Shifting STEM pedagogy through student voice

Faculty reflections on focus group data

Authors

  • Mark Wolfmeyer Kutztown University
  • Brian Kronenthal Kutztown University
  • Lisa Frye Kutztown University
  • Yun Lu Kutztown University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/ew3wcy76

Keywords:

computer science, focus groups, mathematics, pedagogy, STEM education

Abstract

Improving undergraduate STEM education requires sustained attention to students’ lived experiences and the ways faculty respond to them. This qualitative study examines how faculty in computer science and mathematics engaged with anonymized student focus group data from students in an NSF S-STEM program.  We took the opportunity to reflect on and adjust our teaching, mentoring, and advising practices. The focus group data revealed themes related to academic pacing, mentoring relationships, peer support, and the perceived disconnect of general education requirements, which faculty explored through structured, collaborative reflection. Findings illustrate how centering student voice can prompt meaningful pedagogical and programmatic shifts, highlighting a reflective, interdisciplinary, and reproducible model for fostering more responsive and inclusive STEM learning environments.

Author Biographies

  • Mark Wolfmeyer, Kutztown University

    MARK WOLFMEYER, PhD, is a Professor and Department Chair of Secondary Education in the College of Education, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, USA.  Email: wolfmeyer@kutztown.edu

     

  • Brian Kronenthal, Kutztown University

    BRIAN KRONENTHAL, PhD, is a Professor and Department Chair of Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, USA.  Email: kronenthal@kutztown.edu

  • Lisa Frye, Kutztown University

    LISA FRYE, PhD, is a Professor and Department Chair of Computer Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, USA.  Email: frye@kutztown.edu

     

  • Yun Lu, Kutztown University

    YUN LU, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, USA.  Email: lu@kutztown.edu

     

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Additional Files

Published

2026-05-26

Issue

Vol. 19 (2026): American Journal of STEM Education

Section

STEM Education (regular)

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Mark Wolfmeyer, Brian Kronenthal, Lisa Frye, Yun Lu

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) [year] [author]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How to Cite

Wolfmeyer, M., Kronenthal, B., Frye, L., & Lu, Y. (2026). Shifting STEM pedagogy through student voice: Faculty reflections on focus group data. American Journal of STEM Education, 19, 219-226. https://doi.org/10.32674/ew3wcy76