Collaborative Research: INSITE: INtegrating STEM Into Transition Education for Incarcerated Learners

该项目将调查基于通用学习设计（UDL）应用程序的课程对STEM职业知识，兴趣，能力和被监禁青年准备的影响。将STEM整合到监禁学习者过渡教育中（INSITE）将把STEM劳动力发展活动整合到Merging Worlds中，这是一个经验支持的过渡计划，并通过基于UDL App的框架提供，以准备和支持14-19岁监禁青年的STEM职业准备和就业。INSITE将利用基于设计的研究方法（1）与被监禁的学习者，青少年司法教育工作者和STEM雇主共同设计INSITE课程，（2）测试课程对STEM就业成果的影响。 INSITE课程将基于对被监禁青年，STEM教育，过渡，累犯和劳动力发展的循证研究。该课程将准备和支持职业准备，调解有限的访问，曝光和技能发展的影响，一个尚未开发的STEM劳动力具有巨大的潜力。社会认知职业理论（SCCT）将作为理论框架，以指导支持INSITE课程开发的研究活动。其基本原理是，该理论考虑到了可以影响个人职业选择和行动的情境可供性和障碍。研究问题是（1）被监禁的学习者如何准备过渡到STEM劳动力？(2)什么类型的STEM劳动力成果是监禁学习者经历释放后？(3)STEM过渡课程的功能组成部分是什么？(4)INSITE课程以何种方式影响被监禁青年的STEM职业准备和职业行动？以及（5）情境变量和认知变量对被监禁青年的STEM职业准备和职业行动的作用是什么？ 数据将在迭代设计和测试阶段收集，采用纵向，准实验和定性案例研究。INSITE将根据研究问题和相关研究计划，在六个主题上制作产品。该研究结果预计将记录一种新的干预措施的影响，该干预措施为STEM劳动力提供了服务不足的人群。该项目由EHR核心研究计划资助，该计划支持基础STEM教育研究，重点关注STEM学习和学习环境，扩大STEM领域的参与，该奖项反映了NSF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进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

The project will investigate the impact of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) App-based curriculum on STEM career knowledge, interests, competencies, and readiness for incarcerated youth. Integrating STEM into Transition Education for Incarcerated Learners (INSITE) will integrate STEM workforce development activities into Merging Worlds, an empirically supported transition program, and deliver it through a UDL App-based framework to prepare and support STEM career readiness and employment for incarcerated youth age 14-19. INSITE will utilize a Design-based Research approach to (1) co-design the INSITE curriculum with incarcerated learners, juvenile justice educators, and STEM employers, and (2) test the impact of the curriculum on STEM employment outcomes. The INSITE curriculum will be grounded in evidence-based research on incarcerated youth, STEM education, transition, recidivism, and workforce development. The curriculum will prepare and support career readiness that mediates the impact of limited access, exposure, and skill development for an untapped STEM workforce with vast potential.The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) will serve as the theoretical framework to guide the research activities supporting the INSITE curriculum development. The rationale is that the theory allows for the contextual affordances and barriers that can influence individuals' career choices and actions. The research questions are (1) How prepared are incarcerated learners to transition to the STEM workforce? (2) What types of STEM workforce outcomes are incarcerated learners experiencing post-release? (3) What are the functional components of a STEM transition curriculum? (4) In what ways does the INSITE curriculum impact STEM career readiness and career actions of incarcerated youth? and (5) What are the roles of contextual variables and cognitive variables on STEM career readiness and career actions for incarcerated youth? Data will be collected in iterative design and test phases that employ longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and qualitative case studies. INSITE will produce products across six topics aligned with the research questions and associated research plan. The findings are expected to document the impact of a novel intervention that prepares an underserved population for the STEM workforce.The project is funded by the EHR Core Research program that supports fundamental STEM education research that focuses on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM workforce development.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.