Broadening Participation Research Project: The Development of a Multidimensional STEM Identity Measure to Increase the Retention and Success of African American Students at an HBCU

通过扩大参与研究（BPR）在STEM教育项目中的历史黑人学院和大学本科生计划（HBCU-UP）支持开发，实施和研究与STEM本科教育中代表性不足的群体的参与和成功相关的新理论驱动的模型和创新。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，并改善STEM教育和劳动力中代表性不足的群体的招聘，保留和成功。北卡罗来纳州农业技术州立大学的项目旨在收集和分析数据，以开发一种新的STEM身份衡量标准。 具体而言，该工具将开发利用一个关键的种族理论框架，以确定种族身份和学术身份在非洲裔美国学生的影响。这个项目的目标是开发一种工具，概念化的STEM身份在非洲裔美国大学生参加历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）的多维性。该项目的重点是社会身份（种族）和学术身份（STEM），该项目还试图确定这种非裔美国学生STEM身份的工具是否能有效预测参与STEM相关活动或职业。本项目将使用探索性序贯混合方法（qual-QUAN）设计。该设计将包括两个阶段，收集和分析定性数据，为测量项目的开发提供信息。一个专家小组将在整个研究的定性方面提供反馈，以支持内容的有效性，以及巩固和完善项目。认知访谈将进行调查的公开和隐蔽的过程，通常是不可观察的。多维非裔美国人STEM身份（MAASI）和STEM成果（即STEM成就和STEM参与）之间的关系将使用结构方程模型（SEM）与Mplus中的潜在变量进行探讨。在研究的最后一年将进行一项小型试点实施研究，以探讨如何利用和定位来自MASSI的信息，促进非裔美国学生的STEM成就，身份和参与。将为参加为期八周的非裔美国人STEM身份发展计划的一小部分学生获取MASSI的基线分数，以便在计划结束时管理MASSI并评估其STEM身份的变化。该项目有可能做出重大的理论贡献，因为它将有助于非洲裔美国人STEM身份的多维模型的发展。现有的STEM相关身份（特别是科学，数学和工程）的理论和模型是基于欧洲中心的框架和样本;然而，使用批判种族理论作为指导框架将允许更适合文化的模型。该工具将是第一个定量工具来衡量非裔美国学生的STEM身份，同时考虑他们的种族身份。该项目还旨在证明，为衡量非裔美国学生的非认知STEM属性而开发的心理测量工具必须考虑到他们的种族身份。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为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来支持。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Broadening Participation Research (BPR) in STEM Education projects supports the development, implementation, and study of new theory-driven models and innovations related to the participation and success of underrepresented groups in STEM undergraduate education. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, as well as improve the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented groups in STEM education and the workforce. The project at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University seeks to collect and analyze data for the purpose of developing a new measure of STEM identity. Specifically, the instrument will be developed utilizing a critical race theory framework to ascertain the influences of racial identity and academic identity in African American students. The goal of this project is to develop an instrument that conceptualizes the multidimensional nature of STEM identity in African American college students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). With a focus on social identity (race) and academic identity (STEM), the project also seeks to determine whether this instrument of STEM identity for African American students is effective in predicting participation in STEM-related activities or careers. This project will use an Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods (qual-QUAN) design. This design will consist of two phases where qualitative data will be collected and analyzed to inform the development of items for the measurement. An expert panel will provide feedback throughout the qualitative aspect of the study to support content validity, as well as to solidify and refine items. Cognitive interviews will be conducted to investigate overt and covert processes that are not typically observable. The relationship between Multidimensional African American STEM Identity (MAASI) and STEM outcomes (i.e. STEM achievement and STEM participation) will be explored using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with latent variables in Mplus. A small pilot implementation study will be conducted in the last year of the study to explore how leveraging and targeting the information from the MASSI promotes the STEM achievement, identity, and involvement of African American students. Baseline scores on the MASSI will be captured for a small sample of students enrolled an eight-week African American STEM Identity development program to administer the MASSI at the conclusion of the program and assess changes in their STEM identity. This project has the potential to make a significant theoretical contribution, in that it will contribute to the development of a multidimensional Model of African American STEM Identity. The existing theories and models of STEM-related identities (specifically science, mathematics, and engineering) are based on Eurocentric frameworks and samples; however, using Critical Race Theory as a guiding framework will allow for a more culturally appropriate model. This instrument will be the first quantitative tool to measure the STEM identity of African American students while accounting for their racial identity. The project also aims to demonstrate that psychometric tools developed to measure the non-cognitive STEM attributes of African American students must account for their racial identity.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.