Field-based Undergraduate Training: Utilizing Research for Equity (FUTURE) in Biology

本科实地课程可以作为课程中的教学工具，以提高生物专业的坚持性，特别是对边缘学生。然而，目前还不清楚应该如何设计实地课程，以及应该在本科课程中何时提供这些课程，以向学生提供最大的好处。该项目将招聘3名博士后研究员，他们将在加州大学圣克鲁斯分校(UCSC)--一家为拉美裔服务的研究机构--的三个现有部门倡议中，领导对实地课程设计要素的益处进行定性和定量研究。研究员的发现将通过改进和实施课程和实习的战略课程时间点，将拼图的碎片连接起来，以提高STEM的保留率、公平性和学生的成功，特别是在被边缘化的学生中。研究员将在智力、专业和社交方面受益，为教育研究职业生涯做准备，并将为数百名寻求类似机会的研究生提供榜样。通过为研究员提供队列和社区支持并建设生物教育研究能力，这项工作将对增强STEM人才和高等教育研究中的知识创造能力具有重要意义。高等教育的一个主要优先事项是改善边缘群体学生的留校率，并通过录取研究生和在不断扩大的STEM劳动力中就业来支持他们。尽管实地课程显示了招收边缘化本科生和坚持下去的希望，但对于哪些设计要素对于产生预期结果很重要，以及在本科课程中何时应该提供这些机会，仍然存在许多问题。该项目将在公平实地教学和多样化领导方面现有优势的基础上，支持3名研究员开展研究，以改进生命科学方面的实地本科生培训。这一面向博士后研究员的全面支持计划有四个目标：1)有针对性的招聘、选拔和保留战略，包括专业发展计划和确定有影响力的、可行的项目；2)在现场教学、教育研究和多样性、公平和包容性方面培养实践社区，以支持成功和建立网络；3)培养系外和机构外的联系；以及4)评估和传播计划成果，将知识转化为可扩展的解决方案。通过合作设计和提供基于公平、安全和文化责任的新现场教学计划，博士后研究员将改变数百名本科生和数十名现场课程讲师的经历。该项目由NSF的STEM教育博士后研究奖学金计划(STEM Ed PRF)和西班牙裔服务机构计划(HSI)共同资助。STEM ED PRF计划旨在增强STEM、STEM教育、教育和相关学科的新近博士的研究知识、技能和实践，以促进他们从事基础和应用研究，促进该领域知识的发展。HSI计划支持改善本科生STEM教育的项目，并提高西班牙裔服务机构本科生STEM学生的招生率、保留率和毕业率。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，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。

Undergraduate field courses can be used as pedagogical tools in the curriculum to increase persistence in biology majors, especially for marginalized students. However, it is unclear how field courses should be designed and when they should be offered in the undergraduate curriculum to provide the most benefits to students. This project will recruit a cohort of 3 postdoctoral fellows who will lead qualitative and quantitative research on the benefits of field course design elements in three existing departmental initiatives at University of California- Santa Cruz (UCSC), a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution. Fellows’ discoveries will connect pieces of the puzzle to improve retention, equity, and student success in STEM, especially among marginalized students, through refinement and implementation of courses and internships during strategic curricular time points. Fellows will benefit intellectually, professionally, and socially in preparation for education research careers, and will provide role models for hundreds of graduate students who seek similar opportunities. By providing cohort- and community-based support for the fellows and building capacity for biology education research, this work will be of significance in empowering STEM talent and knowledge creation in higher education research. A major priority in higher education is to improve retention of students from marginalized groups and support them through admission to graduate school and employment in the expanding STEM workforce. Although field courses show promise for recruitment and persistence of marginalized undergraduate students, many questions remain about which design components are important to generate desired outcomes, and when in the undergraduate curriculum these opportunities should be offered. This project will build on existing strengths in equitable field-based teaching and diverse leadership to support 3 fellows to undertake research to improve field-based undergraduate training in the life sciences. This comprehensive support program for the Postdoc Fellows has the four goals: 1) Targeted recruitment, selection, and retention strategies including a professional development plan and identification of impactful, feasible projects; 2) Cultivating a community of practice in field teaching, education research, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to support success and networking; 3) Fostering connections outside the department and institution; and 4) Assessing and disseminating the program outcomes to turn knowledge into scalable solutions. By collaboratively designing and delivering a new field teaching program based on equity, safety, and cultural responsibility, the postdoc Fellows will transform the experiences of hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of field course instructors. This project is supported by NSF’s STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program with co-funding from the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. The HSI Program supports projects that improve undergraduate STEM education and increase the rates of recruitment, retention and graduation of undergraduate STEM students at Hispanic-serving institutions.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.