HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: First year approaches to enhance science identity and STEM persistence

从改善本科STEM教育的支持：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划），这个轨道2项目的目的是提高学生的持久性和成功的群体历史上代表性不足的STEM领域，特别是在他们的第一年STEM课程，在一个主要的本科院校的背景下，文科和理科为基础的课程。这类机构正在研究中，该项目将作为其他主要本科院校的概念验证和原型。 加州的圣玛丽学院将实施一种广泛的方法，包括：（1）设计一个以科学为动机和情境化的微积分准备课程;（2）在化学和物理的入门实验室中整合以研究为导向的模块;（3）在今年中期引入多学科科学桥梁;以及（4）重新开发现有的咨询队伍，并为一年级STEM学生发展同伴指导。 调查人员还将（5）建立一个教育工作者学习社区，以促进有利于学习和包容的氛围，并支持公平和优秀的STEM教育。 这项工作的预期成果是提高STEM感兴趣的学生的留存率，减少历史上代表性不足的群体的学生在留存率和成功率方面的差距，并对第一年STEM感兴趣的学生的科学身份产生积极的影响。 伴随的STEM教育研究有两个重点领域：与传统的微积分准备课程相比，科学情境化数学课程的有效性;以及表征同伴导师-学员关系的性质及其方面如何影响科学身份和学生在STEM中的保留。 为了评估科学情境化数学课程的有效性，研究人员将比较参加新科学情境化课程的学生与参加现有补救模式的学生的STEM课程的保留率，成功率和课程成绩。他们还将收集定性数据，以解决科学情境化数学课程如何支持科学身份发展的相关问题。为了评估同伴导师-学员关系及其影响，研究人员将分析来自后导师-学员会议报告的定性数据，并将有同伴导师的学生与没有同伴导师的学生的第一年保留率和成功率进行比较。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，并建立HSI的能力。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 2 project aims to enhance the persistence and success of students from groups historically underrepresented in the STEM fields, particularly in their first year of STEM courses, within the context of a primarily undergraduate institution with a liberal arts and sciences based curriculum. This kind of institution is under-studied, and this project will serve both as a proof-of-concept and prototype for other primarily undergraduate institutions. Saint Mary's College of California will implement a broad approach that includes: (1) designing a science-motivated and contextualized calculus readiness course; (2) integrating research-oriented modules in introductory labs for chemistry and physics; (3) introducing a multidisciplinary science bridge midway through the year; and (4) redeveloping existing advising cohorts and developing peer mentoring for first year STEM students. The investigators will also (5) establish an educator learning community to foster a climate conducive to learning and inclusion, and to support equitable and excellent STEM education. The expected outcomes of this work are to increase the retention rate of STEM-interested students, reduce observed gaps in retention and success rates for students from historically underrepresented groups and effect positive changes in the science identity of first year STEM-interested students. The accompanying STEM education research has two areas of focus: the effectiveness of the science contextualized math course compared to a traditional calculus readiness course; and characterizing the nature of the peer mentor-mentee relationship and how its aspects affect science identity and student retention in STEM. To assess the effectiveness of the science contextualized math course, the investigators will compare retention rates, success rates, and course grades in STEM courses of students who participate in the new science contextualized course to those who participated in the existing model of remediation. They will also collect qualitative data to address the related question of how well the science contextualized math course supports the development of science identity. To assess the peer mentor-mentee relationship and its impacts, the investigators will analyze qualitative data from post mentor-mentee meeting reports, as well as compare first year retention and success rates of students with peer mentors compared to those without peer mentors. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.