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

这一教师早期职业发展（CAREER）项目将致力于综合研究和教育工作，以扩大有学习障碍的学生（美国公共教育中最大的残疾类别）在高级科学课程和职业发展方面的参与、坚持和成功。尽管在STEM的学术和职业成功的潜力，有学习障碍的学生参加先进的科学课程，并追求STEM职业的速度比同龄人低得多。该项目将重点关注初中和高中学习障碍学生的动机信念，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，涉及多个视角和多个分析层次。在第一阶段，一个国家的纵向数据集（高中纵向研究2009年）将进行分析，以调查与学习障碍的高中学生的动机信念和随后追求先进的科学课程和职业之间的关系。在第二阶段，我们将以80名有学习障碍的中学生为研究对象，采用混合方法探讨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视角，与一批理科教师一起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。教育计划同样使用多种方法产生影响。其中包括：1）整合项目理论和研究在整个罗切斯特的硕士水平的课程，为未来的教育工作者在干和特殊教育的大学，2）提高博士水平的研究方法课程，通过开发课程与该项目的各种研究方法相一致，3）与硕士教学研究员谁是目前的科学教师，以提高在地区学校干成果的能力合作，4）发展专业发展经验，为科学教学实践提供信息。CAREER计划是美国国家科学基金会（NSF）范围内的活动，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整合教育和研究。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NSF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而被认为值得支持。

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.