Broadening Participation Research Project: Examining the Efficacy of a Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program

该项目是哥伦比亚特区大学、白求恩-库克曼大学和孟菲斯大学的合作成果。它将扩大针对代表性不足的少数族裔女性（UMW）本科生的虚拟STEM同伴指导计划的开发、实施和评估。目标是检验虚拟同伴指导计划在发展UMW学生的文化响应性指导领导技能、STEM自我效能和科学身份方面的功效。在这个项目中，研究生和大四的本科生将使用一个系统的过程在虚拟环境中指导一组大一、大二和大三的本科生。在参与虚拟师徒关系之前，导师和学员将使用基于案例的虚拟培训模块进行培训，以使导师和学员融入师徒关系，并培养领导、指导和文化响应能力方面的技能。该项目将通过确定传统黑人学院和大学（HBCUs） STEM学位课程中有效的师徒关系类型和这些关系的模式，以及一般代表性不足的少数族裔女性学生，来扩展当前的研究。预计将记录干预措施的有效性，以提高UMW本科生对STEM的坚持。该研究的总体框架结合了坚持、自我效能、认同和指导研究理论。将采用多阶段混合方法研究方法来回答以下研究问题：(1)参加虚拟师徒培训后，学生导师和学员自我报告在STEM师徒、领导力和文化响应能力方面有什么变化（如果有的话）？(2)参加虚拟STEM同伴指导计划后，与候补名单对照组相比，学生导师和学员在测试前和测试后的STEM自我效能感自我报告中有什么变化（如果有的话）？学生导师和学员如何认为虚拟STEM同伴指导计划有用，如果有的话，在促进他们的STEM自我效能感？(3)参加虚拟STEM同伴指导计划后，与候补名单对照组相比，学生导师和学员在测试前和测试后的调查中自我报告的STEM身份有什么变化（如果有的话）？学生导师和学员如何认为虚拟STEM同伴指导计划有用，如果有的话，在进一步提高他们的STEM身份？(4)在虚拟STEM同伴指导计划期间，学生导师和学员如何坚持他们的STEM学位课程（如果有的话）？在参加虚拟STEM同伴指导计划后，学生导师和学员如何自我报告坚持STEM学位课程和追求STEM职业道路的意图？如果有的话，虚拟STEM同伴指导计划的组成部分如何有效地支持学生导师和被指导者？坚持STEM学位课程，并最终追求STEM职业道路的意图？多阶段设计将允许随着时间的推移对定量和定性数据进行检查，以回答提出的研究问题并评估项目目标。该设计允许使用描述性和随机对照试验设计进行定量数据收集，并使用案例研究镜头进行定性数据收集。拟议的项目将促进对STEM教育中指导对UMW持久性的影响的认识，并为学生支持制定基于证据的战略。该项目由历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU-UP）计划支持，扩大STEM教育研究的参与，重点是创建和调查与STEM教育和劳动力中代表性不足群体参与相关的新的理论驱动模型和创新。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The project is a collaborative effort among the University of the District of Columbia, Bethune-Cookman University, and the University of Memphis. It will expand the development, implementation, and evaluation of a virtual STEM peer mentorship program for underrepresented minority women (UMW) undergraduate students. The goal is to examine the efficacy of a Virtual Peer Mentoring Program in developing culturally responsive mentorship leadership skills, STEM self-efficacy, and science identities among UMW students. In this project, graduate and senior-level undergraduate students will use a systematic process to mentor a group of freshman, sophomore, and junior undergraduate students in a virtual environment. Prior to engaging in the virtual mentoring relationship, mentors and mentees will be trained using case-based virtual training modules to socialize the mentors and mentees to the mentoring relationship and build skills in leadership, mentoring, and cultural responsiveness. The project will extend current research by identifying effective types of mentoring relationships and modes for these relationships in STEM degree programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and for underrepresented minority women students in general. It is expected to document the effectiveness of an intervention to increase STEM persistence for UMW undergraduate students.The overarching framework for the study combines persistence, self-efficacy, identity, and mentoring research theories. A multiphase mixed-method research approach will be used to answer the following research questions: (1) After participating in the virtual mentorship training, what changes, if any, do student mentors and mentees self-report in their STEM mentorship, leadership, and cultural responsiveness skills? (2) After participating in the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program, what changes, if any, do student mentors and mentees self-report in their STEM self-efficacy from pretest to posttest survey as compared to a waitlist control group? How do student mentors and mentees believe the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program is useful, if at all, in furthering their STEM self-efficacy? (3) After participating in the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program, what changes, if any, do student mentors and mentees self-report in their STEM identity from pretest to posttest survey as compared to a waitlist control group? How do student mentors and mentees believe the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program is useful, if at all, in furthering their STEM identity? (4) How do student mentors and mentees persist, if at all, in their STEM degree program during the duration of the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program? After participating in the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program, how do student mentors and mentees self-report intent to persist in their STEM degree programs and pursuit of a STEM career pathway? How, if at all, were the Virtual STEM Peer Mentorship Program components effective in supporting student mentors and mentees? intent to persist in a STEM degree program and, ultimately, in their intent to pursue a STEM career pathway? The multiphase design will allow for examination of quantitative and qualitative data over time to answer the proposed research questions and assess the program objectives. This design allows for use of descriptive and randomized controlled trial designs for quantitative data collection and a case study lens for qualitative data collection. The proposed project will advance knowledge about the impact of mentoring in STEM education on persistence of UMW and produce an evidence-based strategy for student support. This project is supported by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU-UP) program, Broadening Participation in STEM Education Research track, that focuses on the creation and investigation of new theory-driven models and innovations relevant to the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM education and the workforce.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.