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

历史黑人学院和大学本科项目(HBCU-UP)通过扩大STEM教育项目的参与研究(BPR)，支持开发、实施和研究与STEM本科教育中代表性不足群体的参与和成功相关的新的理论驱动模式和创新。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群体的招聘、留住和成功。北卡罗来纳农业与技术州立大学的这个项目试图收集和分析数据，以开发一种新的STEM身份测量方法。具体地说，该工具将利用一个关键的种族理论框架来确定种族认同和学术认同对非裔美国学生的影响。该项目的目标是开发一种工具，对就读于历史上黑人学院和大学(HBCU)的非裔美国大学生的STEM身份认同的多维性质进行概念化。以社会认同(种族)和学术认同(STEM)为重点，该项目还试图确定非裔美国学生的STEM认同工具是否有效地预测参与与STEM相关的活动或职业。本项目将采用探索性序贯混合方法(QUAL-QUAN)设计。本设计将包括两个阶段，在这两个阶段收集和分析定性数据，以便为测量项目的发展提供信息。一个专家小组将在整个研究的质量方面提供反馈，以支持内容有效性，以及巩固和完善项目。将进行认知访谈，以调查通常无法观察到的公开和隐蔽的过程。多维非裔美国人STEM认同感(MAASI)与STEM结果(即STEM成就和STEM参与度)之间的关系将使用Mplus中的潜在变量进行结构方程建模(SEM)。在这项研究的最后一年，将进行一项小型的试点实施研究，以探索如何利用和瞄准来自麻省理工学院的信息来促进非裔美国学生的STEM成就、身份和参与。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将获得MASI的基线分数，以便在计划结束时管理MASI，并评估他们STEM身份的变化。该项目有可能做出重大的理论贡献，因为它将有助于发展非裔美国人STEM身份的多维模型。与STEM相关的现有理论和模型(特别是科学、数学和工程)是基于以欧洲为中心的框架和样本；然而，使用关键种族理论作为指导框架将允许建立更适合文化的模型。该工具将是第一个量化工具，以衡量非洲裔美国学生的STEM身份认同，同时考虑到他们的种族认同。该项目还旨在证明，为测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，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.