Assessing Student Engagement in Math and Science in Middle School: Classroom, Family, and Peer Effects on Engagement

拟议的项目使用了一个全面的混合方法设计，以发展学生参与中学数学和科学课程，反映了一个多维度的结构内的种族和社会经济多样化的城市青年样本的理论为基础的措施。该项目将学生参与概念化为一个多维结构，包括行为，情感和认知成分。这种学生参与的多维视角提供了学生如何行动，感觉和思考的丰富表征。本研究的主要目的是：1）开发出一套可靠有效的测量中学生数学和科学课堂参与度的方法，供教师和研究人员使用; 2）实地测试和验证这些测量方法;和3）测试a）教室、同伴和家庭特征是否预测学生在数学和科学课上的参与，这反过来，预测他们在数学和科学方面的课程注册模式、学术成就、教育和职业抱负，以及B）这些关联是否因性别、种族和社会经济地位而异。为了实现这些目标，拟议的项目包括两项研究。在研究1中，25名中学生和10名数学和10名科学教师参加焦点小组和个人访谈，以告知调查工具的发展，以实现目标1。在研究2中，450名中学生和他们的老师和家长参加了一项实地研究，以测试新开发的工具在实现目标2和3的心理测量质量。样本是从四所中学位于一个社会经济和种族多元化的社区。收集的数据包括数学和科学课程的入学信息，表现，教育和职业抱负，学生对数学和科学的参与，以及教师，同龄人和家长的支持。该项目为教师和研究人员开发了易于管理和心理测量的健全工具，以评估学生在数学和科学课程中的参与度，因此他们可以确定哪些学生有脱离接触的风险，并可能放弃STEM职业，作为设计适当的学校干预措施的第一步。预计该项目的研究结果将为一些影响青年数学和科学动机的具体行为提供基于研究的解决方案。具体而言，该项目确定家庭，同伴和课堂预测和学生参与数学和科学课程的教育成果，适合未来的干预措施，以及研究背景，参与和性别，种族和社会经济地位的教育成果之间的关系的差异。该研究还提供了可以直接和立即支持合作学区教师提高数学和科学教育质量的信息。随着研究结果传播给数学和科学教师，他们能够制定有效的战略，以促进学生参与数学和科学。这种多维的方法将推动当前的学术和实践有关中学生？追求数学和科学相关领域。

The proposed project uses a comprehensive mixed methods design to develop theoretically-grounded measures of student engagement in middle school math and science classes that reflect a multidimensional construct within an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of urban youth. The project conceptualizes student engagement as a multidimensional construct including behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components. This multidimensional perspective of student engagement provides a rich characterization of how students act, feel, and think. The project has three aims which are to 1) develop reliable and valid measures of student engagement in middle school math and science classes for the use of teachers and researchers; 2) field test and validate these measures of student engagement in math and science classes; and 3) test a) whether classroom, peer, and family characteristics predict student engagement in math and science classes, which in turn, predicts their course enrollment patterns, academic achievement, and educational and career aspirations in math and science and b) whether these associations differ by gender, race, and socioeconomic status. To meet these goals, the proposed project includes two studies. In study 1, twenty-five middle school students and 10 math and 10 science teachers participate in focus groups and individual interviews to inform the development of survey instruments in fulfillment of Aim 1. In study 2, 450 middle school students and their teachers and parents participate in a field study to test the psychometric quality of the newly developed instruments in fulfillment of Aims 2 and 3. The sample is recruited from four middle schools located in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse community. Data to be collected includes information on math and science course enrollment, performance, educational and career aspirations, student engagement in math and science, and support from teachers, peers, and parents. This project develops easily-administered and psychometrically sound instruments for teachers and researchers to assess student engagement in math and science classes, so they can identify groups of students who are at risk for disengagement and potentially turning away from STEM careers as a first step towards designing appropriate school interventions. It is anticipated that the project findings provide research-based solutions to some of the specific behaviors that influence youth motivation in math and science. Specifically, the project identifies family, peer, and classroom predictors and educational outcomes of student engagement in math and science classes that are amenable to future interventions, as well as examines differences in the relations between context, engagement, and educational outcomes by gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The study also yields information that can directly and immediately support teachers in the partner school districts to enhance the quality of math and science education. As findings are disseminated to math and science teachers, they are able to develop effective strategies to promote student engagement in math and science. This multidimensional approach will advance current scholarship and practice concerning middle school students? pursuit of math and science related fields.