Baltimore Online Algebra for High School Students in Technology

研究表明，对于代表不足的学生，特别是资源不足的高中的非裔美国学生，代数是学生成功、热情和参与STEM的主要障碍。开发帮助学生掌握代数概念的方法，以及相信他们可以学习代数的项目，可能会导致更多的学生进入工程行业。该项目将提供一个在线工程项目，以支持巴尔的摩市公立学校9年级和10年级的学生制定成为工程师的具体目标。巴尔的摩市公立学校的学生主要是低收入的非裔美国人。该项目的目标是帮助对工程越来越感兴趣的学生在整个高中期间保持这种兴趣。该项目还将支持渴望从事工程职业的学生。该项目将培养学生对必修课程和技能的欣赏，并提高数学自我效能感。该项目还将开发一种可复制的非正规教育模式，能够加强学生在上学期间学习的数学基础。此外，该项目将通过在课外时间向学生开放，以及与现有的工程补充课程机会相比放宽入学标准，从而扩大对工程学的参与。该项目是巴尔的摩市公立学校、约翰·霍普金斯大学应用物理实验室、诺斯罗普·格鲁曼公司和扩展的校本心理健康计划之间的合作，以在参与期间和之后为学生提供支持。该项目将通过提供技能，使高中生成为未来训练有素的STEM劳动力的一员，从而造福社会。这项研究将测试一个非正式的、支架式的在线工程代数课程是否会提高学生的数学掌握能力和自我效能感。这项研究将通过应用社会认知职业理论作为衡量项目影响的框架来促进对非正规教育的了解。理论框架将有助于确定机制，通过这些机制，对工程感兴趣的学生可以通过掌握代数技能和提高自我效能感，在高中期间保持这种兴趣。该项目将在三年内从巴尔的摩市公立学校招募200名青年参与该项目。将收集定性数据，以评估学生和学校的社会经济因素如何影响实施、学生参与度和结果。本研究将回答以下问题：1)项目参与对数学掌握有什么影响？2)项目完成和支持对学生的数学自我效能感有什么直接和间接的影响？3)项目的组成部分对项目结束时的工程职业目标有什么直接和间接的影响？4)数学自我效能感对职业目标有什么直接和间接的影响？5)项目参与对工程职业目标的影响在多大程度上是通过数学自我效能感和工程兴趣来中介的？6)学校因素与项目的实施有什么关系？)哪些与社会经济相关的因素与学生参与该计划的规律性和持续性有关？数据分析的定量方法将采用描述性和多变量统计方法。访谈中的定性数据将使用紧急方法和理论结构指导下的编码方案进行分析。项目成果将传达给学者和实践者。该团队还将通过学校通讯和巴尔的摩市公立学校的家长交流分享信息。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(ITEST)资助，该计划支持建立对实践、计划要素、背景和过程的理解的项目，这些项目有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)以及信息和通信技术(ICT)职业的知识和兴趣。该奖项反映了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 shows that algebra is a major barrier to student success, enthusiasm and participation in STEM for under-represented students, particularly African-American students in under-resourced high schools. Programs that develop ways to help students master algebra concepts and a belief that they can perform algebra may lead to more students entering engineering careers. This project will provide an online engineering program to support 9th and 10th grade Baltimore City Public Schools students, a predominantly low-income African-American cohort, to develop concrete goals of becoming engineers. The goals of the program are to help students with a growing interest in engineering to maintain that interest throughout high school. The project will also support students aspire to an engineering career. The project will develop in students an appreciation of requisite courses and skills, and increase self-efficacy in mathematics. The project will also develop a replicable model of informal education capable of reinforcing the mathematical foundations that students learn during the school day. Additionally, the project will broaden participation in engineering by being available to students during out-of-school time and by having relaxed entrance criteria compared to existing opportunities in supplemental engineering curricula. The project is a collaboration between the Baltimore City Public Schools, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Expanded School-Based Mental Health programs to support students both during and after participation. The project will benefit society by providing skills that will allow high school students to become members of tomorrow's highly trained STEM workforce. The research will test whether an informal, scaffolded online algebra-for-engineering program increases students' mastery and self-efficacy in mathematics. The research will advance knowledge regarding informal education by applying Social Cognitive Career Theory as a framework for measuring program impact. The theoretical framework will aid in identifying mechanisms through which students with interest in engineering might persist in maintaining this interest through high school via algebra skill mastery and increased self-efficacy. The project will recruit 200 youth from the Baltimore City Public Schools to participate in the project over three years. Qualitative data will be collected to assess how student and school socioeconomic factors impact implementation, student engagement, and outcomes. The research will answer the following questions: 1) What effect does program participation have on math mastery? 2) What direct and indirect effects do program completion and supports have on students' mathematics self-efficacy? 3) What direct and indirect effects do program components have on engineering career goals by the end of the program? 4) What direct and indirect effects does math self-efficacy have on career goals? 5) To what extent are the effects of program participation on engineering career goals mediated by math self-efficacy and engineering interest? 6) How do school factors relate to the implementation of the program? 7) What socioeconomic-related factors relate to the regularity and continuation of student participation in the program? The quantitative methods of data analysis will employ descriptive and multivariate statistical methods. Qualitative data from interviews will be analyzed using an emergent approach and a coding scheme guided by theoretical constructs. Project results will be communicated to scholars and practitioners. The team will also share information through school newsletters and parent communication through Baltimore City Public Schools. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.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.