Developing and Validating STEM Social Capital Scales

该项目将使职业生涯中期的首席研究人员能够获得成功构思和执行基础研究所需的教育研究专业知识，并有可能有效地促进发展中的知识，以评估与STEM学习有关的社会资本。调查员的个人发展计划包括一名导师和咨询委员会成员，他们具有这一主题的专门知识，他们将在整个颁奖期间提供指导和反馈。具体来说，首席调查员将努力提高四个主要领域的能力：(1)社会资本理论和措施的深入知识；(2)设计和进行访谈/焦点/小组的知识和技能；(3)设计调查和开发工具的知识和技能；(4)进行效度研究和多层次结构方程建模的知识和技能。个人专业发展计划的活动包括出席学术会议；参与一对一辅导活动；参加规模发展方面的专门培训；参与网络机会；参加短期课程和参加研讨会；以及与STEM教育专家、同事和研究人员一起参加在线活动。通过这个项目，首席调查员将开发和验证两个STEM社会资本量表，以增进对社会资本在促进STEM积极学生成果方面的作用的了解。这是一项重要的试验性研究，因为几乎没有工具来评估学生和家长对如何最好地支持和促进参与STEM的看法。该项目将与为期七周的STEM暑期项目合作进行，该项目面向六年级至十一年级的学生。因此，本项目将通过七个步骤的量表开发程序，寻求增加首席调查员对学生成就、动机以及参与STEM领域和职业的了解。这一项目的结果将促进主要研究人员对STEM社会资本对学生兴趣、动机和参与STEM领域和职业的影响的量表开发的方法论知识。该项目通过STEM教育研究竞赛中的EHR核心研究能力建设得到支持，该竞赛旨在建设个人在STEM学习和学习环境中开展高质量基础STEM教育研究的能力，扩大对STEM领域的参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will allow a mid-career principal investigator to acquire the education research expertise needed to successfully conceive and execute fundamental research with the potential to meaningfully advance knowledge on developing scales to assess social capital as it relates to STEM learning. The investigator's individual development plan includes a mentor and advisory board members with expertise specific to this topic who will provide guidance and feedback throughout the award period. Specifically, the principal investigator will seek to increase capacity in four major areas: (1) deep knowledge of social capital theories and measures; (2) knowledge and skills of designing and conducting interviews/focus/groups; (3) knowledge and skills of designing surveys and developing instruments; and (4) knowledge and skills of conducting validity studies and multilevel structural equation modeling. Activities in the individual professional development plan include attending academic conferences; engaging in one-on-one mentoring activities; participating in specialized training on scale development; engaging in networking opportunities; taking short courses and attending seminars; and taking part in online activities with STEM education experts, colleagues, and researchers. Through this project, the principal investigator will develop and validate two STEM social capital scales to advance knowledge about social capital's role in promoting positive students' outcomes in STEM. This is an important pilot study since few instruments exist to assess both student and parent perspectives about how best to support and promote participation in STEM. The project will be conducted in collaboration with a seven-week STEM summer program for students in grades six through eleven. Therefore, this project will seek to increase the principal investigator's understanding about student achievement, motivation, and participation in STEM fields and careers through a seven-step scale development procedure. Outcomes from this project will advance the principal investigator's methodological knowledge about the development of scales for measuring the influence of STEM social capital on student's interest, motivation, and participation in STEM fields and careers. The project is supported through the EHR Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research competition that is designed to build individuals' capacity to carry out high quality fundamental STEM education research in STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM 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.