Developing and Validating STEM Social Capital Scales

该项目将允许职业生涯中期的首席研究员获得成功构思和执行基础研究所需的教育研究专业知识，并有可能在发展规模上有意义地推进知识，以评估与STEM学习相关的社会资本。研究者的个人发展计划包括一名导师和咨询委员会成员，他们具有该主题的专门知识，将在整个奖励期间提供指导和反馈。具体而言，首席研究员将寻求提高四个主要领域的能力：（1）对社会资本理论和措施的深入了解;（2）设计和进行访谈/焦点/小组的知识和技能;（3）设计调查和开发工具的知识和技能;以及（4）进行有效性研究和多级结构方程建模的知识和技能。个人专业发展计划中的活动包括参加学术会议;参与一对一的指导活动;参加规模发展的专业培训;参与网络机会;参加短期课程和参加研讨会;以及参加与STEM教育专家，同事和研究人员的在线活动。 通过这个项目，首席研究员将开发和验证两个STEM社会资本量表，以提高对社会资本在促进学生在STEM方面取得积极成果的作用的认识。这是一项重要的试点研究，因为很少有工具可以评估学生和家长对如何最好地支持和促进STEM参与的看法。该项目将与为期七周的STEM暑期项目合作进行，该项目面向六年级至十一年级的学生。因此，该项目将通过七步规模发展程序，寻求增加首席研究员对学生成绩，动机和参与STEM领域和职业的理解。该项目的成果将促进主要研究者关于衡量STEM社会资本对学生兴趣，动机和参与STEM领域和职业的影响的量表开发的方法学知识。该项目通过EHR核心研究STEM教育研究能力建设竞赛得到支持，该竞赛旨在培养个人在STEM学习和学习环境中开展高质量基础STEM教育研究的能力，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审查标准。

This project will allow a mid-career principal investigator to acquire the education research expertise needed to successfully conceive and execute fundamental research with the potential to meaningfully advance knowledge on developing scales to assess social capital as it relates to STEM learning. The investigator's individual development plan includes a mentor and advisory board members with expertise specific to this topic who will provide guidance and feedback throughout the award period. Specifically, the principal investigator will seek to increase capacity in four major areas: (1) deep knowledge of social capital theories and measures; (2) knowledge and skills of designing and conducting interviews/focus/groups; (3) knowledge and skills of designing surveys and developing instruments; and (4) knowledge and skills of conducting validity studies and multilevel structural equation modeling. Activities in the individual professional development plan include attending academic conferences; engaging in one-on-one mentoring activities; participating in specialized training on scale development; engaging in networking opportunities; taking short courses and attending seminars; and taking part in online activities with STEM education experts, colleagues, and researchers. Through this project, the principal investigator will develop and validate two STEM social capital scales to advance knowledge about social capital's role in promoting positive students' outcomes in STEM. This is an important pilot study since few instruments exist to assess both student and parent perspectives about how best to support and promote participation in STEM. The project will be conducted in collaboration with a seven-week STEM summer program for students in grades six through eleven. Therefore, this project will seek to increase the principal investigator's understanding about student achievement, motivation, and participation in STEM fields and careers through a seven-step scale development procedure. Outcomes from this project will advance the principal investigator's methodological knowledge about the development of scales for measuring the influence of STEM social capital on student's interest, motivation, and participation in STEM fields and careers. The project is supported through the EHR Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research competition that is designed to build individuals' capacity to carry out high quality fundamental STEM education research in 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.