BCSER - PVEST: A Dynamic Framework for Investigating STEM Interest, Attitude and Identity Among African American Middle School Students

对STEM的兴趣通常是在中学时期形成的，了解非裔美国中学生对STEM的态度和兴趣将对减少STEM职业生涯的障碍具有重要意义。弗吉尼亚州立大学的目标是促进人们对整体背景因素对STEM兴趣和态度的影响的了解，这些因素包括种族/民族、学校质量、家庭动态、性别、社会支持、日常危险暴露、社会地位和人际能力。该项目通过培训和将心理学理论应用于STEM教育的经验来建设能力。该项目的成果旨在帮助开发有效的干预措施，提高STEM认同感和在代表不足的学生中的复原力。本项目旨在使用生态系统理论的现象学变体(PVEST)来调查风险贡献者、压力参与和反应性应对方式对STEM兴趣的作用。PVEST为理解非理想情况下能力的发展提供了一个整体的、文化敏感的框架。主要的研究问题是调查多个背景变量是否能充分预测非裔美国中学生对STEM的兴趣和态度。该项目旨在部署各种评估，以检查认知-情绪调节、对社区风险和社会支持的看法、与种族主义的生活经历，以及对STEM主题的态度。该项目通过EHR核心研究：STEM教育研究能力建设(ECR：BCSER)竞赛得到支持，该竞赛旨在培养个人在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。

Interest in STEM is often shaped in middle school and understanding the STEM attitude and interest of African American middle school students would be significant in reducing barriers to STEM careers. Virginia State University aims to advance knowledge on the impacts of holistic contextual factors, such as race/ethnicity, school quality, family dynamics, gender, social supports, daily danger exposure, social status, and interpersonal competence, on STEM interest and attitudes. The project builds capacity through training and experience applying psychological theory to STEM education. Outcomes of the project aim to contribute to the development of validated interventions that increase STEM identity and resilience among students from underrepresented groups.This project aims to use the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) to investigate the role of risk contributors, stress engagement, and reactive coping styles on STEM interest. PVEST provides a holistic, culturally sensitive framework for understanding the development of competence under non-ideal circumstances. The primary research question investigates whether multiple contextual variables adequately predict STEM interest and attitudes among African American middle school students. The project aims to deploy a variety of assessments to examine cognitive-emotional regulation, perceptions of neighborhood risk and social supports, life experiences with racism, and attitudes toward STEM subjects. The project is supported through the EHR Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) 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.