Collaborative Research: GP-IMPACT: The Green Tech High School Academy: A Model Program of Combined Geoscience Field Learning, Classroom Instruction and Career Preparation

合作研究：GP-IMPACT：绿色科技高中学院：地球科学实地学习、课堂教学和职业准备相结合的示范项目

• 批准号: 1540608
• 负责人: Katherine Ellins
• 金额: $ 23.83万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-15 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1540608&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; GP; IMPACT; Green

The transition between high school and undergraduate institutions is a particularly important critical juncture for students considering whether to pursue degrees and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. Due to state and local policies that govern high school science curriculum and graduation requirements, most high school students are not exposed formally to the geosciences prior to making choices about future careers in STEM. As a result, many of the students who do ultimately choose the geosciences have found this field through happenstance, making the geosciences a "discovery major" in college. With the anticipated need of ~135,000 geoscientists in the next several years, due to retirements and higher-than-average job growth rates, as well as the critical role that geoscientists play in the employment sectors related to energy production, natural hazards mitigation, and the infrastructure construction, more intentional approaches to recruiting students into the geosciences are needed. In addition, greater engagement of traditionally underrepresented minorities in STEM is needed to build diversity in the geosciences workforce, which is currently very limited. The University of Texas at Austin is testing the underlying theory of change for the IUSE: GEOPATHS program that "using novel ways of engaging a larger population of students and exposing them to authentic, career relevant geoscience experiences that augment the formal curriculum will increase their desire to earn degrees and pursue careers in the field." To test this theory, the project is investigating whether a collaboratively developed and implemented geoscience-focused program of career exploration, student mentoring, 6-8 days of field excursions, and evidence-based geoscience-infused classroom instruction will impact a students' sense of belonging in geoscience and help them transition into undergraduate geoscience programs. The summer mentored field program is offered through the award-winning GeoFORCE program; the classroom instruction activities are using tested pedagogical approaches and content developed with prior NSF support for the Diversity and Innovation for Geosciences in Texas (DIG Texas) and EarthLabs projects. It is expected that a sense of belonging will consequently lead to an increased desire to earn geoscience degrees and pursue geoscience careers. This three year project is establishing a robust collaboration between geoscience educators and researchers in the Jackson School of Geosciences at UT Austin and Michigan State University, educators and administrators at Akins High School in the Austin Independent School District in Texas, and geoscientists at DrillingInfo, an oil and gas firm. Activities are underway to (1) provide Akins administrators and science teachers with educational resources and professional development, allowing them to teach about geoscience, environmental systems, energy, and natural resources in the school's Green Tech Academy; and (2) conduct educational research to investigate the role that classroom and field experiences play in developing students' sense of belonging in geoscience, with anticipated simultaneous effects on (a) geoscience knowledge, (b) attitudes towards geoscience, and (c) engagement in geoscience and geoscience career activities in high school. By focusing on Akins High School, which has large a large minority (84 percent Hispanic and African American) student population, the project has the potential to achieve greater diversity in the geosciences through education, exemplary teacher preparation, and career exploration.

高中和本科院校之间的过渡是学生考虑是否追求科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学科的学位和职业的一个特别重要的关键时刻。 由于管理高中科学课程和毕业要求的州和地方政策，大多数高中生在选择STEM未来职业之前没有正式接触地球科学。 因此，许多最终选择地球科学的学生都是偶然发现了这个领域，使地球科学成为大学里的“发现专业”。 由于退休和高于平均水平的就业增长率，以及地球科学家在与能源生产，自然灾害缓解和基础设施建设有关的就业部门中发挥的关键作用，预计未来几年将需要约135，000名地球科学家，需要采取更有针对性的方法来招募学生进入地球科学。此外，传统上代表性不足的少数群体需要更多地参与STEM，以建立目前非常有限的地球科学劳动力的多样性。 得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校正在测试IUSE：GEOPATHS计划的基本变革理论，即“使用新颖的方式吸引更多的学生，让他们接触到真实的、与职业相关的地球科学经验，这些经验增加了正式课程，将增加他们获得学位和追求该领域职业的愿望。“为了测试这一理论，该项目正在调查合作开发和实施的以地球科学为重点的职业探索计划，学生指导，6-8天的实地考察，以及基于证据的地球科学注入课堂教学是否会影响学生在地球科学中的归属感，并帮助他们过渡到本科地球科学课程。夏季指导的实地项目是通过屡获殊荣的GeoFORCE计划提供的;课堂教学活动使用经过测试的教学方法和内容，这些方法和内容是由NSF为德克萨斯州地球科学的多样性和创新（DIG Texas）和EarthLabs项目提供支持而开发的。 预计归属感将导致获得地球科学学位和从事地球科学职业的愿望增加。这个为期三年的项目是建立一个强大的合作地球科学教育工作者和研究人员之间的杰克逊地球科学学院在UT奥斯汀和密歇根州立大学，教育工作者和管理人员在Akins高中在奥斯汀独立学区在得克萨斯州，和地球科学家在DrillingInfo，石油和天然气公司。活动正在进行中，以（1）提供教育资源和专业发展的阿金斯管理人员和科学教师，使他们能够在学校的绿色技术学院教授地球科学，环境系统，能源和自然资源;（2）开展教育研究，探讨课堂和实地经验在培养学生地学归属感方面的作用，预期同时影响（a）地球科学知识，（B）对地球科学的态度，（c）在高中从事地球科学和地球科学职业活动。通过专注于艾金斯高中，其中有大量的少数民族（84%的西班牙裔和非洲裔美国人）的学生人口，该项目有可能实现更大的多样性，在地球科学通过教育，示范教师的准备，和职业探索。