Pathways to S&E Professions: Investigating Persistence and Career Choice for Bachelor's and Master's Graduates

科学和工程教育和职业轨迹将在一个混合方法的研究，使用大型，行政数据集和实地考察，在罗格斯大学新玩法与密歇根大学的合作。 这项对科学和工程专业本科生和硕士生职业轨迹中关键选择点的研究将为研究人员和教育工作者提供有关使学生进入STEM途径和一些离开STEM的关键因素的见解。 研究人员将使用具有全国代表性的调查数据、来自主要研究型大学的纵向行政数据以及对大学和公司的采访，以关注高影响事件的作用（例如，研究和工作经验，建议，特别是课程）对职业决策以及需求方面的因素，影响科学和工程职业的进入和持久性。在公司和大学的实地考察将研究公司如何构建生物科学和工程工作和职业，以及如何影响学生的职业选择和最初的职业轨迹。 该研究对基础教育和职业途径知识的一个重要贡献是开发和测试影响学生选择STEM职业的重要因素的综合模型。该项目由NSF的EHR核心研究（ECR）计划支持。ECR项目强调基础STEM教育研究，产生该领域的基础知识。研究设计基于调查和管理数据集和实地调查的三角测量，以提供对学生轨迹的全面评估，特别是但不限于本科研究经验的高影响力事件。三个主要的研究分析将通过深入研究为STEM教育和劳动力投资提供信息：（1）通过S E专业和职业影响学生途径的关键决策点和高影响力事件，（2）本科研究就业对大学毕业和进入S E职业的影响，以及（3）S E公司的工作结构如何影响职业选择和坚持。该研究建立在职业咨询的规范理论基础上（例如，利益匹配）和劳动力市场研究，重点是对工资率和就业机会变化的边际反应;这种实证分析将推进现有的知识，以全面考察多种因素和偶然的决策点。通过对定性和定量方法进行三角测量，并使用详细的纵向数据，该研究还将按人口群体、专业和职业领域研究不同的影响和结果，以全面评估学生的轨迹和高影响事件。 纵向数据和实地调查的供应（毕业生）和需求（雇主）将允许建模的教育职业轨迹和不同的影响，使用倾向得分匹配和新的工具变量的策略，以确定因果关系的影响，在SE education.This项目是由NSF的EHR核心研究（ECR）计划的支持。ECR计划强调基础STEM教育研究，在三个领域产生基础知识：STEM学习和学习环境，扩大参与和劳动力发展。

Science and engineering education and career trajectories will be examined in a mixed methods research study, using large, administrative datasets and fieldwork, in a collaboration of Rutgers University New Brunswick with the University of Michigan. This study of the critical choice points in the career trajectories of undergraduate and master's students in science and engineering will provide insight to researchers and educators about key factors that bring students into STEM pathways and some to leave STEM. Researchers will use nationally-representative survey data, longitudinal administrative data from major research universities and interviews in universities and firms to focus on the role of high impact events (e.g., research and work experiences, advising, particular courses) on career decisions as well as demand side factors that affect science and engineering career entry and persistence. Fieldwork in firms and colleges will examine how firms are structuring bioscience and engineering jobs and careers and how that affects students' career choices and initial career trajectories. An important contribution of the research, to fundamental education and career pathway knowledge, is developing and testing a comprehensive model of significant factors that affect students' choice of STEM careers. This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field.The research design is based on triangulating across survey and administrative datasets and fieldwork to provide a full assessment of student trajectories, high-impact events with particular but not exclusive focus on the undergraduate research experience. Three major research analyses will inform STEM education and workforce investments by examining in depth: (1) key decision points and high-impact events that influence student pathways through S&E majors and careers, (2) the impact of undergraduate research employment on college completion and entry into S&E careers, and (3) how the structure of work in S&E firms influences career choices and persistence. The research builds on the normative theories in career counseling (e.g., of interest matching) and labor market studies that focus on the marginal responses to changes in wage rates and employment opportunities; this empirical analysis will advance current knowledge to comprehensively examine multiple factors and contingent decision points. By triangulating across qualitative and quantitative approaches and using detailed longitudinal data, the study will also examine differential impacts and outcomes by demographic group, major, and career field, to provide a full assessment of student trajectories and high-impact events. The longitudinal data and the fieldwork of both supply (graduates) and demand (employers) will allow modeling of the education to career trajectories and differential impacts using propensity score matching and novel instrumental variables strategies to identify causal effects in S&E education.This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in three areas: STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation, and workforce development.