EAGER: Enhancing Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Populations Through PLTL (ERRUPT)

这一探索性项目将考察同伴指导对以下方面的影响：(a)学生参与由同伴领导推动的学习活动，以及(b)学生作为同伴领导参与学习环境，在这种环境中，他们充当榜样，并协助从两年制机构过渡到四年制生命科学研究项目。该研究将研究参与如何影响学生对生命科学的参与和认同，并检验同伴指导活动影响参与这些类型学习环境的学生的保留和成功的假设，特别是那些在STEM中代表性不足的学生。具体而言，研究小组将进行一项准实验研究，调查同伴领导的团队学习实例对学生和同伴领导的影响。对于匹配良好的治疗组和对照组，研究小组将比较治疗组的结果和结果模式与对照组的结果和过去类似学生在保留、课程内容和课程表现方面的表现。将调查与学生和机构人口统计相关的结果模式，如性别、种族/民族课程成绩和生命科学的保留情况。这个早期阶段的研究项目是探索性的，将通过确定(1)对内部效度的可能威胁，而不是直接包含在标准威胁中，(2)对未来研究中要解决和控制的结果的替代解释，为未来准实验研究的设计提供信息。此外，来自焦点小组和访谈的定性数据将提供关于学生经历的丰富信息来源，这些信息将为定量数据的分析和解释提供信息。探索性项目将提供基础信息，为在路易斯斯托克少数民族参与联盟项目和类似的旨在扩大STEM参与的综合项目的机构的学习环境中实施PLTL的手册和指南的开发和测试提供信息。

This exploratory project will examine the influence of peer mentoring on (a) students participating in learning activities facilitated by peer leaders and (b) students participating as peer leaders in learning environments in which they serve as role models and assist in bridging the transition from a two-year institution to a four-year program of study in the life sciences. The study will examine how participation influences student engagement in and identification with the life sciences and test the hypothesis that peer mentoring activities influence the retention and success of students who participate in these types of learning environments, especially students who are underrepresented in STEM.Specifically, the research team will conduct a quasi-experimental research study investigating the influence of instantiations of Peer-Led-Team-Learning on students and peer leaders. With well-matched treatment and control groups the research team will compare treatment group outcomes and patterns of outcomes with control group outcomes and past performance of similar students on measures of retention, course content, and course performance. Patterns of outcomes associated with student and institutional demographics, such as gender, race/ethnicity course grades, and retention in the life sciences will be investigated. This early stage research project is exploratory and will inform the design of future quasi-experimental studies by identifying (1) plausible threats to internal validity not directly encompassed by standard threats and (2) alternative explanations of the outcomes to be addressed and controlled for in future studies. In addition, qualitative data from focus groups and interviews will provide a rich source of information on students' experiences that will inform the analysis and interpretation of the quantitative data. The exploratory project will provide foundational information that will inform the development and testing of manuals and guidance for implementing PLTL in learning environments in institutions with Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation projects and with similar comprehensive projects focused on broadening participation in STEM.