Broadening Participation Research Project: Examining the Effects of a STEM Career Readiness Model to Enhance Underrepresented Minority Employment Opportunities

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。圣奥古斯丁大学的这一项目旨在制定职业准备框架，并研究其对HBCU STEM学生职业前景的影响。研究小组计划将实证结果转化为最佳实践，为STEM课程、课堂实践和课外活动的发展提供信息，以提高STEM学生的职业素养。该研究项目的目的是研究圣奥古斯丁大学STEM职业发展干预措施的影响。项目小组将利用非等价组设计和非参数统计来检查参加STEM职业准备计划对职业前景和职业培训结果的影响。研究团队假设，参与劳动力准备活动将积极促进HBCU STEM学生的职业发展成果。准实验研究项目符合国家科学基金会的目标，即促进最佳做法和综合经验证据，以改善代表不足的人口中的STEM教育和就业经验。预计拟议的努力可能会增进理解，并促进HBCU STEM学生寻求STEM职业机会的障碍的消除。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. This project at Saint Augustine’s University seeks to develop a career readiness framework and study its impact on HBCU STEM students' career perspectives. The research team plans to translate empirical results into best practices that inform the development of STEM curricula, classroom practices, and extracurricular activities that enhance STEM students' occupational attainment. The research project's objective is to study the impact of a STEM career development intervention at Saint Augustine's University. The project team will utilize a non-equivalent group design and non-parametric statistics to examine the effects of participation in a STEM career readiness program on vocational perspectives and career training outcomes. The research team hypothesizes that involvement in workforce preparation activities will positively enhance career development outcomes among HBCU STEM students. The quasi-experimental research project aligns with the National Science Foundation's goals to promote best practices and synthesize empirical evidence to improve STEM education and employment experiences among underrepresented populations. It is anticipated that the proposed efforts may enhance the understanding and facilitate the dismantling of barriers as experience by HBCU STEM students pursuing STEM career opportunities.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.