Broadening Participation Research: Fostering Retention in STEM Disciplines at Minority Serving Institutions

塔斯基吉大学（Tuskegee University）的研究人员将利用先前的研究结果，开发一个影响STEM学生在hbcu保留的社会心理和制度结构因素的模型。目前的项目将通过收集更多数据并纳入西班牙裔服务机构（hsi）来扩大研究范围。更具体地说，他们将研究之前确定的社会心理和结构因素的相互作用，并继续研究那些最有可能成功地将学生留在这些机构的STEM管道中的组合。这项研究有可能对所有机构的本科STEM教育产生积极影响。研究人员将使用三阶段混合方法，包括现象学定性研究、定量调查和二手数据定量分析，来调查四个研究问题：(1)在少数民族服务机构中，哪些社会心理因素似乎影响了STEM学科学生的保留？这些影响表现在哪些方面？(2)结构性因素如何影响少数族裔院校STEM学科的保留率？(3)社会心理因素对旨在支持学生在STEM学科中学习的结构性因素的有效性有什么影响（如果有的话）？(4)在服务不同少数民族群体的院校中，心理社会因素和结构因素对STEM留任的明显影响有何异同？新的样本人口预计将产生16个焦点小组，共有80-112名参与者。人口样本将包括当前的STEM学生、管理人员和工作人员、教师以及STEM项目的毕业生。研究人员提出采用结构方程模型进行定量数据分析，采用轴向编码和选择性编码进行定性分析。了解这些影响之间的相互作用，以及它们之间的相互影响和对留存率的影响，将使研究人员能够进一步完善模型，并对少数族裔服务机构的STEM项目产生更清晰的看法。本项目由历史上的黑人学院和大学本科项目（HBCU-UP）扩大参与教育研究项目支持。该项目支持创建和研究STEM教学和学习的新模式和创新的想法，调查影响代表性不足群体学生的差异参与和成功率的潜在问题，并为STEM教育实践和干预提供知识。

Researchers at Tuskegee University will leverage the results of prior research to develop a model of psychosocial and institutional structural factors that influence the retention of STEM students at HBCUs. The current project will expand the research by collecting additional data and including Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). More specifically, they will examine the interaction of the psychosocial and structural factors identified previously and continue to examine those combinations that are most likely to produce success in retaining students in the STEM pipeline at these institutions. The study has the potential to positively impact undergraduate STEM education at all institutions.The researchers will use a three-phase mixed-methods approach involving phenomenological qualitative research, quantitative surveys, and quantitative analysis of secondary data to investigate four research questions: (1) What psychosocial factors appear to affect the retention of students in STEM disciplines at minority-serving institutions? In what ways are those effects manifested? (2) How do structural factors influence retention rates in STEM disciplines at minority-serving institutions? (3) What influence, if any, do psychosocial factors appear to have on the effectiveness of structural factors which are intended to support student retention in STEM disciplines? (4) What differences and similarities are there in the apparent influence of psychosocial and structural factors on STEM retention at institutions serving different minority populations? The new sample populations are expected to yield 16 focus groups with a total of 80-112 participants. Population samples will include current STEM students, administrators and staff, faculty, and graduates of STEM programs. The researchers propose to structural equation modeling for the quantitative data analysis and axial and selective coding for the qualitative analysis. Understanding the interplay of these influences and their effects on each other and on retention will allow the researchers to further refine the model and produce a clearer perspective about STEM programs at minority-serving institutions. This project is supported by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Broadening Participation Research in Education track. This program track supports ideas to create and study new models and innovations in STEM teaching and learning, investigate the underlying issues affecting the differential participation and success rates of students from underrepresented groups, and produce knowledge to inform STEM education practices and interventions.