CAREER: Motivation in Science among Students with Learning Disabilities: Broadening Participation and Persistence

这一学院早期职业发展(CALEAR)项目将进行综合研究和教育努力，以扩大在高级科学课程中的参与度、坚持性和成功，并为学习障碍学生提供职业发展，学习障碍学生是美国公共教育中最大的残疾类别。尽管STEM具有学术和职业成功的潜力，但有学习障碍的学生参加高级科学课程和从事STEM职业的比率比同龄人低得多。该项目将聚焦于学习困难的初中生和高中生的动机信念，这些信念在很大程度上被忽视了，但可能对科学轨迹产生了强大的影响，有助于实现培养包容性STEM教育体系和劳动力的目标。这项研究将分三个阶段进行，涉及多角度和多层次的分析。在第一阶段，将分析一个全国性的纵向数据集(2009年高中纵向研究)，以调查学习困难高中生的动机信念与随后对高级科学课程和职业的追求之间的关系。在第二阶段，一项对80名有学习障碍的中学生进行的混合方法研究将调查科学教学经验如何塑造动机信念。第三阶段将集中于教师视角，与一批科学大师合作，了解教师对学习障碍的看法，并共同开发实用资源，供科学课堂使用。教育计划同样使用了多种方法来产生影响。其中包括：1)将项目理论和研究整合到罗切斯特大学面向未来STEM和特殊教育教育工作者的硕士级别课程，2)通过开发与项目不同研究方法相一致的课程来改进博士级别的研究方法课程，3)与有能力改善地区学校STEM成果的现任科学教师的硕士助教合作，以及4)开发专业发展经验，为科学教学实践提供信息。职业计划是国家科学基金会(NSF)的一项广泛活动，为通过杰出的研究、优秀的教育、以及在其组织的使命范围内将教育和研究结合起来。这一奖项得到了EHR核心研究(ECR)的支持，该研究强调了在该领域产生基础知识的STEM基础教育研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project will pursue integrated research and education efforts to broaden participation, persistence, and success in advanced science coursework and career progression for students with learning disabilities, the largest disability category in United States' public education. Despite the potential for academic and career success in STEM, students with learning disabilities participate in advanced science courses and pursue STEM careers at much lower rates than their peers. The project will focus on the motivational beliefs of middle and high school students with learning disabilities as largely neglected but likely powerful influences on science trajectories, contributing to the goal of fostering an inclusive STEM educational system and workforce.The research will take place in three phases, addressing multiple perspectives and levels of analysis. In the first phase, a national longitudinal dataset (High School Longitudinal Study 2009) will be analyzed to investigate the relationship between motivational beliefs of high-school students with learning disabilities and subsequent pursuit of advanced science coursework and careers. In the second phase, a mixed-methods study with 80 middle-school students with learning disabilities will investigate how science instructional experiences shape motivational beliefs. The third phase will focus on the teacher perspective, working with a cadre of master science teachers to understand teachers' perceptions of learning disabilities and to co-develop practical resources for use in science classrooms. The education plan similarly uses multiple approaches to have impact. These include: 1) integrating project theory and research across the University of Rochester's masters-level courses for future educators in STEM and special education, 2) improving doctoral-level research methods courses by developing courses aligned with the project's varied research methods, 3) partnering with master teaching fellows who are current science teachers with the ability to improve STEM outcomes in area schools, and 4) developing professional development experiences to inform science instructional practices.The CAREER program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-wide activity that offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. This award is supported by EHR Core Research (ECR) which emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.