EAGER: Enhancing Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Populations Through PLTL (ERRUPT)

这一探索性项目将研究同伴指导对以下两方面的影响：（a）参加由同伴领导者促进的学习活动的学生;（B）在学习环境中作为同伴领导者参加的学生，他们在学习环境中充当榜样，并协助从两年制院校过渡到四年制生命科学学习方案。 这项研究将研究参与如何影响学生参与和认同生命科学，并测试假设，即同伴指导活动影响参与这些类型的学习环境的学生的保留和成功，特别是那些在STEM中代表性不足的学生。研究小组将进行一项准实验研究，调查同伴领导团队学习的实例对学生和同伴领导者的影响。 有了匹配良好的治疗组和对照组，研究小组将比较治疗组的结果和结果模式与对照组的结果和过去的表现类似的学生的保留，课程内容和课程表现的措施。 将调查与学生和机构人口统计学相关的结果模式，如性别，种族/民族课程成绩和生命科学的保留率。 这个早期研究项目是探索性的，将通过识别（1）标准威胁不直接包含的内部效度的合理威胁和（2）未来研究中要解决和控制的结果的替代解释，为未来准实验研究的设计提供信息。 此外，来自焦点小组和访谈的定性数据将提供关于学生经历的丰富信息来源，为定量数据的分析和解释提供信息。 探索性项目将提供基础信息，为在路易斯斯托克少数民族参与联盟项目和类似的综合项目的机构学习环境中实施PLTL的手册和指南的开发和测试提供信息，这些项目侧重于扩大STEM的参与。

This exploratory project will examine the influence of peer mentoring on (a) students participating in learning activities facilitated by peer leaders and (b) students participating as peer leaders in learning environments in which they serve as role models and assist in bridging the transition from a two-year institution to a four-year program of study in the life sciences. The study will examine how participation influences student engagement in and identification with the life sciences and test the hypothesis that peer mentoring activities influence the retention and success of students who participate in these types of learning environments, especially students who are underrepresented in STEM.Specifically, the research team will conduct a quasi-experimental research study investigating the influence of instantiations of Peer-Led-Team-Learning on students and peer leaders. With well-matched treatment and control groups the research team will compare treatment group outcomes and patterns of outcomes with control group outcomes and past performance of similar students on measures of retention, course content, and course performance. Patterns of outcomes associated with student and institutional demographics, such as gender, race/ethnicity course grades, and retention in the life sciences will be investigated. This early stage research project is exploratory and will inform the design of future quasi-experimental studies by identifying (1) plausible threats to internal validity not directly encompassed by standard threats and (2) alternative explanations of the outcomes to be addressed and controlled for in future studies. In addition, qualitative data from focus groups and interviews will provide a rich source of information on students' experiences that will inform the analysis and interpretation of the quantitative data. The exploratory project will provide foundational information that will inform the development and testing of manuals and guidance for implementing PLTL in learning environments in institutions with Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation projects and with similar comprehensive projects focused on broadening participation in STEM.