ITEST Convening: Advancing Research on Youth Motivation in STEM

教育发展中心的ITEST学习资源中心，(EDC)要求为召开一次会议提供资金，该会议旨在制定一个理论框架，以指导未来对STEM青年动机的研究，特别强调STEM劳动力中代表性最低的人群。两个指导性问题将是此次活动的焦点：目前对代表性不足的青年在STEM中的动机有何了解？可以做些什么来培养围绕STEM动机的新研究？ 主要目标受众是社会学家，心理学家和STEM动机和职业发展研究的研究人员，以及ITEST社区的成员，包括主要调查人员，评估人员和项目总监。次要受众包括STEM项目开发人员和从业者、政策制定者以及正在建设STEM劳动力的行业领导者。在会议之前，将邀请选定数量的与会者起草白色文件，主题包括动机、自我认同和正式和非正式环境中的教育实践。这些白色文件将在为期2.5天的会议期间提交，并用于指导对话。一个独特的特点是将包括12名青年与会者，他们将在会前博客上反映他们在ITEST项目中的经验，并回答在线调查。青年将作为演讲者和参与者充分融入会议，重点是STEM计划设计。 可交付成果包括指导未来STEM动机研究的理论研究框架，与兴趣和动机相关的ITEST项目的调查数据和分析，青年参与者的调查数据，ITEST PI将措施纳入其计划的建议，以及召开后的网络直播。项目评估将由MPR Associates使用定性和调查数据进行。评价问题涉及规划、召集后勤、综合信息和传播。 会议结束后，最终报告将在ITEST学习资源中心网站上发布。会议后将举行网络会议，以鼓励新的研究项目和STEM激励工具的开发。预计这次会议将导致参与者之间建立新的工作关系，确定促进有效STEM动机，职业发现和动机的ITEST计划要素，以及ITEST对STEM青年动机的影响地图。解决STEM中青年动机的新研究工作应来自研究框架，ITEST社区和整个领域将更好地了解如何定义，验证和复制STEM劳动力发展战略的激励方面。

The ITEST Learning Resource Center at the Education Development Center, Inc., (EDC) requests funding for a convening designed to develop a theoretical framework to guide future research on youth motivation in STEM with a particular emphasis on populations most underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Two guiding questions will be the focus of the event: What is currently known about motivation in STEM for underrepresented youth? What can be done to cultivate new research around STEM motivation for underrepresented youth? The primary target audience is sociologists, psychologists, and researchers in STEM motivation and career development research, and members of the ITEST community including principal investigators, evaluators, and program directors. Secondary audiences include STEM program developers and practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders that are building the STEM workforce. Prior to the conference, a select number of attendees will be invited to draft white papers on topics such as motivation, self-identity, and educational practices in formal and informal settings. The white papers will be presented during the 2.5 day convening and used to guide the conversations. A unique feature will be the inclusion of 12 youth participants who will populate a pre-conference blog with reflections of their experiences in ITEST projects and respond to an online survey. Youth will be fully integrated into the meetings as presenters and participants in sessions that focus on STEM program design. The deliverables include a theoretical research framework to guide future STEM motivation research, survey data and analysis from ITEST projects related to interest and motivation, survey data from youth participants, suggestions for ITEST PIs to integrate measures into their programs, and a post-convening webcast. The project evaluation will be conducted by MPR Associates using qualitative and survey data. Evaluation questions address planning, convening logistics, synthesis of information, and dissemination. After the convening, a final report will be published on the ITEST Learning Resource Center website. A post-convening web-conference will be held to stimulate new research projects and the development of STEM motivation instruments. It is anticipated that the convening will result in new working relationships among participants, identification of ITEST program elements that foster effective STEM motivation, career discovery, and motivation, and a map of ITEST impacts on youth motivation in STEM. New research efforts that address youth motivation in STEM should result from the research framework and the ITEST community and the field at large will be better informed about how to define, validate, and replicate motivational aspects of the STEM workforce development strategies.