CAREER: Thriving in Context: Bridging Academic, Social, and Psychological Wellbeing among Black College Women to Increase STEM Retention (Broadening Participation and Persistence)

关于黑人女性的STEM留存，学业动机受到了更多的关注。然而，心理社会过程，特别是那些与歧视有关的过程，对于理解黑人女性如何适应大学环境至关重要。不太清楚的是，在什么条件下，以什么方式，个人因素和机构资源，作为保护因素，对黑人妇女的STEM保留。对社会和心理现象的关注如何解释黑人女性的学业动机和STEM留存？目前的职业建议利用一个研究和教育的综合计划来：(1)具体关注除了学术能力之外，社会和心理健康如何在很大程度上被忽视，但对黑人女性的STEM保持有强大的影响；(2)调查黑人女性对机构氛围的看法与STEM坚持性之间关系的关键调节因素；以及(3)探索黑人女性如何培养个人和机构支持网络，以抵消基于身份的边缘化和蓬勃发展。这项工作得到了发展科学计划和教育与人力资源核心研究计划的支持。该项目包括两个阶段的研究和一项教育计划，将使包括教育工作者、学者和社区组织在内的一系列利益相关者受益。第一阶段包括混合方法的数据收集，包括年度调查，以及对两所当地机构(PWI和HBCU)的黑人本科生女性进行为期4年的深入、半结构化访谈。第二阶段涉及与两所大学的管理人员进行基于设计的研究，为未来的黑人本科生女性群体开发一套全面的实用资源。本研究将扩展大学生适应的发展理论，创建一个学生成长框架，将个人和制度层面的因素作为STEM成就和保持的关键方面进行考察。此外，这些发现将为帮助黑人女性在STEM背景下茁壮成长的机构努力提供信息，并与黑人女性STEM专业的学生、STEM系的教师和大学领导人使用多层次的方法。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

Academic motivation has received more attention regarding Black women’s STEM retention. Yet, psychosocial processes, particularly those tied to discrimination, are crucial to understanding how Black women navigate university contexts. What is less clear is under what conditions and in what ways, individual factors and institutional resources, operate as protective factors for Black women’s STEM retention. How might attention to social and psychological phenomenon shed light on academic motivation and STEM retention among Black women? The present CAREER proposal draws on an integrated program of research and education to: (1) focus specifically on how, in addition to academic ability, social and psychological wellbeing are largely neglected, but powerful influences on Black women’s STEM retention; (2) investigate key moderators of the relationships between Black women’s perceptions of institutional climate and STEM persistence; and (3) explore how Black women cultivate networks of personal and institutional support to offset identity-based marginalization and thrive. This work was supported by the Developmental Sciences program and the Education and Human Resources Core Research program.The project includes two phases of research and an educational plan that will benefit a range of stakeholders, including educators, scholars, and community organizations. The first phrase involves mixed methodological data collection with annual surveys and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Black undergraduate women at two local institutions (PWI and HBCU) over a 4-year period. The second phase involves design-based research with administrators at both universities to develop a comprehensive set of practical resources for future cohorts of Black undergraduate women. The current study will expand developmental theories of college student adjustment to create a student thriving framework that examines individual and institutional-level factors as key aspects of STEM achievement and retention. In addition, the findings will inform institutional efforts on helping Black women thrive in STEM contexts, and use a multi-tiered approach with Black women STEM majors, faculty in STEM departments, and university leaders.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.