Exploring factors that shape education & workplace training on essential 21st century competencies: A translational study in four high-STEM job regions

威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校和罗切斯特理工学院将实施一个合作项目，调查是否正在大专课堂和工作场所培训中培养特定的21世纪能力，以及支持或阻碍这些做法的文化、组织和系统因素。研究人员还将研究教育工作者和雇主如何定义关键的劳动力能力、学生和员工在教育/培训和从学校到工作的过渡方面的经验，以及弥合高等教育和STEM行业之间差距的跨行业伙伴关系类型。调查的领域包括美国四个STEM工作岗位高度集中的地区的光电子、信息技术、能源和先进制造业--华盛顿州西雅图、北卡罗来纳州罗利市、德克萨斯州休斯敦和科罗拉多州丹佛市。这项研究将全面介绍两年制和四年制院校以及STEM相关行业的教育工作者如何思考和积极培养21世纪的关键能力。它将为学生和员工如何以及何时获得对他们在学校、生活和工作中的成功至关重要的可转移技能提供经验证据。研究团队将使用一个整合了场论、文化模型理论和系统动力学的框架来指导一项混合方法研究，以调查五个研究问题：(1)教育工作者和雇主如何定义、重视合作、解决问题、沟通和自我调节学习等21世纪的基本能力，并将其纳入教学和工作场所培训？(2)学生在课堂上参与这些能力的程度如何？(3)学生和员工如何定义、价值、认为他们正在学习这些技能？(4)每个地区的教育和工业之间的跨部门关系的性质是什么？以及(5)哪些个人、组织和部门因素影响是否(A)这些技能是在学校和/或工作中培养的，以及(B)是否使用了主动学习技术？一项并行的混合方法设计将包括收集来自教职员工和管理人员(n=80)和企业主(n=80)的访谈数据，来自教职员工(n=)的课堂观察数据，来自学生(n=80)和员工(n=80)的焦点小组数据，以及来自更大样本的教育工作者和雇主的调查数据(n=464)。为了研究教学实践，将为教学维度观察协议(TDOP)开发一个侧重于21世纪能力的新模块，并将使用ICAP(交互式、建设性、主动和被动学习模式)框架分析数据。数据还将根据数据集和研究问题，使用归纳内容、社会网络、逻辑和多元回归以及因果网络分析技术进行分析。研究团队将为每个地区的当地利益相关者举办为期一天的研讨会，以及一次总结性的全国会议，介绍地区现场数据，提供关于如何将关键的21世纪能力融入现有课程和工作场所培训计划的培训，并在教育工作者、雇主、政府和其他社区成员之间开辟新的沟通渠道。该项目由NSF的EHR核心研究(ECR)计划支持。ECR计划强调STEM基础教育研究，在三个主题领域产生基础知识：STEM学习和学习环境，扩大参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Rochester Institute of Technology will implement a collaborative project to investigate whether specific 21st century competencies are being cultivated in postsecondary classrooms and workplace training, and the cultural, organizational, and systemic factors that support or impede such practices. Researchers will also examine how educators and employers define critical workforce competencies, student and employee experiences with education/training and the transition from school to work, and types of cross-sector partnerships that bridge the gaps between higher education and STEM industries. The fields investigated include photonics, information technology, energy, and advanced manufacturing industries in four regions in the U.S. with high concentrations of STEM jobs -- Seattle, WA, Raleigh, NC, Houston, TX, and Denver, CO. The study will result in a comprehensive account of how educators in a sample of 2- and 4-year institutions as well as STEM-related industries think about and actively cultivate key 21st century competencies. It will provide empirical evidence of how and when students and employees attain transferrable skills that are critical for their success in school, life, and work.The research team will use a framework integrating field theory, cultural models theory, and systems dynamics to guide a mixed-methods study to investigate five research questions: (1) How do educators and employers define, value, and incorporate into instruction and workplace training the essential 21st century competencies of collaboration, problem solving, communication, and self-regulated learning? (2) To what degree do students engage in these competencies in the classroom? (3) How do students and employees define, value, and think they are learning about these skills?, (4) What is the nature of cross-sector relations between education and industry in each region? and (5) Which individual, organizational, and sectoral factors influence whether (a) these skills are cultivated in school and/or work, and (b) active learning techniques are utilized? A concurrent mixed-methods design will involve collecting interview data from faculty and administrators (n=80) and business owners (n=80), classroom observation data from faculty (n=64), focus group data from students (n=80) and employees (n=80), and survey data from a larger sample of educators and employers (n=464). To study instructional practices, a new module focusing on 21st century competencies will be developed for the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol (TDOP), and data will be analyzed using the ICAP (interactive, constructive, active, and passive modes of learning) framework. Data will be analyzed also using inductive content, social network, logistic and multiple regression, and causal network analytic techniques as appropriate to the dataset and research questions. The research team will hold one-day workshops for local stakeholders in each region, as well as a summative national conference, to present regional field data, provide training on how to integrate key 21st century competencies into existing curricula and workplace training programs, and to open new lines of communication between and among educators, employers, government, and other community members.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 thematic areas: STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation, and STEM workforce development.