Award from Coca-Cola.
PC’s Rho Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) has been published in the National Honor Society’s 2024 Civic Scholar publication. PTK Rho Pi’s Honors in Action undergraduate research project began in 2023 and culminated in the annual Civic Scholar publication in September 2024. This year, 422 schools submitted projects for consideration, and the Rho Pi chapter was one of just 20 schools to be published.
Each PTK Chapter develops research objectives and questions to guide the study of a selected theme and determine what actions can be taken locally with short- and long-term impacts. This year’s theme was The Art & Science of Play.
Rho Pi’s members noticed and raised concerns that access to Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) education is limited or absent in some elementary education curricula in low-income neighborhoods. The Rho Pi project aimed to bridge the STEM curriculum gap at Encanto Elementary School, where students are not consistently engaged with STEM curriculum.
The chapter’s research question investigated whether structured and thoughtfully designed play increases openness to learning STEM concepts for K-4 students and whether it increases positive associations with STEM education and careers.
Their research objectives included understanding how play increases positive sentiments for STEM in young learners and what kind of structured play is conducive to this goal. Their work shows that early developmental exposure to STEM is crucial to future STEM engagement. Continued experience through playful educational opportunities increases success in future STEM courses.
Rho Pi chapter members used the 5E curriculum design methodology (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to create lesson plans:
- Engage: Utilize children’s literature, playfully introduce the topic
- Explore: Utilize interactive activities to provide hands-on learning experiences
- Explain: Write in personal scientific journals to understand data-collection skills
- Elaborate: A second piece of literature was used to debrief the activity
- Evaluate: Participate in a group discussion, emphasizing the challenging nature of the concept, using formal scientific terms
The project impacted 52 students. Results were gathered via a survey developed with a PC anthropology professor to gain insight into participants’ degree of liking science and their belief that they could be scientists.
In the beginning, 47% of the participants said they saw themselves as scientists. At the end of the three-week endeavor, this number grew to 62.5%. Additionally, the PTK team saw a growth of 15% in the number of students saying they like science.
“As a group of non-education majors, it was interesting to step into the role of ‘teacher.’ We took the role seriously. Our research taught us how formative and effective science instruction is for children. We wanted to get it right. The children helped us access our inner child through play, reconnecting us to our roots and community. Being able to share our knowledge with the teachers of Encanto and the Afterschool program emphasized that we never stop learning and that only through reaching out to one another may our horizons expand collectively,” said Ro Loucks.
Read Rho Pi’s Honors in Action Project in the 2024 Civic Scholar publication at https://issuu.com/ptkstrategicplan/docs/civic_scholar2024_forissuu.
Learn more about the national Phi Theta Kappa benefits at ptk.org. Want to join PC’s PTK Rho Pi Chapter? Visit phoenixcollege.edu/current-students/clubs-and-organizations to learn more.