Assessing Student Engagement in Math and Science in Middle School: Classroom, Family, and Peer Effects on Engagement

这项拟议的项目使用了一种综合的混合方法设计，旨在开发学生参与中学数学和科学课程的理论上的衡量标准，反映出在种族和社会经济多元化的城市青年样本中的多维结构。该项目将学生参与度概念化为一个多维结构，包括行为、情感和认知成分。这种学生参与的多维视角为学生的行为、感受和思考提供了丰富的描述。该项目有三个目标：1)开发可靠和有效的学生参与中学数学和科学课程的测量方法，供教师和研究人员使用；2)实地测试和验证这些学生参与数学和科学课程的测量；以及3)测试a)课堂、同伴和家庭特征是否预测学生对数学和科学课程的参与，这反过来又预测他们在数学和科学方面的课程招生模式、学业成就和教育和职业抱负，以及b)这些联系是否因性别、种族和社会经济地位而异。为了实现这些目标，拟议的项目包括两项研究。在研究1中，25名中学生、10名数学教师和10名科学教师参加了焦点小组和个人访谈，以了解为实现目标1而开发的调查工具的开发情况。在研究2中，450名中学生及其教师和家长参加了一项实地研究，以测试新开发的工具在实现目标2和3中的心理测量质量。样本来自社会经济和种族多元化社区的四所中学。收集的数据包括数学和科学课程的注册信息、成绩、教育和职业抱负、学生对数学和科学的投入以及教师、同龄人和家长的支持。该项目开发了易于管理的心理测量学工具，供教师和研究人员评估学生在数学和科学课程中的参与度，这样他们就可以识别出有脱离参与风险和可能远离STEM职业的学生群体，作为设计适当学校干预措施的第一步。预计该项目的发现将为影响青少年数学和科学动机的一些具体行为提供基于研究的解决方案。具体地说，该项目确定了家庭、同龄人和课堂上学生参与数学和科学课程的预测因素和教育结果，这些因素符合未来的干预措施，并检查了性别、种族和社会经济地位在背景、参与和教育结果之间的关系的差异。这项研究还提供了信息，可以直接和立即支持伙伴学区的教师提高数学和科学教育的质量。随着研究结果被传播给数学和科学教师，他们能够制定有效的策略来促进学生对数学和科学的参与。这种多维的方法将推动当前关于中学生的学术和实践？追求与数学和科学相关的领域。

The proposed project uses a comprehensive mixed methods design to develop theoretically-grounded measures of student engagement in middle school math and science classes that reflect a multidimensional construct within an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of urban youth. The project conceptualizes student engagement as a multidimensional construct including behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components. This multidimensional perspective of student engagement provides a rich characterization of how students act, feel, and think. The project has three aims which are to 1) develop reliable and valid measures of student engagement in middle school math and science classes for the use of teachers and researchers; 2) field test and validate these measures of student engagement in math and science classes; and 3) test a) whether classroom, peer, and family characteristics predict student engagement in math and science classes, which in turn, predicts their course enrollment patterns, academic achievement, and educational and career aspirations in math and science and b) whether these associations differ by gender, race, and socioeconomic status. To meet these goals, the proposed project includes two studies. In study 1, twenty-five middle school students and 10 math and 10 science teachers participate in focus groups and individual interviews to inform the development of survey instruments in fulfillment of Aim 1. In study 2, 450 middle school students and their teachers and parents participate in a field study to test the psychometric quality of the newly developed instruments in fulfillment of Aims 2 and 3. The sample is recruited from four middle schools located in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse community. Data to be collected includes information on math and science course enrollment, performance, educational and career aspirations, student engagement in math and science, and support from teachers, peers, and parents. This project develops easily-administered and psychometrically sound instruments for teachers and researchers to assess student engagement in math and science classes, so they can identify groups of students who are at risk for disengagement and potentially turning away from STEM careers as a first step towards designing appropriate school interventions. It is anticipated that the project findings provide research-based solutions to some of the specific behaviors that influence youth motivation in math and science. Specifically, the project identifies family, peer, and classroom predictors and educational outcomes of student engagement in math and science classes that are amenable to future interventions, as well as examines differences in the relations between context, engagement, and educational outcomes by gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The study also yields information that can directly and immediately support teachers in the partner school districts to enhance the quality of math and science education. As findings are disseminated to math and science teachers, they are able to develop effective strategies to promote student engagement in math and science. This multidimensional approach will advance current scholarship and practice concerning middle school students? pursuit of math and science related fields.