STEM, growth mindset, and sports: Investigating STEM program design features that impact youth engagement

精心设计的校外时间体验可以为青少年提供丰富的学习机会。然而，为了设计有效的校外时间体验，至关重要的是要有一个研究基础，阐明支持增加青少年参与的项目的特点，从而为青少年带来更好的结果。该项目探索了将体育，数学和科学概念以及4至8年级拉丁裔和非裔美国青年的成长心态整合在一起的编程的特点。为了实现这一目标，研究人员完善了校外课程资源，并为非正式教育工作者和辅导员开发了一个专业学习经验模型，以支持他们实施综合体育和STEM项目。为了确定编程的关键特征，研究人员探索了在两种不同背景下实施编程活动的方式，以及编程对青年参与者的心态、对科学和数学概念的理解、STEM兴趣和自我感知的科学和数学能力的影响。此外，研究人员将探索以体育为主题的节目如何支持（或更好地支持）女孩的参与。该项目建立在亚利桑那大学研究人员与美国职业棒球大联盟（MLB）和男孩/女孩俱乐部项目的现有合作伙伴关系以及现有的基于学校的MLB项目的基础上，旨在(a)扩大和完善棒球科学活动，以增强女孩的参与度，并纳入成长心态经验，专注于努力，决心和从体育和STEM的错误中学习的价值；(b)在两种不同的非正式学习环境中，研究4 -8年级青少年实施该计划的效果；(c)开发和完善专业学习模式，其中包括培训非正式STEM学习促进者的面对面和在线内容。这项工作将侧重于两个学习环境：亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州和密苏里州的男孩和女孩俱乐部的课后项目，以及加利福尼亚州和密苏里州的MLB暑期项目。参与者将包括300名青少年和多达28名非正式STEM学习促进者，他们分别分布在两个环境中。基于设计的实施研究（DBIR）将用于a)迭代地完善活动和专业发展模型，b)研究该计划的制定和结果。研究问题侧重于青年参与者的成果（即对成长心态、STEM倾向和对科学/数学概念的理解的影响），以及非正式STEM教育者有效专业发展的要素。该项目的成果包括经验证据，证明在设计、实施和STEM学习项目的专业发展中，哪些有效，哪些无效，这些项目结合了体育和成长心态原则。此外，该项目的成果将促进了解不同的校外项目结构与类似的以体育为重点的STEM编程如何类似地（或不同地）支持青少年学习。该项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深度学习的理解。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。

Well-designed out-of-school time experiences can provide youth with rich opportunities to learn. However, to design effective out-of-school time experiences, it is critical to have a research basis that clarifies the features of programs that support increased youth engagement that then leads to better outcomes for youth. This project explores the features of programming that integrates sports, mathematics and science concepts, and growth mindset for 4th through 8th grade aged Latinx and African American youth. To accomplish this, the investigators refine curricular resources for out-of-school time programs and develop a model for professional learning experiences for informal educators and facilitators to support their implementation of integrated sports and STEM programming. To identify critical features of the programming, the researchers explore the ways that the program activities are implemented in two different contexts as well as the impact of the programming on youth participants’ mindset, understanding of science and mathematics concepts, STEM interests, and self-perceived science and mathematics abilities. Additionally, researchers will explore the ways that the sports-themed programming supports (or could better support) girls’ engagement. The project builds on the University of Arizona researchers’ existing partnerships with Major League Baseball (MLB) and Boys/Girls Club programs and an existing school-based MLB program for schools to (a) expand and refine Science of Baseball activities to enhance engagement among girls and incorporate growth mindset experiences that focus on the value of effort, determination, and learning from mistakes in both athletics and STEM; (b) study the enactment and outcomes of the program with 4th-8th grade aged youth in the two distinct informal learning settings; and (c) develop and refine a model for professional learning that includes in-person and on-line components for training informal STEM learning facilitators. The work will focus on two study contexts: afterschool programs of Boys and Girls Clubs in AZ, CA, and MO and summer programs of MLB in CA and MO. Participants will include 300 youth and up to 28 informal STEM learning facilitators split across the two contexts. Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) will be used to a) iteratively refine the activities and professional development model, and b) study the enactment and outcomes of the program. Research questions focus on outcomes for youth participants (i.e., impact on growth mindset, STEM dispositions, and understanding of science/math concepts), and the elements of effective professional development for informal STEM educators. Outcomes of the project include empirical evidence of what works and what doesn’t work in the design, implementation, and professional development for STEM learning programs that integrate sports and growth mindset principles. In addition, outcomes of the project will advance knowledge of how different out-of-school program structures with similar sports-focused STEM programming can similarly (or differentially) support youth learning.This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.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.