Improving Academic Self-Concept and STEM Identity Through a Research Immersion: Pathways to STEM Summer Program
Improving Academic Self-Concept and STEM Identity Through a Research Immersion: Pathways to STEM Summer Program
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DOI：
10.3389/feduc.2021.674817
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发表时间：
2021-07-27
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Thurston, Linda
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Betz, Amy R.;King, Brenee;Thurston, Linda
事实证明，本科研究机会可以促进 STEM 学科中代表性不足群体的学生的招募、保留和融入。作为社区的一部分，有机会参与基于发现的实践活动，有助于学生在 STEM 中形成强烈的自我认同，并增强他们在原本令人畏惧的领域的自我效能。堪萨斯州立大学在学年和夏季都开发了一系列本科生研究机会，并围绕这些项目建立了管理基础设施。研究生院针对 URM 和第一代大学生举办自己的暑期本科生研究机会计划，协调其他资助项目的领导，并为所有项目的学生开展一系列的丰富和交流活动。其中包括专业发展以及主要的社交会议。由堪萨斯州立大学牵头的堪萨斯 LSAMP 创建了一个暑期项目，旨在吸引就读 STEM 领域的少数族裔社区学院学生，以招募他们获得堪萨斯州立大学的研究机会。人们对该项目产生了浓厚的兴趣，该项目除了介绍 STEM 研究和四年制大学外，还融入了大学体验元素。自该项目启动以来的 5 年里，每年都有 9 至 14 名学生组成的队列来到堪萨斯州立大学进行为期八周的体验，并参加基于队列的课程和个人指导的研究体验。该项目的双重重点“研究沉浸：通向 STEM 的途径”导致大多数学生在全国会议上展示海报，并转学到四年制院校的 STEM 专业。调查结果显示，该计划成功地提高了 STEM 认同和学术自我概念。定性反馈表明，该计划的两个部分共同提高了对 STEM 专业的兴趣和自信，同时也确保了学生与其他学生的联系，并在向四年制院校的过渡中感到舒适。
Undergraduate research opportunities have been demonstrated to promote recruitment, retention, and inclusion of students from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines. The opportunity to engage in hands-on, discovery-based activities as part of a community helps students develop a strong self-identity in STEM and strengthens their self-efficacy in what can otherwise be daunting fields. Kansas State University has developed an array of undergraduate research opportunities, both in the academic year and summer, and has established a management infrastructure around these programs. The Graduate School, which hosts its own Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program aimed at URM and first-generation college students, coordinates the leadership of the other grant-funded programs, and conducts a series of enrichment and networking activities for students from all the programs. These include professional development as well as primarily social sessions. The Kansas LSAMP, led by Kansas State University, created a summer program aimed at under-represented minority community college students enrolled in STEM fields to recruit them into research opportunities at K-State. There has been strong interest in the program, which incorporated university experience elements in addition to an introduction to STEM research and the four-year university. In the 5 years since the program's inception, cohorts of nine to fourteen students came to K-State each year for eight-week experiences and took part in both cohort-based sessions and individual mentored research experiences. The two-fold focus of this program, Research Immersion: Pathways to STEM, has resulted in the majority of the students presenting a poster at a national conference and transferring to a STEM major at a four-year institution. Survey results showed that the program was successful at improving STEM identity and academic self-concepts. Qualitative feedback suggested that the two parts of the program worked together to increase interest and self confidence in STEM majors but also ensured that students connect with other students and felt comfortable in the transition to a 4-year institution.