Improving Outcomes for STEM Students on Academic Probation

该项目旨在为国家利益服务于多元化，准备充分的STEM劳动力。 为了实现这一目标，它将研究大量处于学术试用期并且有很高风险离开STEM专业的学生。 学术缓刑是指那些学业表现不佳，有可能被大学开除的学生。数据显示，大约四分之一的美国大学生在大学生涯中至少有一次会被留校察看。 因此，这项研究的结果将在任何一年都与500多万大学生有关。现有的有限资料表明，很大一部分被留校察看的学生最终将离开大学。然而，很少有人知道的因素，态度和做法，区分学生谁从学术试用期恢复，并继续从那些学生谁不恢复毕业。这项研究旨在更好地了解哪些因素会影响留校察看的学生恢复良好学术地位并成为STEM劳动力的积极成员的可能性。本研究的结果将用于制定数据驱动的有针对性的干预措施，重点关注不同学生群体的需求，包括第一代大学生和/或来自低收入家庭或迄今为止在科学领域代表性不足的种族/民族的学生。本项目将使用定量和定性方法相结合的方法，详细记录学术试用状态对STEM学生的影响，并利用这些信息建立模型，预测哪些学生会康复。该项目将研究与留校察看学生恢复良好学术地位和毕业的可能性增加相关的学术、人口、认知和情感因素。具体而言，它将使用多层次回归来开发学生学术和人口统计因素之间的关系的预测模型，并为学生谁是学术试用毕业的可能性。此外，本研究亦会比较留校学生与学业成绩良好学生的科学认同、自我效能、归属感及对STEM专业的投入。该项目旨在推断科学身份，自我效能感和归属感在STEM中如何受到学术试用的不同影响，以及它们如何与学生恢复良好学术地位的可能性相关。最后，该项目将对学生在学术试用期间的经历进行定性评估，以确定在为这些学生设计有针对性的干预措施时需要解决的恢复障碍。定性数据将通过交叉性，批判种族理论和LatCrit的框架进行分析。该项目得到了NSF改善本科STEM教育计划的支持：教育和人力资源，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该项目是在学生学习的轨道，通过该计划支持的创建，探索和实施有前途的做法和工具。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest in a diverse, well-prepared STEM workforce. Toward this goal, it will study a large population of students who are on academic probation and at high risk of leaving STEM majors. Academic probation is a designation given to students who are underperforming academically and at risk of being dismissed from the university. Data shows that around a quarter of all U.S. college students will find themselves on academic probation at least once in their college career. As a result, the findings of this study will be relevant to over 5 million college students in any given year. The limited information available suggests that a significant percentage of students who are placed on academic probation will eventually leave the university. However, little is known about the factors, attitudes, and practices that distinguish the students who recover from academic probation and go on to graduate from those students who do not recover. This research study will be designed to provide a better understanding of what factors affect the likelihood that students on academic probation will return to good academic standing and become active members of the STEM workforce. The findings from this study will be used to develop data-driven, targeted interventions that focus on the needs of different student populations, including those who are first generation college students and/or are from low income families or races/ethnicities thus far underrepresented in the sciences.This project will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to document in detail the impact of academic probation status on STEM students, as well as use the information to develop models and predict which students will recover. The project will study the academic, demographic, cognitive, and affective factors that are associated with increased likelihood of students on academic probation returning to good academic standing and graduation. Specifically, it will use multilevel regression to develop a predictive model of the relationship between student academic and demographic factors and the likelihood of graduation for students who are on academic probation. In addition, it will compare science identity, self-efficacy, sense of belonging and commitment to STEM major between students on academic probation and those in good academic standing. This project aims to infer how science identity, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging in STEM are differentially impacted by academic probation and how they correlate to the likelihood of students returning to good academic standing. Finally, the project will conduct a qualitative evaluation of student experiences while on academic probation to identify barriers to recovery that need to be addressed when designing targeted interventions for these students. Qualitative data will be analyzed through the frameworks of intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, and LatCrit. This project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This project is in the Engaged Student Learning track, through which the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.