Exploring the Impact of Community Engagement on STEM Undergraduates via Math Circles for Urban Elementary School Students

该项目旨在通过促进高等教育与地方社区之间的伙伴关系来改善K-12数学教育，同时培养STEM专业本科生的教学、领导能力和沟通能力，从而为国家利益服务。该项目将开发并评估一项为期一年的创新社区参与计划，该计划旨在帮助本科生在多个社区环境中与城市小学生一起领导数学圈。通过探索、合作和解决问题，数学圈促进了对数学的积极看法，儿童的数学能力，以及数学与日常生活的相关性。该项目将促进对数学圈潜在影响的理解，作为增强本科STEM学习经验的一种手段。本科辅导员将被授权运用数学在他们的社区产生积极的变化。该项目还将有助于扩大数学教育的参与，加强STEM劳动力的途径，促进对重要数学概念的更深入理解，并建立有关教与学最佳实践的知识。该项目的总体目标是制定一个创新的社区参与计划，利用做好充分准备的STEM本科生的知识、技能和热情，促进当地社区小学生之间的协作数学问题解决。在三年的时间里，该项目将设计、实施并迭代改进一门学分课程，使STEM本科生能够在各种社区环境中与小学生一起领导数学圈：以学校为基础的课后计划、公共图书馆和男孩女孩俱乐部。每年有四项关键任务指导该项目。首先是为所有STEM专业的学生提供选修的社区参与课程。二是与伙伴网站合作，招募小学生参加数学圈项目。三是收集和分析数据，以确定对大学生数学圈促进者的影响。第四项也是最后一项任务是进行形成性和总结性评估，以加强本科生辅导员的成果，并改进项目开发的课程和整体社区参与计划。收集到的数据将提供一个丰富的画面，谁选择成为数学圈的推动者，为什么，以及对学生的知识，技能和看法的影响，在社区内和跨站点的数学。研究成果将通过研究出版物、在主要会议上的演讲、网络研讨会、面向公众的网站以及在其他高等院校复制项目模式的蓝图来传播。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过其参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by fostering partnerships between higher education and local communities to improve K-12 math education while developing the teaching, leadership, and communication skills of undergraduates majoring in STEM fields. The project will develop and assess an innovative year-long community engagement program that prepares undergraduates to lead math circles with urban elementary school students in multiple community settings. Through exploration, collaboration, and problem solving, math circles promote positive perceptions of mathematics, children's ability to do math, and the relevance of math to everyday life. This project will advance understanding of the potential impact of math circles as a vehicle to enhance undergraduate STEM learning experiences. Undergraduate facilitators will be empowered to apply mathematics to effect positive change in their community. The project will also serve to broaden participation in math education, strengthen pathways to the STEM workforce, foster deeper understanding of important mathematical concepts, and build knowledge of best practices in teaching and learning.The project’s overarching goal is to develop an innovative community engagement program to harness the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm of well-prepared STEM undergraduates to facilitate collaborative mathematics problem solving among elementary school students in their local community. Over three years, the project will design, implement, and iteratively improve a credit-bearing course that will prepare STEM undergraduates to lead math circles with elementary school children in various community settings: a school-based after school program, a public library, and the Boys and Girls Club. Four key tasks each year guide the project. First is to offer an elective community engagement course for all STEM majors. Second is to collaborate with partner sites to recruit elementary school students to participate in a math circle program. Third is to collect and analyze data to ascertain the impact on undergraduate math circle facilitators. The fourth and final task is to undertake formative and summative evaluation to strengthen outcomes for undergraduate facilitators and improve both the project-developed course and the overall community engagement program. The data gathered will provide a rich picture of who chooses to be a math circle facilitator and why, and the impact on students’ knowledge, skills, and perceptions of mathematics within and across community sites. Results will be disseminated via research publications, presentations at major conferences, webinars, a public-facing website, and a blueprint for replicating the project model at other institutions of higher learning. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.