Analyzing Pathways to STEM Success

通过TCUP I和TCUP II的努力，首席钝刀学院现在已经建立了基础，可以采取下一步措施进行更复杂和细致的研究，以评估cdkc学生在数学和科学方面扩大和改善学习机会的影响。本研究计划回应了Trowler（2005）的呼吁，即改进高等教育改革的研究，揭示具体创新如何与特定的教学和学习环境相关联。用于记录学生进步和TCUP项目评估的数据来源和工具的发展，现在创造了一个独特的机会来进行以前不可能进行的研究。研究能力的发展将包括创建一个数据库，该数据库包含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项目及其对学生的影响的研究问题。数据库的发展将利用多种数据来源，并将允许用各种统计技术处理范围广泛的问题。用于开发和解决研究问题的方法将结合土著评估框架的核心原则，美国印第安人教育的研究和评估方法，以及由美国印第安人高等教育联盟（AIHEC）在国家科学基金会的支持下开发的其他项目（LaFrance和Nichols 2010）。在这个项目中，研究方法以最关心CDKC学生学业成就和与北夏安社区关系的群体的价值观和利益为中心。它还建立在先前关于北夏延中学毕业的社会学研究（Ward2005）的基础上，该研究确定了个人、家庭、学校和社区是特别相关的影响因素。更广泛的影响：该研究项目代表了与美国印第安部落大学生保留和完成STEM相关的重要问题，远远超出了迄今为止对北夏安族大学生的任何分析。它还填补了对部落大学环境中影响学生成绩的过程的理解空白，部落大学环境既独特又与其他高等教育环境相关。它将为解决与地方和区域机构的关系以及它们提供的研究机会如何影响学生和教师创造基础。此外，这个项目产生的能力提供了分享和传播研究成果给其他部落学院和高等教育机构的教育工作者，他们对为美国印第安人和其他少数民族学生创造更有效的stem学习机会有同样的关注和兴趣。

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.