Evidence-based Transformation of Undergraduate Field Schools to Promote Safety and Inclusivity

该项目旨在通过创造安全和包容的学习环境来服务于国家利益。具体来说，该项目旨在改变考古学校负责人执行政策和程序的方式。对于计划成为考古学家的学生来说，本科教育通常需要四到八周的实地学习课程，被称为实地学校。研究表明，基于实地的学习环境会使学生容易受到性骚扰和相关的不受欢迎的行为。有这种经历的大学生可能会面临影响学业进步的负面后果，甚至可能导致他们离开自己选择的研究领域或辍学。通过这个项目，研究小组将确定并记录现场学校的政策、程序和结构，为追求考古职业的本科生提供安全的学习环境。项目团队将记录实地学校校长可以采取的实际步骤，以防止骚扰和攻击，并进一步帮助留住实地学生，确保考古学和其他实地科学的劳动力更加多样化。研究小组将分三个阶段进行这项工作。第一阶段将包括现况分析，以记录当前的性骚扰和性侵犯政策、程序和现场主任实施的结构。研究小组将根据结果选择8所实地学校作为第二阶段的案例研究样本。第二阶段将侧重于了解性骚扰和性侵犯政策、程序和结构是如何实施的，并将收集学生对安全的看法，以及他们在这些实施背景下作为考古学家的身份和自我效能感。第二阶段的结果将使项目团队能够确定有希望消除实地学校骚扰和攻击的做法和结构。在第3阶段，这项研究将向外地主任提供支助，以便在个案研究的外地学校样本内执行修改，并评价修改后方法的效力。这项研究的最终成果将是一套以证据为基础的做法，旨在防止外地学校的性骚扰、性侵犯和暴力。该研究将探索现场主管可以实施的机制，以构建无性骚扰和性侵犯的学习环境，帮助本科生充分发挥学习潜力。这项研究将为开始建立理论和模型提供基础数据，以支持所有本科生安全地从事基于实地的研究课程。本项目由NSF改善本科STEM教育计划：教育与人力资源资助，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。它由机构和社区转型轨道资助，支持在高等教育机构和学科社区中转变和改善STEM教育的努力。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by creating safe and inclusive learning environments. Specifically, the project aims to begin a transformation in the way archaeological field school directors implement policies and procedures. Undergraduate education for students who plan to become archaeologists often requires a four- to eight-week field-based learning course, referred to as a field school. Studies have suggested that field-based learning environments can make students susceptible to sexual harassment and related unwelcome behaviors. Undergraduate students who have such experiences may face negative consequences that can derail academic progress, possibly even causing them to leave their chosen field of study or drop out of college. Through this project, the research team will identify and document field school policies, procedures, and structures that promote safe learning environments for undergraduate students pursuing careers in archaeology. The project team will document practical steps that directors of field schools can take to prevent harassment and assault and, by extension, help retain students in the field, ensuring a more diverse workforce in archaeology and other field-based sciences. The research team will conduct this work in three phases. Phase 1 will consist of a landscape analysis to document current sexual harassment and assault policies, procedures, and structures that field directors implement. The research team will use the results to select a sample of eight field schools as case studies for Phase 2. Phase 2 will focus on understanding how sexual harassment and assault policies, procedures, and structures are implemented and will gather students' perceptions of safety, and their identity and self-efficacy as an archaeologist in the context of these implementations. The Phase 2 results will allow the project team to identify practices and structures that hold promise for eliminating harassment and assault at field schools. During Phase 3, the research will provide supports to field directors to implement modifications within the sample of case study field schools and evaluate the efficacy of the modified approaches. The final product of this research will be a set of evidence-based practices designed to prevent sexual harassment, assault, and violence at field schools. The research will explore mechanisms field directors can implement to structure learning environments that are free of sexual harassment and assault, helping undergraduate students achieve their full potential to learn. This research will provide foundational data to begin building theory and models to support all undergraduate students to safely engage in field-based research courses. This project is funded by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. It is funded in the Institutional and Community Transformation track that supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.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.