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，通过探索连贯的体验如何支持城市学生对STEM的能力和能力，以及相关行业劳动力和社区成员如何参与提高学生和教师对当地和地区STEM职业机会的兴趣，更好地了解和促进提高学生在科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)领域追求职业生涯的动机和能力的实践。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所学校的教师发展和提供广泛的专业发展，并让250名代表不足的市中心4-6年级学生获得与食品科学、健康、环境和能源等实际问题相关的农业生命科学经验。研究人员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。项目成果包括：1)设计、实地测试和实施四个开放式模型启发活动(MEA)，通过在农业生命科学背景下基于问题的体验将学生与他们的社区联系起来；2)基于与文化相关的教育学和情景探究的原则的教师专业发展；以及3)一个引人注目的指导计划，通过行业、社区和大学伙伴关系，将参与其中的青年与当地和地区相关的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在学术上为学生未来的STEM学术和职业道路做好准备的模式。特别是，青年指导计划，其中STEM相关的社区、行业和大学合作伙伴担任参与学生的导师(作为MEAS颁布的一部分)，使学生参与问题情境、模型建立和交流。这些导师还将帮助学生提高对当地STEM职业和就业以及地区教育资源的认识。

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.