DEM-Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE): Linking Undergraduate Female Students in SMET Fields and Female Faculty Mentors

DEM-科学与工程研究实习 (RISE)：将 SMET 领域的本科女学生与女教师导师联系起来

• 批准号: 0120786
• 负责人: Linda Schmidt
• 金额: $ 89.98万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-10-01 至 2006-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0120786&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DEM; Research; Internships; Science; Engineering

The University of Maryland is testing an educational intervention program designed to address aspects of both external (contextual) and internal (individually based) barriers to success and persistence of women in science and engineering. The program -- called RISE: Research Internships in Science and Engineering -- offers a hands-on introductory orientation program for freshmen (Level One) and an enhanced team research experience for upper class students (Level Two) . The enhanced team experience consists of participation in all-female research teams, mentoring by female faculty members and advanced female students (undergraduates and graduate students) who are paid and trained to perform significant mentoring and teaching of undergraduate women. The female faculty member's own research program is the setting for the student teamwork and mentoring.Specifically, the intervention addresses the external factors of the "chilly climate" of science, the lack of female role models and mentors, and the lack of a female "critical mass" among students and faculty in SMET academic departments. Regarding "internal barriers," we identify underestimation of abilities as operationalized by "self-efficacy" as the most useful psychological construct for understanding the ambivalence related to career choice and persistence in SMET undergraduate majors. Self-efficacy describes the notion that students develop beliefs about their personal capabilities at different academic pursuits (e.g., whether or not they can "do math"). Self-efficacy has been the basis for a large body of findings in the vocational literature, much of it focusing on the debilitating effects of low self-efficacy on the selection and persistence of career options including engineering and science fields.Female faculty are supported in their mentoring of young women (both in terms of training and finances), and at the same time make progress in their own research program. The entire research team (consisting of the faculty member, RISE Fellows and up to four RISE participants) is taking part in training on mentorship, team functioning, and psychological constructs key to enhancing the successful learning of women studentsThis demonstration program has the potential to bring some of the advantages of an all-female learning environment, epitomized by women's colleges, into more mainstream higher education such as the University of Maryland College Park. Replicable features include: role model hierarchies, mentor training, and all-female research teams. Also replicable is the notion of a two level program, beginning with a front end experience that excites and prepares entering female college students, moving on to an extended research internship in the later years that involves close contact with successful woman scientists and engineers.

马里兰州大学正在测试一项教育干预方案，旨在解决阻碍妇女在科学和工程领域取得成功和坚持的外部（背景）和内部（基于个人的）障碍。该项目名为RISE：科学与工程研究实习项目，为新生（一级）提供动手入门课程，并为高年级学生（二级）提供增强的团队研究体验。增强的团队经验包括参与全女性研究团队，由女性教职员工和高级女学生（本科生和研究生）提供指导，她们获得报酬并接受培训，对本科女性进行重要的指导和教学。女教师自己的研究方案是学生团队合作和指导的背景，具体而言，干预措施解决了科学的“冷冰冰的气候”、缺乏女性榜样和导师以及SMET学术部门的学生和教师中缺乏女性“临界质量”等外部因素。关于“内部障碍”，我们确定低估的能力，可操作的“自我效能”作为最有用的心理结构，了解的矛盾心理相关的职业选择和坚持在中小企业技术教育本科专业。自我效能感描述了学生在不同的学术追求（例如，他们是否能“做数学”）。自我效能感一直是职业文献中大量研究结果的基础，其中大部分集中在低自我效能感对包括工程和科学领域在内的职业选择的选择和持续性的削弱作用。女性教师在指导年轻女性方面得到支持（无论是在培训还是在财务方面），同时在自己的研究计划中取得进展。整个研究团队（由教员、RISE研究员和最多四名RISE参与者组成）正在参加关于指导、团队运作和心理结构的培训，这些培训是提高女学生成功学习的关键。进入更主流的高等教育，如马里兰州大学帕克分校。可复制的特征包括：榜样层次结构、导师培训和全女性研究团队。同样可以复制的是一个两级方案的概念，首先是一个前端的经验，兴奋和准备进入女大学生，在以后的几年里，涉及与成功的女科学家和工程师的密切接触，移动到一个扩展的研究实习。