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

这个教师早期职业发展（Career）项目将致力于综合研究和教育工作，以扩大学习障碍学生在高级科学课程和职业发展方面的参与、坚持和成功。学习障碍是美国公共教育中最大的残疾类别。尽管在STEM中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职业的比例远低于同龄人。该项目将重点关注有学习障碍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，但可能对科学轨迹产生强大影响，有助于培养包容性STEM教育体系和劳动力的目标。研究将分三个阶段进行，涉及多个视角和分析层次。在第一阶段，将分析全国纵向数据集（2009年高中纵向研究），以调查学习障碍高中生的动机信念与随后追求高级科学课程和职业之间的关系。在第二阶段，对80名有学习障碍的中学生进行了一项混合方法的研究，将调查科学教学经验如何塑造动机信念。第三阶段将侧重于教师的观点，与一批科学硕士教师合作，了解教师对学习障碍的看法，并共同开发用于科学课堂的实用资源。教育计划同样使用多种方法来产生影响。这些包括:1)整合罗彻斯特大学面向STEM和特殊教育未来教育者的硕士课程的项目理论和研究；2)通过开发与项目各种研究方法相一致的课程来改进博士水平的研究方法课程；3)与有能力改善地区学校STEM成果的现任科学教师的硕士教学研究员合作；4)发展专业发展经验，为科学教学实践提供信息。职业生涯计划是美国国家科学基金会（NSF）的一项全国性活动，旨在为那些通过杰出的研究、优秀的教育以及在其组织使命的背景下将教育和研究结合起来，体现教师学者角色的初级教师提供奖励。该奖项由EHR核心研究（ECR）支持，该研究强调在该领域产生基础知识的基础STEM教育研究。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.