Authentic Science with Dissemination Increases Self-Efficacy of Middle School Students
Authentic Science with Dissemination Increases Self-Efficacy of Middle School Students
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DOI：
10.1093/icb/icz140
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发表时间：
2019-12-01
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Angeloni, Lisa M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Broder, E. Dale;Guilbert, Katie E.;Angeloni, Lisa M.
种族和性别多样化的群体比同质群体更有效率，创造力和生产力，但女性和少数民族在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）劳动力中的代表性不足。一个原因是基于社会经济地位和种族的高质量STEM教育的不平等，我们可以通过基于调查的校外时间计划来解决这个问题。在这里，我们描述了一个为期6个月的课后计划，允许一个代表性不足的社区的中学生进行原创的科学研究，他们在每年的会议上提出。通过定性评估和访谈，我们发现了参与者对STEM职业和自我效能感的兴趣增加的趋势。自我效能，或对自己成功能力的信念，预测了STEM的表现和坚持。学生在一次会议上展示了他们的研究成果后，自我效能感和对STEM职业的兴趣都有所增加，突出了传播对K-12学生形成自我效能感的重要性。像我们这样的小型课后项目可以很容易地通过科学家的广泛影响来实现，精心设计的项目有可能通过增加不同学生对STEM的访问和参与来积极影响变化。
Synopsis Ethnically and gender diverse groups are more efficient, creative, and productive than homogeneous groups, yet women and minorities are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. One contributor is unequal access to high-quality STEM education based on socioeconomic status and race, which we may be able to address through inquiry-based out-of-school time programs. Here we describe a 6-month after-school program that allows an underrepresented community of middle school students to conduct original scientific research that they present at a conference each year. Through qualitative assessments and interviews, we found a trend for increased interest in STEM careers and self-efficacy in participants. Self-efficacy, or belief in one's ability to succeed, predicts performance and persistence in STEM. Both self-efficacy and interest in STEM careers increased after students presented their research at a conference, highlighting the unexplored importance of dissemination for shaping self-efficacy in K-12 students. Small after-school programs like ours can be easily accomplished as broader impacts by scientists, and well-designed programs have the potential to positively affect change by increasing access and participation in STEM for diverse students.