The Development of Empirical Models to Understand Educational and Occupational Choices

这位调查者通过对30岁的全国样本进行跟踪调查，对学生进入STEM职业的决定进行了为期4年的研究。这位调查人员此前曾对公立学校7年级和10年级的学生进行了一次全国性调查，收集了学生在数学和科学方面的表现、高中和大学期间的课程、个人对科学的态度以及职业规划。这位调查员现在正在追踪这些学生，因为他们已经变老，大约30岁就开始了职业生涯，询问他们目前在哪个领域工作，以及做出了什么职业决定，影响了他们对数学和科学的参与。这项对学生表现的纵向研究为学生在科学和工程职业决策过程中的决策提供了新的信息，特别是关于他们在本科学校的经历。背景信息包括学生的早期教育和职业期望、他们的父母背景、他们的自我认知以及他们在高中和大学期间的活动。通过收集成年人的职业活动，可以分析中学和大学期间制定的信念和计划对成年人选择的影响。这项调查将提供入选概率和绩效统计参数的国家估计数。智力价值：新的数据集有很大的潜力向其他研究人员通报学生在科学和工程专业中的决策状况。该项目解决了对STEM计划至关重要的职业选择问题，很可能有助于向NSF社区通报与选择科学职业相关的因素的力量。更广泛的影响：这项全国性研究的结果可能会引起科学和工程领域的专业研究人员和政策制定者的广泛兴趣。这项研究对面临职业选择的学生面临的选择进行了广泛的分析。调查人员正在寻找机会，更直接地向本科院校的学生和管理人员提供结果。

The investigator is conducting a 4-year study of student decision making to enter STEM professions by conducting a follow-up survey of a national sample of 30-year-olds. The investigator had previously conducted a national survey of public school students in the 7th and 10th grades, which collected student performance in mathematics and science, courses taken in high school and college, personal attitudes toward science, and career plans. The investigator now is following up these same students as they have aged and are beginning careers at approximately age 30 to ask them in what field they are currently working and what career decisions were made that affected their involvement with mathematics and science. This longitudinal study of student performance is providing new information about student decisions during their decision-making about careers in science and engineering and particularly about their experiences in undergraduate school. The background information contains information on the student early educational and occupational expectations, their parental background, their self-perception, and their activities while in high school and college. The collection of career activities as an adult permits the analysis of the influence of beliefs and plans made during secondary school and college on adult choices. The survey will provide national estimates of the statistical parameters of probabilities of selection and performance. Intellectual Merit:The new data set has a large potential for informing other researchers about the status of student decision-making in science and engineering professions. The project addresses questions of career choice that are central to the STEM program and is likely to be useful for informing the NSF community about the strength of factors that are associated with choosing science careers. Broader Impact:The results of this national study are likely to be of wide interest to professional researchers and policy makers in science and engineering. The study provides a broad based analysis of choices faced by students facing career choices. The investigators are seeking opportunities to provide results more directly to students and administrators in undergraduate institutions.