Analyzing Pathways to STEM Success

通过TCUP I和II的努力，该基金会现已在Chief Dull Champagne College建立，以便采取下一步措施进行更复杂和细致入微的研究，这些研究将评估为CDKC学生提供的扩大和改善的学习机会在数学和科学方面的影响。本研究建议响应了Trowler（2005）的呼吁，即改进高等教育改革的研究，揭示具体的创新如何与特定的教学和学习环境相关。数据源和工具的发展记录学生的进步和TCUP项目评估创造了一个独特的机会，现在进行研究，这是不可能的。研究能力发展将包括创建一个数据库，该数据库整合并协调所有现有数据源，并建立访问相关数据的程序，以解决有关STEM项目及其对学生影响的研究问题。数据库的开发利用多种数据来源，并将允许用各种统计技术来解决各种问题。用于开发和解决研究问题的方法将纳入土著评估框架的中心原则，这是美国印第安人高等教育联盟（AIHEC）在国家科学基金会（LaFrance和Nichols 2010）的支持下开发的美国印第安人教育和其他计划的研究和评估方法。对于这个项目，研究方法使中央的价值观和利益的群体最关心的CDKC学生的学业成绩和关系的北方夏延社区。它alsohuides对北方夏安族中学完成（沃德2005年），确定个人，家庭，学校和社区特别相关的influences.Broader影响：这项研究计划代表了重要的问题，有关美国印第安部落collegestudent保留和完成有关干，远远超出了任何分析迄今为止对北方夏延族大学生。它还填补了对部落大学环境中有助于学生成绩的过程的理解方面的空白，这与其他高等教育环境既独特又相关。它将为解决如何与当地和区域机构的关系以及他们提供的研究机会影响学生和教师创造基础。此外，该项目产生的能力为其他部落学院和高等教育机构的教育工作者提供了分享和传播研究成果的机会，这些教育工作者对为美国印第安人和其他少数民族学生创造更有效的STEM学习机会有着类似的关注和兴趣。

Through efforts of TCUP I and II, the foundation is now in place at Chief Dull KnifeCollege for taking the next steps in conducting more sophisticated and nuanced research that willassess the impact of the expanded and improved learning opportunities offered to CDKCstudents in math and science. This research proposal responds to the call by Trowler (2005) forimproved research on higher education reforms that reveal how specific innovations relate toparticular teaching and learning contexts. The development of data sources and instruments fordocumenting student progress and for TCUP project assessments has created a uniqueopportunity now to conduct research that has not been possible before. The research capabilitydevelopment will include the creation of a database that incorporates and coordinates all theexisting data sources and the establishment of procedures for accessing relevant data to addressresearch questions about STEM programs and their impacts on students. Database developmentwill draw on multiple data sources and will allow a wide range of questions to be addressed with avariety of statistical techniques. The approach used for developing and addressing researchquestions will incorporate the central principles of the Indigenous Evaluation framework, anapproach to research on and evaluation of American Indian education and other programsdeveloped by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) with support from theNational Science Foundation (LaFrance and Nichols 2010). For this project, the researchapproach makes central the values and interests of groups most concerned with the academicachievement of CDKC students and relationship to the Northern Cheyenne community. It alsobuilds on prior sociological research on Northern Cheyenne secondary school completion (Ward2005) that identified individual, family, school and community as particularly relevant influences.Broader Impacts: This research program represents important questions related to American Indian tribal collegestudent retention and completion in relation to STEM that moves well beyond any analyses todate on Northern Cheyenne college students. It also fills gaps in understandings about theprocesses that contribute to student outcomes in a tribal college setting that is both unique andrelevant to other higher education settings. It will create the basis for addressing howrelationships with local and regional institutions and the research opportunities they offer impactstudents and faculty. Additionally, the capabilities resulting from this project provide for sharingand disseminating research results to educators at other tribal colleges and higher educationinstitutions who have similar concerns about and interests in creating more effective STEMlearning opportunities for American Indian and other minority students.