SBP: RUI: Collaborative Research: The Identity Pathways Project - A Longitudinal Study of Narrative Identity Processes, Contexts, and Outcomes

SBP：RUI：协作研究：身份路径项目 - 叙事身份过程、背景和结果的纵向研究

• 批准号: 1528330
• 负责人: Jennifer Lilgendahl
• 金额: $ 25.43万
• 依托单位: Haverford College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-01 至 2022-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1528330&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBP; RUI; Collaborative; Research; Identity

What differentiates the individuals from under-represented backgrounds who persist in STEM-related educational pathways in college from those who opt out? The proposed research examines whether identity development is key to understanding these educational and developmental trajectories. Although research has shown that the establishment of a clear and positive identity during emerging adulthood is associated with a variety of optimal outcomes, many questions remain regarding how identity is formed, particularly with regard to developing a positive science identity and a sense of belonging with one's STEM field. The overarching goal of the current project is to better understand how identity forms during college by applying a narrative approach, in which identity is understood as developing through a subjective process of integrating life experiences into a personal and self-defining story. Specifically, the unique vantage point of narratives will be used to better understand why some students -- especially women, underrepresented minorities, and those with disadvantaged backgrounds -- disengage from pursuing STEM-related careers while others persist. By combining objective markers (e.g., gender, ethnicity, SES, educational background) with coded narratives that emerge in response to relevant experiences (e.g., in the science classroom), this study may contribute to solutions for the persistent lack of diversity in the sciences. More broadly, by examining how students engage in meaning-making about the critical transitions (e.g., leaving home, choosing a major) and contextualized experiences (e.g., academic, social, romantic) that are central to college life, the proposed research will identify the identity pathways that contribute to increases over time in other important outcomes, including maturity, happiness, and clarity of career goals.The Identity Pathways Project is a five-year, two-campus longitudinal study that utilizes a quantitative narrative approach. The longitudinal design involves three surveys annually for four years and a final survey one year after graduation. The surveys will include repeated assessments of both narratives (transition to college, academic and relational high and low points, experiences related to major choice and future career) and standard scales of the outcomes of interest. With this design, the proposed research will be able to test the extent to which identity processes operate as mechanisms of developmental change, and more specifically, whether narratives reflecting a positive science identity are a key factor in persistence along a STEM-related career path. The two-campus design, which includes a private liberal arts college and a state university, increases the demographic diversity and allows for a more inclusive examination of identity development, especially as it pertains to career identity and STEM participation. The narrative approach to career identity has important implications for designing career counseling programs, especially those promoting STEM-related career paths among women and minorities.

在大学里坚持STEM相关教育道路的来自代表不足的背景的人与那些选择退出的人有什么区别？这项拟议的研究考察了认同发展是否是理解这些教育和发展轨迹的关键。尽管研究表明，在成年初期建立明确和积极的身份认同与各种最佳结果有关，但关于身份认同是如何形成的，仍然存在许多问题，特别是在培养积极的科学身份认同和对自己的STEM领域的归属感方面。目前这个项目的主要目标是通过应用叙事方法更好地理解身份认同是如何在大学期间形成的，在这种方法中，身份认同被理解为通过将生活经历整合到个人和自我定义的故事中的主观过程来发展。具体地说，叙事的独特视角将被用来更好地理解为什么一些学生--特别是女性、代表性不足的少数族裔和弱势背景的学生--不再从事与STEM相关的职业，而另一些学生则坚持下去。通过将客观标记(例如，性别、种族、社会经济地位、教育背景)与根据相关经验(例如，在科学课堂上)出现的编码叙述相结合，这项研究可能有助于解决科学领域长期缺乏多样性的问题。更广泛地说，通过考察学生如何参与对大学生活至关重要的关键转变(例如，离开家、选择专业)和背景经历(例如，学术、社交、浪漫)的意义构建，拟议的研究将确定有助于其他重要结果(包括成熟度、幸福感和职业目标的清晰度)随时间增加的身份路径。身份路径项目是一项为期五年、两个校园的纵向研究，采用量化叙事方法。纵向设计包括在四年内每年进行三次调查，并在毕业后一年进行最终调查。调查将包括对叙事(进入大学、学术和关系的高点和低点、与专业选择和未来职业相关的经历)和感兴趣的结果的标准量表的重复评估。通过这种设计，拟议的研究将能够测试认同过程在多大程度上作为发展变化的机制运作，更具体地说，反映积极的科学认同的叙述是否是沿着STEM相关职业道路坚持下去的关键因素。两个校区的设计包括一所私立文理学院和一所州立大学，增加了人口结构的多样性，并允许对身份发展进行更具包容性的审查，特别是在与职业身份和STEM参与有关的情况下。职业认同的叙事方法对设计职业咨询项目具有重要的意义，特别是那些在女性和少数族裔中促进STEM相关职业道路的项目。