Implementation Project: Improving Retention and the Quality of STEM Education and Research at Oakwood University

历史黑人学院和大学-本科课程(HBCU-UP)中的实施项目为设计、实施、研究和评估全面的机构努力提供支持，以通过加强科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育和研究来增加学生数量和提高他们的准备质量。奥克伍德学院的这一实施项目概述了对教师和学生专业发展的平行分析，目的是增强教与学经验，以及加强机构的研究能力。该项目以循证实践为基础，这些努力在奥克伍德学院校园内的整合程度有可能改变该机构的STEM教育和研究能力，作为制度变革的全国典范。项目目标是(1)增加从事研究、提案撰写和教师发展的积极研究的STEM教员的数量，(2)增加准备充分、训练有素的少数STEM毕业生继续研究生学习或进入STEM劳动力大军的数量。STEM教师将接受从事研究的培训和指导。本科生将参加大学范围内的项目，与STEM教师领导一起进行研究。项目团队将采用准实验前后测、定性和混合方法的研究设计，调查项目活动对教师和学生的研究自我效能感、生产力和意识的影响，并记录教师对培训的看法和学生在研究计划中的生活经历。预计参与的教职员工将更有可能进行研究并维持他们的生产力。此外，参与的学生可能更有可能在毕业后从事研究生学习或以研究为导向的STEM职位。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。

Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provide support to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Oakwood College outlines parallel analysis of faculty and student professional development for the purpose of enhancing the teaching and learning experience, as well as bolstering the institution’s research capacity. The project is grounded in evidence-based practices and the extent to which these endeavors are integrated on the campus of Oakwood College has the potential to transform the STEM education and research capacity of the institution, as serve as a national model of institutional transformation.The project goals are to (1) increase the number of research-active STEM faculty, who engage in research, proposal writing, and faculty development, and (2) increase the number of well-prepared, competitively trained minority STEM graduates, who pursue graduate studies or enter the STEM workforce. STEM faculty will receive trainings and mentorship to engage in research. Undergraduate students will attend university-wide programs to conduct research along with STEM faculty leads. Employing quasi experimental pre- and post-test, qualitative, and mixed methods research designs, the project team will investigate the effect of the project activities on faculty and students’ research self-efficacies, productivity, and awareness, and document faculty perceptions of the trainings and the lived experiences of the students in the research programs. It is anticipated that participating faculty will be more likely conduct research and sustain their productivity. Further, participating students may be more likely to pursue graduate studies or research-oriented STEM positions after graduation.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.