Investigating Community College to PhD: Developing Graduate Aspirations Among Upward Transfer Students in Computing and Technology

该研究将调查参与早期干预是否能积极预测社区大学计算机专业学生的研究生入学愿望和入学率，以及这是否因性别、种族/民族、第一代大学身份或社会经济地位而不同。这项大学研究还将考虑影响他们决策的因素。干预将在加州大学系统内的五个校区实施，跟踪学生从他们转移到一个校区到计算机研究生课程的入学时间。通过实证研究干预的不同方面的影响，该研究将为如何最有效地促进计算机和其他STEM领域向上转校生的研究生院愿望和意图提供指导。本研究以社会认知职业理论（SCCT）为指导，探讨四个研究问题：(1)参与早期干预计划是否正向预测升学计算机专业学生的研究生入学意愿和入学率？这是否因性别、种族/民族、第一代大学学历或社会经济地位而有所不同？(2)在计算机专业向上转学的学生中，还有哪些转学后的经历可以预测毕业生的抱负和入学率？(3)向上转学生如何体验和理解早期干预计划？(4)向上转学的学生如何渴望进入计算机专业的研究生院？是什么因素影响了他们的决策？研究人员将采用多种方法来检验所提出的干预措施的纵向影响，并采用阶段性创新设计来分析数据。该项目可以为从社区大学到计算机博士课程的路径设计提供信息，从而使计算机教师多样化。该奖项由EHR核心研究（ECR）计划资助，STEM专业劳动力发展主题。ECR支持解决STEM学习和学习环境、扩大STEM参与和STEM劳动力发展的基础研究。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。

The study will investigate whether participation in early intervention positively predicts graduate school aspirations and enrollment among upward transfer community college computing students and whether this differs by gender, race/ethnicity, first generation college status, or socioeconomic status. The college study also will consider factors that shape their decision making. The intervention will be implemented across five campuses within the University of California system, tracking students from the time they transfer to one of the campuses through matriculation unto graduate programs in computing. By empirically examining the impact of different aspects of the intervention, the study will provide guidance for how to most efficiently promote graduate school aspirations and intentions among upward transfer students in computing and other STEM fields.Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the study will investigate four research questions: (1) Does participation in the early intervention program positively predict graduate school aspirations and enrollment among upward transfer computing students? Does this differ by gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation college status, or socioeconomic status? (2) What other post-transfer experiences predict graduate aspirations and enrollment among upward transfers in computing? (3) How do upward transfer students experience and make meaning of the early intervention program? And (4) How do upward transfer students aspire to graduate school in computing? What factors shape their decision making? Investigators will employ multiple methods to examine the longitudinal impact of the proposed intervention and a Staged Innovation Design to analyze the data. The project could inform the design of pathways from community college to doctoral programs in computing, thereby, diversifying the computing faculty. The award is funded by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, STEM professional workforce development theme. ECR supports fundamental research that addresses STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.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.