Enhancing Minority Middle School Student Knowledge, Literacy, and Motivation in STEM Using Contextualized Agricultural Life Science Learning Experiences

该项目将推动学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划的努力，以更好地理解和促进提高学生在科学，技术，工程，数学（STEM）探索连贯的经验如何支持城市学生对STEM的能力和兴趣，以及相关行业的劳动力和社区成员如何参与提高学生和教师对当地和区域STEM职业机会的兴趣和认识。为了实现这一目标，研究人员将使用基于设计的研究方法，为15名学校教师开发和提供广泛的专业发展，并让250名代表性不足的市中心4 - 6年级学生参与农业生命科学经验，这些经验与食品科学，健康，环境和能源中的真实的问题有关。研究者将使用基于设计的研究方法来创建教师专业发展和新课程。项目交付成果包括：1）设计，实地测试和实施四个开放式的模型诱导活动（MEA），通过在农业生命科学背景下的问题为基础的经验，连接学生到他们的社区; 2）教师专业发展的原则，文化相关的教学法和语境化的调查;以及3）一个引人注目的指导计划，通过行业，社区和大学的合作伙伴关系，将参与的青年与当地和区域相关的STEM职业联系起来。这种课程开发，教师专业发展和导师支持的学生参与的整体方法可以作为如何为学生未来的STEM学术和职业道路做好学术准备的模式。特别是，青年导师计划，其中STEM相关的社区，行业和大学合作伙伴作为参与学生的导师（作为MEAs颁布的一部分），让学生参与问题情境化，模型构建和沟通。这些导师还将帮助提高学生对当地STEM职业和就业以及区域教育资源的认识。

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by exploring how coherent experiences can support urban student competency and interest in STEM and how related industry workforce and community members can participate in increasing student and teacher interest in, and awareness of, local and regional STEM career opportunities. To achieve this, researchers will use a design based research approach to developing and providing an extensive professional development to 15 school teachers and engage 250 underrepresented inner-city 4th-6th grade students with agricultural life sciences experiences that connect to real issues in food science, health, environment, and energy. Researchers will use a design based research approach to creating the teacher professional development and new curriculum. Project deliverables include: 1) the design, field-testing, and implementation of four open-ended Model-Eliciting-Activities (MEAs) which connect students to their community through problem-based experiences in agricultural life science contexts; 2) teacher professional development grounded in the principles of culturally relevant pedagogy and contextualized inquiry; and 3) a compelling mentoring program that connects participating youth with locally and regionally relevant STEM careers through industry, community, and university partnerships. This holistic approach to curriculum development, teacher professional development, and mentor supported student engagement could serve as a model for how to prepare students academically for future STEM academic and career paths. In particular, the Youth Mentoring Program, in which STEM-related community, industry, and university partners serve as mentors to participating students (as part of the enactment of MEAs), engages students in problem contextualization, model building, and communication. These mentors will also help increase student awareness of local STEM careers and employment, as well as regional education resources.