Assessing Scientific Inquiry and Leadership Skills

描述（由申请人提供）：这个为期四年的项目旨在加强促进进入和生物医学研究事业的成功计划，特别是由代表性不足的少数民族学生。 研究问题是：1）项目活动，特别是研究参与和指导，如何影响：a）学生在科学探究和团队合作方面的技能，B）他们对自己能力的信念，以及c）他们的阶段适当的职业成果;以及2）这些影响对少数民族和非少数民族学生是相似的还是不同的。 来自高中、社区大学、本科和研究生的学生将参加这项研究。 三项独立的研究将测试理论假设。 校友回顾性调查将涉及700名高中课程校友，500名本科课程校友，100名研究生课程校友，以及500名本科和100名研究生科学校友谁没有参加正式的支持计划。 这些反应，以及定性信息从程序的教师和工作人员，并从实地观察，将提供模拟，既作为基于性能的评估科学探究和科学团队合作技能和教育经验的设计和测试的基础。 在COSMOS模拟和调查中，280名因科学和数学能力高而被COSMOS招募的高中生将在为期四周的住宿计划开始和结束时参加模拟。 在本科生模拟和调查中，100名参与科学支持计划的本科生将在2006-07学年开始和结束时参加模拟。 在这些研究中，大约54%的样本将是女性，44%来自代表性不足的少数群体。 以学生为分析单位，我们的主要依赖措施是打算继续和实际继续对研究事业，科学探究和团队合作的技能，以及对这些技能的信念。 数据将主要通过相关和多元回归程序进行分析。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This four-year project aims to strengthen programs that promote entry into and success in biomedical research careers, particularly by underrepresented minority students. The research questions are: 1) how do program activities, particularly research participation and mentoring, influence: a) students' skills in science inquiry and teamwork, b) their beliefs in their abilities, and c) their stage-appropriate career outcomes; and 2) are these influences similar or different for minority and non-minority students. Students from high school, community college, undergraduate, and graduate levels will participate in the study. Three separate studies will test theoretical hypotheses. An Alumni Retrospective Survey will involve 700 high school program alumni, 500 undergraduate program alumni, 100 graduate program alumni, and 500 undergraduate and 100 graduate science alumni who did not participate in formal support programs. These responses, as well as qualitative information from program faculty and staff and from field observations, will provide the foundation for the design and testing of simulations that serve both as performance-based assessments of science inquiry and scientific teamwork skills and as educational experiences. In the COSMOS Simulation and Survey, 280 high school students recruited for COSMOS because of their high abilities in science and mathematics will participate in the simulations at the beginning and end of their four-week residential program. In the Undergraduate Simulation and Survey, 100 undergraduates involved in science support programs will participate in the simulations at the beginning and end of the 2006-07 academic year. Across these studies, approximately 54% of the sample will be females, and 44% from underrepresented minority groups. With the student as the unit of analysis, our primary dependent measures are intention to continue and actual continuation toward research careers, skills in scientific inquiry and teamwork, and beliefs about those skills. Data will be analyzed primarily through correlational and multiple regression procedures.