Facilitating Pathways to Success for High-Achieving Pre-Collegiate African American Males in STEM

关于扩大对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的参与的研究是国家科学基金会(NSF)的重要优先事项。与白人男性同行相比，非洲裔美国男性在STEM中的代表性通常较低。随着美国对STEM劳动力需求的增加，需要进行更多的研究，将重点放在扩大历史上代表性不足的人群中对STEM的参与上，包括非裔美国男性。目前关于非裔美国男性学生STEM经历的研究大多集中在大学生和那些在STEM方面成绩不佳或成绩不佳的人。这一研究项目既及时又具有重要意义。俄亥俄州立大学和南佛罗里达大学的研究人员概述了一个全面的研究项目，该项目考察了参加高中职业学院如何有助于为成绩优异(平均绩点3.5或更高)、低收入的非裔美国男性学生推广可行的STEM途径。研究人员试图记录低收入、成绩优异的非裔美国男性高中生的经历，重点是：(A)他们在高中STEM学院的经历；(B)影响他们参与和坚持STEM学院动机的因素(例如学校支持)；以及(C)他们的家庭支持系统对他们的成功做出贡献。潜在的研究结果可能有助于STEM社区查明低收入非裔美国男性在高中经历的不同的积极和消极挑战，特别是那些成绩优异的男性。该项目得到了EHR核心研究(ECR)计划的支持，该计划支持推进STEM学习和学习环境的基础研究、扩大STEM的参与以及STEM劳动力发展的工作。使用知识基金方法和混合研究方法，调查人员计划研究成绩优异的非裔美国男性学生的学校支持、在校经历、学业投入、选课模式和家庭支持系统。除了提供非裔美国男性学生如何在高中和STEM取得成功的叙述外，该研究项目还将有助于查明那些支持高成绩、低收入的非裔美国男性参加STEM并在高中STEM学院取得成功的因素。这项研究的成果将通过学术出版物以及播客、网络广播和研究简报分享。这些发现可以为发展创新的高中战略和计划提供参考，这些战略和计划鼓励和促进对STEM感兴趣的成绩优异的非裔美国男性在学业和职业生涯中取得成功。此外，这些发现的影响超出了研究中的非裔美国男性；它们适用于其他非裔美国男性，以及在STEM中代表性不足的其他群体。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research about broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a significant priority for the National Science Foundation (NSF). Compared to their White male counterparts, African American males are commonly underrepresented in STEM. With increasing American workforce needs in STEM, more research is needed that focuses on broadening participation in STEM among historically underrepresented populations, including African American males. Much of the current research on African American male students' STEM experiences tends to focus on college students and those who are low achieving or underachieving in STEM. This research project is both timely and significant. The investigators at The Ohio State University and University of South Florida outline a comprehensive research project that examines how participation in high school career academies may help to promote viable STEM pathways for high-achieving (students with a 3.5 GPA or higher), low-income African American male students. The investigators seek to document the experiences of low-income, high-achieving African American male high school students focusing on: (a) their experiences in high school STEM academies; (b) factors (e.g., school supports) that influenced their motivation to participate and persist in STEM academies; and (c) their family support systems contributing to their success. Potential research findings are likely to help the STEM community pinpoint the different positive and negative challenges that low-income, African American males experience in high school, especially those who are high achieving. This project is supported by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, which supports work that advances fundamental research on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. Using a funds of knowledge approach and mixed research methods, the investigators plan to study the school supports, schooling experiences, academic engagement, course-taking patterns, and family support systems of high-achieving African American male students. In addition to providing narratives of how African American male students succeed in high school and in STEM, the research project will help to pinpoint those factors that support the STEM participation and success of high-achieving, low-income African American males participating in high school STEM academies. Findings from this research will be shared through academic publications as well as through podcasts, webcasts and research briefs. These findings can inform the development innovative high school strategies and programs that encourage and promote the academic and career success of high-achieving, African American males, who are interested in STEM. Additionally, the findings have implications beyond the African American males in the study; they have applicability to other African American males, as well as other groups underrepresented in STEM.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.