Quantitative Research Methods for STEM Education Scholars Program

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The project is supported through the EHR Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) competition that is designed to build individual capacity to carry out high quality fundamental STEM education research in STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM workforce development. This research institute involves a year-long training of two cohorts of 20 Quantitative Research Methods (QRM) Scholars via a one-week intensive institute on fundamental issues in research design, analysis, measurement, followed by onsite collaborative activities, and meetings with their assigned methods mentor and graduate student facilitator. Year-long interactions include live-stream workshops and a social network infrastructure to improve participant's skills in design and execution of research in STEM Education, with feedback from their methods mentor and a local content area mentor designated by the QRM Scholars as part of their application. Each QRM Scholar will be expected to work on a proposed study/activity during the year while they are being mentored, this may be in collaboration with other Scholars. A key component of this year-long experience will be a unique platform of electronic social infra-structure (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook Group). The year will culminate with a capstone conference, wherein the Scholars present their work from the past year. Starting in year 2, this conference will also serve as the convening of the next year's Scholars (during which each new Scholar will be matched with a 'graduating' Scholar for networking).Given the persistent underrepresentation of individuals from certain groups in STEM courses of study and careers, as well as concerns about achievement gaps in math and sciences across educational levels, this program will target early career scholars (within five years of their doctoral degree) with research foci on issues of access and equity of underrepresented populations in STEM within either K-12 or postsecondary settings. The design and analysis approaches to address research questions related to group comparisons, a key focus of studies to address equity, will play a special role during the week-long institute and the year of interaction. The STEM Education research of the 40 QRM Scholars over the two cohorts will be made rigorous in terms of study design, methods of measurement, and data analytical approaches. Each Scholar's work will make valuable and immediate contributions to the literature around issues such as STEM Education access, achievement gaps, and workforce diversity, but as part of the program, the QRM Scholars will develop a viable and fundable agenda for the coming years to ensure their continued high-level contributions to 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.