Collaborative Research:Beyond Representation: Adversity Experiences on STEM Motivation, Performance, and Persistence

了解逆境经历对STEM持久性和表现的影响，对于扩大传统上代表性不足的群体中的个人的参与具有重要意义。格鲁吉亚州立大学和宾夕法尼亚州立大学的研究人员旨在研究逆境经历对学生追求STEM专业的动机以及学生在STEM学位课程中的坚持和表现的影响。该项目旨在开发和使用一个模型，预测不同的逆境来源如何影响STEM的动机，坚持和表现。该项目符合EHR核心研究计划的目标，即解决STEM兴趣，学习和参与方面的挑战。纵向研究将包括对两个大型少数民族服务和经济多样化的公共研究机构的1000名第一次，第一年STEM专业学生的调查。该项目旨在通过潜在特征分析生成逆境特征，以指导对逆境、动机和留在STEM领域的决定之间联系的调查。该项目旨在确定逆境模式，并确定哪些配置文件与STEM的持久性和成就有最强的关联，研究动机和绩效的纵向模式如何作为逆境的函数，并确定逆境配置文件和逆境水平如何随着时间的推移而变化。人口差异和STEM部门和大学之间的差异将被检查。该项目旨在增进有关逆境经历对STEM动机的影响的知识，这些知识可用于制定针对STEM动机和表现受到多维逆境抑制的学生的干预措施。该项目由EHR核心研究计划资助，该计划支持以STEM学习和学习环境为重点的基础研究，扩大STEM的参与，以及STEM专业人才队伍的发展。该奖项反映了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。

Understanding the impact of adversity experiences on STEM persistence and performance is significant to broaden participation of individuals from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented. Researchers at Georgia State University and Pennsylvania State University aim to study the effects of adversity experiences on student motivation to pursue STEM majors and student persistence and performance in STEM degree programs. The project aims to develop and use a model that predicts how different sources of adversity affect STEM motivation, persistence, and performance. This project aligns with the EHR Core Research program’s goal of addressing challenges in STEM interest, learning, and participation.The longitudinal study will include surveys of 1000 first-time, first-year STEM majors enrolled in introductory Chemistry and Psychology courses at two large minority-serving and economically diverse public research institutions. The project aims to produce adversity profiles, derived from Latent Profile Analysis, that will guide investigations of links among adversity, motivation, and decisions to remain in STEM fields. The project seeks to identify patterns of adversity and determine which profiles have the strongest association with STEM persistence and achievement, examine how longitudinal patterns in motivation and performance operate as a function of adversity, and determine how adversity profiles and adversity levels change over time. Demographic differences and differences between STEM departments and universities will be examined. This project seeks to advance knowledge about adversity experiences’ impact on STEM motivation that may be used to develop interventions that target students whose STEM motivation and performance are inhibited by multidimensional adversity. The project is funded by the EHR Core Research program that supports fundamental research focused on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM professional 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.