Collaborative Research: From Courses to Careers - Addressing Ableism in Physics through Faculty-Student Partnerships

该项目旨在通过改善本科生物理课程的可及性和创建更具包容性的物理文化来服务于国家利益。虽然之前有过改善物理教育的努力，但很少有人调查残疾学生在本科物理环境中的经历。随着STEM残疾学生人数的持续增加，支持这些残疾学生在STEM的职业道路上，并为物理教师提供关于如何在他们的课程和项目中支持残疾学生的专业发展是很重要的。为此，该项目将为物理教师和残疾STEM学生开发专业发展经验，重点是1)促进本科物理课程的可及性和包容性，2)促进残疾STEM学生和物理教师之间的互利伙伴关系。专业发展工作将支持教师发展包容性教学实践，并将支持残疾学生在未来的STEM职业生涯中导航。该项目将调查这一专业发展努力的影响，这可能是其他机构和STEM学科的典范。最终，这个项目与NSF的战略目标一致，即通过确保可获得性和包容性的战略目标，使STEM人才能够充分参与科学和工程。为了调查这种专业发展模式的有效性，密歇根州立大学和康涅狄格大学的这个合作项目将解决三个研究问题：1)参与的教师如何发展流利性，并在多大程度上提高残疾、可获得性和包容性方面的知识？教师如何以及在多大程度上在自己的课堂上实施变革和包容性实践？2)参与课程的学生如何在职业准备、可用职业道路和求职流程方面发展流利性并提高知识水平？在STEM社区和职业背景下，学生如何以及在多大程度上感到有能力解决问题？3)参与的教职员工和学生如何看待他们在研讨会期间和之后的伙伴关系，以及这种伙伴关系对他们个人有何影响？这些研究问题将用定性的方法回答，包括与参与者的访谈和对研讨会材料的文件分析，以及评估参与者对物理残疾的看法和知识的定量调查。根据这些研究的结果，该项目将促进对本科STEM教育中基于伙伴关系的专业发展模式的了解，既改善了本科物理环境中的可及性和包容性，也为未来的专业发展努力奠定了基础，重点是更广泛的本科STEM教育中的可及性和包容性。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习路径，该计划支持有前景的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving access in undergraduate physics courses and creating a more inclusive culture in physics. While there have been previous efforts to improve physics education, few have investigated disabled students’ experiences in undergraduate physics contexts. As the number of disabled students continues to increase in STEM, it is important both to support these disabled students in their STEM career paths and provide professional development for physics faculty about how to support disabled students in their courses and programs. To that end, this project will develop professional development experiences for both physics faculty and disabled STEM students that focuses on 1) promoting accessibility and inclusion in undergraduate physics courses and 2) facilitating mutually beneficial partnerships between disabled STEM students and physics faculty. The professional development efforts will support faculty in developing inclusive teaching practices and will support disabled students in navigating future STEM careers. The project will investigate the impact of this professional development effort, which could be a model for other institutions and STEM disciplines. Ultimately, this project aligns with NSF’s strategic goal to empower STEM talent to fully participate in science and engineering through the strategic objective of ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.To investigate the effectiveness of this professional development model, this collaborative project between Michigan State University and University of Connecticut will address three research questions: 1) How, and to what extent, do participating faculty develop fluency and improve knowledge in disability, accessibility, and inclusivity? How, and to what extent, do faculty implement changes and inclusive practices in their own classrooms? 2) How, and to what extent, do participating students develop fluency and improve knowledge in career readiness, available career paths, and job application processes? How, and to what extent, do students feel empowered to address ableism within the STEM community and career contexts? 3) How do participating faculty and students view their partnership during and after the workshop, and how does this partnership affect them as individuals? These research questions will be answered using qualitative methods, including interviews with participants and document analysis of workshop materials, as well as quantitative surveys to assess participants’ views and knowledge of disability in physics. From results from these studies, the project will advance knowledge about partnership-based professional development models in undergraduate STEM education, both improving access and inclusion in undergraduate physics settings as well as laying the foundation for future professional development efforts focused on accessibility and inclusion in undergraduate STEM education more broadly. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engage 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.