CAREER: Investigating the Critical Junctures: Strategies that Broaden Minority Participation in STEM Fields

该项目将对影响学生在教育管道关键时刻做出决定的因素进行系统和实证（定量和定性）纵向研究。这些目标还包括(a)扩大对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域的参与；(b)提高美国各学院和大学在STEM和STEM相关领域的少数族裔本科生的招聘、保留和成功。具体而言，本研究的目标是(a)估计黑人和拉丁裔男性的背景，K-12教育和大学经历对他们通过STEM管道的运动或过渡的影响(b)通过使用具有全国代表性的数据开发潜在模型来模拟此类决策(c)使用本地收集的数据测试和完善潜在模型以及(d)采用定性访谈来仔细检查那些成功度过关键时刻的案例。该教育计划旨在每年培养一批黑人和拉丁裔博士生骨干（例如，一年级12名，其中5名少数族裔男性，4名女性，2名受雇于社区大学），通过将该研究整合到研究生水平的研究设计/分析课程中，对与STEM教育相关的问题进行实证研究，包括大规模的二次分析。我们的目标是培养具有严谨研究/评估技能的博士毕业生，他们了解自己的社会责任，并利用这些能力为社会服务。学生们作为学生研究人员和共同演讲者参与其中。将为20至40名黑人和拉丁裔男子举行一次小型会议，作为扩大项目第五年参与的一种外联形式。从这项研究中获得的知识将加强对如何设计项目、制定政策和制定实践的理解，以改善STEM领域非洲裔美国人和拉丁裔男性的教育渠道。该研究将通过以下项目成果为政策和实践提供信息：(1)利用项目产生的知识并使教师、管理人员、家长和更广泛的受众能够获得这些信息的讲习班；(2)提供访问本研究调查结果的信息和出版物的专用网站，包括但不限于进展报告、初步发现、年度报告、实证研究摘要和期刊文章；(3)总结和分享项目研究成果的出版物，包括经同行评审的期刊文章、书籍长度的手稿和学生出版物，包括论文和学位论文；(4)与家长会及当地学校官员会面，讨论研究结果；(5)为家长、教师和学生提供的工具包，为扩大STEM领域的参与提供事实和“如何”建议。

This project will conduct a systematic and empirical (both quantitative and qualitative) longitudinal study of the factors that influence students' decisions at critical junctures in the educational pipeline. The goals are too (a) broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and (b) improve the recruitment, retention, and success of minority undergraduate men in STEM and STEM-related fields across colleges and universities in the United States. Specifically, the goals of this study are to (a) estimate the impacts of Black and Latino males' backgrounds, K-12 educational and college experiences on their movement or transition through the STEM pipeline (b) model such decisions by developing a latent model using nationally representative data (c) test and refine the latent model using locally collected data and (d) employ qualitative interviews to examine closely cases of those who successfully navigate through critical junctures. The educational plan is designed to train a cadre of Black and Latino doctoral students, each year (e.g., 12 in year one including 5 minority men, 4 women, 2 employed at community colleges), to conduct empirical research, including large-scale secondary analyses, on issues related to STEM education by integrating this research in graduate-level research design/analysis courses. The goal is to produce doctoral graduates who possess the skills to conduct rigorous research/evaluation and who understand their social responsibility to use such capabilities in service to society. Students are involved as student researchers and co-presenters. A mini-conference will be held for 20-40 Black and Latino males as a form of outreach in broadening participation in Year Five of the project. Knowledge resulting from this study will enhance understanding about how to design programs, formulate policies, and enact practices that improve the educational pipeline for African American and Latino men in STEM fields. The study will inform policy and practice through the following project outcomes: (1) Workshops that leverage the knowledge produced by the project and make such information accessible to teachers, administrators, parents, and more general audiences; (2) A dedicated website that provides access to information and publications that result from this research investigation including, but not limited to, progress reports, preliminary findings, annual reports, empirical research summaries and journal articles; (3) Publications that summarize and share findings from the project including peer-reviewed journal articles, a book-length manuscript, and student publications including theses and dissertations; (4) Meeting with PTA and local school officials about the findings of the study; and (5) Toolkits for parents, faculty members, and students that provide facts and "how to" advice for broadening participation in STEM fields.