Increasing Employer Inclusivity by Investigating Motivation to Participate in Geoscience Disability Communities of Transformation

为了满足国家对解决美国公民面临的复杂问题的需求，需要来自许多部门和社区的专业STEM工作人员。教育必须让来自不同文化的年轻人接受科学和解决问题的培训，这样他们才能应对我们周围世界的许多挑战。地球科学是研究我们所依赖的许多资源的学科之家，从空气、水和矿物到保护社区免受地震等自然灾害。创新的STEM教育可以支持将基础研究转化为应用解决方案所需的技能和知识的发展。为了有效，我们不能因为感知到的障碍而排除可能的工人。该项目解决了将残疾人更多地纳入科技、经济和环境管理领域，特别是地球科学领域的需要。这一试点项目将使用转型社区的模式，这是一种实践社区，以更好地了解促进残疾人获得和纳入地球科学的组织。研究还将探讨地球科学雇主在进入和融入工作场所方面的动机。试点计划包括调查和访谈，包括学生和雇主，以了解参与者对残疾的态度。该项目通过北伊利诺伊大学，将致力于提高学术机构的能力，使具有STEM天赋的残疾学生能够进入地球科学职业的教育途径。为了支持这一活动并进行相关的科技教育研究，首席调查员将寻求学习经验，以建设她在科技教育研究方面的能力。专业发展计划针对五个领域：教育模式、混合研究方法、统计分析、指导、教育研究方面的研究生指导以及编写和传播对齐的手稿。目标是利用这些技能，通过减少在教育和劳动力中被认为是被纳入的障碍的影响，增加残疾人在地球科学中的包容性和可及性。PI计划研究支持这种结果的社区的动机，包括地球科学雇主。除了私营部门外，还有一个由四名专家顾问组成的小组，他们将每两个月举行一次会议，审查和评价方法、项目数据、残疾问题的处理和地球科学教育方面的进展情况，并指导和指导私营部门。项目成果将通过定期参加适当的专业会议、在相关社区的期刊上发表出版物以及通过在受赠机构的图书馆系统储存库中存档(未确认)的数据和其他研究产品来提供。该项目得到了NSF教育核心研究：STEM教育研究能力建设计划(ECR：BCSER)的支持，该计划旨在培养研究人员开展高质量STEM教育研究的能力。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。

To address the Nation’s need for solutions to the complex problems that face American citizens, expert STEM workers from many sectors and communities are needed. Education must engage young people from diverse cultures to train in science and problem-solving so they can pursue the many challenges of the world around us. Geoscience is the disciplinary home from which to study the many resources we depend on, from air, water, and minerals, to safeguarding communities from natural hazards such as earthquakes. Innovative STEM education can support the development of the skills and knowledge needed to catalyze basic research into applied solutions. To be effective, we cannot exclude possible workers because of perceived barriers. This project addresses the need for increased inclusion of persons with disabilities in STEM, specifically in the geosciences. This pilot project will use the model of Communities of Transformation, a type of community of practice, to better understand the organizations that promote access and inclusion in geoscience for people with disabilities. Research will also address the motivation of geoscience employers regarding access and inclusion in the workplace. The pilot is planned to include surveys and interviews, including students and employers, to learn participants’ attitudes on disability. This project through Northern Illinois University will work to increase the capacity of academic institutions to engage disabled students with aptitudes in STEM to access educational pathways into geoscience careers. To support that activity and to conduct associated STEM education research the Principal Investigator (PI) will pursue learning experiences that will build her capacity in STEM education research. The professional development plan targets five areas: education models, mixed research methods, statistical analysis, mentoring, mentoring graduate students in education research, and developing and disseminating aligned manuscripts. The goal is to use these skills to increase the inclusion and accessibility in geosciences of persons with disabilities by decreasing the impact of perceived barriers to inclusion in education and workforce. The PI plans to research the motivation of communities supporting such outcomes, including geoscience employers. In addition to the PI, there is a team of four expert advisors that will meet bi-monthly reviewing and evaluating progress on methods, project data, address of disability issues and geoscience education, as well as mentoring and guiding the PI. Project outcomes will be made available through regular participation in appropriate professional conferences, publications in the journals of associated communities, and through data and other research products archived (de-identified) in the grantee institution’s library system repository. The project is supported by NSF Education Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR:BCSER) program, which is designed to build investigators’ capacity to carry out high-quality STEM education research.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.