Impact of Work-Based-Learning on Community College STEM Education and Careers

未来就业组织正在与韦斯特合作开展一项研究项目，该项目将研究STEM工作学习（WBL）对社区大学的影响。研究人员将以社会认知职业理论（SCCT）为框架和混合方法设计，探讨以下研究问题：(1)学生参与社区大学STEM工作学习的差异和动机，(2)社区大学STEM WBL机会的结构及其与WBL最佳实践原则的一致性，以及(3)参与社区大学STEM WBL对学生成果的影响。包括完成证书或副学士学位，坚持STEM，扩大参与。潜在的假设是，WBL可以作为一种解毒剂，消除负面的社会和文化信息，缺乏支持，缺乏在职STEM学习机会，以及影响学生决定留在STEM的其他因素。本研究也将透过SCCT在社区大学背景下的应用，为职业咨询研究做出贡献。研究人员将使用混合方法的研究设计，包括分析两个队列（经济衰退和经济衰退后），使用来自佛罗里达州教育数据系统（federal）的数据，佛罗里达州两所社区学院的案例研究，以及在案例研究学校注册的信息技术和工程技术学生的成绩单数据。研究样本预计将包括8665名社区大学生，其中1500人参加过WBL课程。研究人员将使用探索性和描述性的多变量分析联邦政府来回答有关WBL参与和影响的问题。我们将在佛罗里达州的两所社区学院进行WBL个案研究，收集学生如何了解WBL，什么因素影响他们选择参加WBL， WBL如何影响他们的自我效能感和期望（根据SCCT），以及对WBL是否改善学生成绩的看法。此外，他们将分析来自学院的现有数据，以探索WBL经历对学生完成和进入STEM职业和四年制STEM学习计划的影响。这两所学院的面试样本将包括60名学生、6名管理人员、24名教师和48名雇主。研究人员将使用这些数据来测试由“未来工作”开发的WBL的最佳实践原则，作为社区大学的基准。该项目通过将SCCT应用于WBL，填补了关于SCCT知识的空白。它还将为社区大学STEM背景下的WBL提供新的见解。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。

Jobs for the Future is conducting a research project in collaboration with Wested that will examine the impact of STEM work-based-learning (WBL) in community colleges. The researchers will use social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a framework and mixed-methods design to investigate research questions regarding (1) differences in student participants and motivation to participate in community college STEM work-based-learning, (2) structures of community college STEM WBL opportunities and their alignment to best practices principles in WBL, and (3) the impact of participating in community college STEM WBL on student outcomes, including certificate or associate's degree completion, persistence in STEM, and broadening participation. The underlying assumption is that WBL might serve as an antidote to negative social and cultural messages, lack of support, lack of access to on-the-job STEM learning, and other factors that influence students' decisions to remain in STEM. The study also will contribute to career counseling research through the application of the SCCT in the community college context. Researchers will use a mixed-methods research design that involves an analysis of two cohorts (recession and post-recession) using data from the Florida Education Data System (FEDS), case studies at two Florida community colleges, and transcript data for the information technology and engineering technology students enrolled at the case study schools. The study sample is expected to include a total of 8,665 community college students with 1,500 having participated in a WBL course. Researchers will use exploratory and descriptive multivariate analysis of FEDS to answer questions about WBL participation and impact. Case studies of WBL will be conducted at two Florida community colleges to collect data about how students learn about WBL, what influences their choice to participate in WBL, how WBL influences their self-efficacy and expectations (per SCCT), and perceptions of whether WBL improves student outcomes. In addition, they will analyze extant data from the colleges to explore the impact of WBL experiences on student completion and entrance into STEM careers and four-year STEM programs of study. The interview sample for both colleges will include 60 students, six administrators, 24 faculty, and 48 employers. The researchers will use the data to test the best practice principles in WBL developed by Jobs for the Future as bench marks for community colleges. The project fills a gap in the knowledge about SCCT by applying it to WBL. It also will shed new insights about WBL in the community college STEM context.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.