The Impact of Social Capital and Mentoring in Earth System Science Workforce Development

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Researchers at Michigan State University will investigate the relationship between mentoring and career development in Earth System Science (ESS) with a particular focus on diverse populations. The researchers argue that increasing diversity in ESS can be addressed through 1) an exploration of how relationship development during mentoring impacts career satisfaction and sense of belonging, 2) an analysis of how different groups respond to mentoring, and 3) a synthesis of research findings into practical suggestions that can be disseminated broadly. The rationale for the study is that ESS lags other STEM disciplines in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of skilled workers, resulting in a persistent workforce shortage. The researchers will reconsider the ESS workforce shortage problem by analyzing the role of social capital in career development and sense of belonging in ESS. They will focus on mentoring relationships as a fundamental aspect of the training and education that students need to become professionals, particularly relationship strength and trust built during mentoring and their impact on career development and acculturation on underrepresented groups. The project will contribute to the dialog about the importance of social capital to career development and success. Using social capital as the theoretical framework for the study, the researchers will use a mixed methods explanatory design to investigate two questions: (1) How do social capital variables ? strength and trust ? impact career satisfaction and sense of belonging for students undergoing career development and professionals in ESS, and how do the impacts differ across diverse groups? and (2) What are the benefits and costs to ESS mentors, and do the impacts differ across diverse groups of mentors? The research is expected to yield insights concerning the nature of social capital development during mentoring, how diverse groups are impacted differently through mentoring or being mentored, and how research can be distilled into practical lessons to increase the retention of diverse groups in ESS. The data will provide concrete evidence for steps mentors can take during mentoring to facilitate the success of diverse protégés and steps mentors and students can take to ensure their own satisfaction with the mentoring experience. These insights will be synthesized into two workshops for ESS students and faculty mentors. The project is supported by the ECR program that emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. ECR supports the accumulation of robust evidence to inform efforts to understand, build theory to explain, and suggest intervention and innovations to address persistent challenges in STEM interest, education, learning and participation.