PGE/LCP: Using Inquiry-Based Learning, Multicultural Education, and Sociocultural Constructivism to Enhance Girls' Participation and Academic Performance in SMET

尽管妇女在高等教育机构的入学率和毕业水平继续提高，但她们在科学、数学、工程和技术领域的参与率仍然低得惊人。 究其根源，是小学教师科学内容知识准备不足。 小学教师往往只需要参加多达三门科学课程的认证，他们往往没有接触到各种教学策略，有效地与女孩在课堂上。 这两个因素，加上广泛而肤浅的基础科学课程，不利于使中小企业相关的学生在早期的年龄。 与此同时，迫切需要实施创新和反应迅速的干预方案。 因此，拟议的研究将建立在目前对性别包容性教学、探究式学习、多元文化教育以及社会文化和建构主义的研究基础上，为提高女孩在SMET中的学习成绩和参与提供一个替代框架。 因此，我们试图探讨以下研究问题： 1. 以探究为基础、社会文化建构主义和多元文化为导向的教学方式如何提高合作和协作教师在小学课堂上与女孩有效合作的能力？ 2. 以调查为基础的、社会文化建构主义的和多文化的教学取向如何提高女孩对SMET的态度和学习成绩？以探究为基础的、社会文化建构主义的和多元文化的教学取向如何帮助解决对小学高年级女生的态度和三年内在SMET中的学习成绩产生负面影响的因素（即，（4 - 6）？ 为了探讨这些研究问题，将进行一项为期三年的纵向研究。为36名小学教师举办三次为期两周的暑期培训班。 第一个研究所将从科学开始，然后是数学和科学，然后在第三个研究所期间将SMET纳入其中。 性别包容，思想活动将由主要研究者与三位大师合作建模。 参与计划的教师亦须负责按其任教的年级，以小组形式准备一个为期两周的课程单元。 有关学生对科学和数学的态度和成绩水平的数据将通过问卷调查、单元内容前和内容后知识测试以及与焦点小组的民族志访谈来收集。 职前教师将与参加暑期讲习班的教师配对，以增加专业发展的机会。 最后，随着女孩从四年级升到六年级，将跟踪合作教师的成长情况。 将使用人种学方法分析数据。 因此，将采用人种学方法定期访问所有与会者。 因此，研究小组将定期访问所有参与者，并在研究过程中的关键时刻进行几次深入访谈和课堂观察。 这项研究的结果应该增加我们的理解，如何有效地准备教师在性别包容和社会相关的方式教中小企业。 同样，这项研究将增加关于如何提高不同小学女生的学习成绩和对科学的态度的见解。

Even though women's enrollment in postsecondary institutions and graduation levels continue to increase, their participation in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) remains alarmingly low. At the root of this problem is the lack of science content knowledge preparation of elementary teachers. Elementary teachers often are only required to take as many as three science courses for certification, and they often are not exposed to a variety of pedagogical strategies for working effectively with girls in the classroom. These two factors, combined with a broad and superficial elementary science curriculum, work against making SMET relevant to students at an early age. At the same time, there is a desperate need to implement innovative and responsive intervention programs. Therefore, the proposed study will build on current research on gender inclusive teaching, inquiry-based learning, multicultural education, and sociocultural and constructivism to provide an alternate framework for enhancing the academic performance and participation of girls in SMET. Hence, we seek to explore the following research questions: 1. In what ways does an inquiry-based, sociocultural constructivist, and multicultural orientation to teaching enhance cooperating and preservice teachers' abilities to work effectively with girls in the elementary classroom? 2. In what ways does an inquiry-based, sociocultural constructivist, and multicultural orientation to teaching enhance girls' attitudes toward and academic performance in SMET?In what ways does an inquiry-based, sociocultural constructivist, and multicultural orientation to teaching help address the factors that negatively influence upper elementary girls' attitudes and academic performance in SMET over a period of three years (i.e., grades 4 though 6)? To explore these research questions, a three-year longitudinal study will be conducted. Three two-week summer institutes for 36 elementary teachers. The first institute will start with science, followed by mathematics and science, and then the integration of SMET during the third institute. Gender inclusive, minds-on activities will be modeled by the principal investigators in collaboration with three master teachers. Participating teachers will also be responsible for preparing a two-week curriculum unit in teams according to the grade level in which they teach. Data on pupil attitudes toward and performance grade level in science and mathematics will be gathered via questionnaires, unit pre- and post- content knowledge tests, and ethnographic interviews with a focus group. Preservice teachers will be paired with the teachers who participated in the summer workshop to increase the opportunities for professional development. Finally, the cooperating teachers' growth will be followed up as the girls in their classrooms progress from grades 4 to 6. Data will be analyzed using an ethnographic approach. Thus, all participants will be visited regularly using an ethnographic approach. Thus, all participants will be visited regularly by the research team, and several in-depth interviews and classroom observations will be conducted at key times during the course of the study. The results of this study should increase our understanding of how to effectively prepare teachers to teach SMET in gender inclusive and socially relevant ways. Similarly, this study will add insights on how to enhance the academic performance and attitude toward science of girls in diverse elementary schools.