Collaborative Research: Studying the Malleability and Impact of Science Learning Activation

该项目由匹兹堡大学和加州大学伯克利分校共同开展，旨在发现是什么促使中学生从事科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)。研究人员提出了一个称为科学学习激活的概念，包括导致成功STEM学习和参与的性格、实践和知识。该项目旨在开发和验证一种测量科学学习活动的方法。该项目的第一阶段涉及开发测量科学活动的问题，多达300名八年级学生参与其中。第二阶段是对大约500名6年级和8年级学生进行的为期16个月的纵向研究，考察科学学习的激活如何随着时间的推移而变化。关键问题是影响科学活动的因素是什么，例如学生背景、课堂活动和课外活动。这个项目解决了过去重要的研究，这些研究表明，中学对STEM的兴趣预示着实际上完成STEM学位的可能性，这表明在中学甚至更早的时候的经历可能对培养对STEM的兴趣至关重要。这项研究超越了以往的工作，找出了导致中学STEM兴趣的因素，这项工作有助于教育人力资源局和学习研究部履行支持STEM教育研究的使命。该项目尤其侧重于改善STEM学习，以及扩大STEM教育和最终STEM劳动力的参与。

This project, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California, Berkeley, seeks to discover what makes middle school students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The researchers have developed a concept known as science learning activation, including dispositions, practices, and knowledge leading to successful STEM learning and engagement. The project is intended to develop and validate a method of measuring science learning activation.The first stage of the project involves developing the questions to measure science activation, with up to 300 8th graders participating. The second stage is a 16-month longitudinal study of approximately 500 6th and 8th graders, examining how science learning activation changes over time. The key question is what are the influencers on science activation, e.g., student background, classroom activities, and outside activities. This project addresses important past research showing that middle school interest in STEM is predictive of actually completing a STEM degree, suggesting that experiences in middle school and even earlier may be crucial to developing interest in STEM. This research goes beyond past work to find out what are the factors leading to STEM interest in middle school.This work helps the Education and Human Resources directorate, and the Division of Research on Learning, pursue the mission of supporting STEM education research. In particular, this project focuses on improving STEM learning, as well as broadening participation in STEM education and ultimately the STEM workforce.