A Phenomenological Analysis of STEM Interest, Access, and Persistence of Latina English Learners

这个能力建设项目包括一项研究，以检查拉丁英语学习者的经验，以确定影响他们的学术和职业发展和坚持干的资源和资产。在文化财富模型和社会认知生涯理论的指导下，研究者将使用现象学设计进行定性研究，以了解这些学生的经验的意义，使用三个发展里程碑：兴趣，访问和持久性。调查员将使用反赤字的观点来解释和理解可能影响拉丁英语学习者结果的经验和资产的意义。这项研究将提供有关职业发展的见解和咨询支持这一学生人口在中学和中学后学校。调查结果将提供更深入的理解，解释和分析拉丁裔英语学习者的STEM经验和职业决策，为干预措施和举措提供信息，以扩大拉丁裔学生在STEM中的参与。 调查员建议从现象学的角度提高定性研究方法的熟练程度，并通过专业发展计划获得定性数据分析的专业知识，包括正式的研究生课程，研讨会和导师支持。本研究将探讨四个研究问题：（1）拉丁裔英语学习者从学前班到大学的STEM生活经历是什么？，（2）什么资产和资源做拉丁英语学习者描述为有利于他们的学术和职业发展干？，(3)拉丁英语学习者如何发展和保持他们的兴趣，访问和坚持从PreK-12到大学的STEM？和（4）什么障碍做拉丁裔英语学习者的经验，在干学术和职业发展从PreK-12到大学？ 一份人口统计问卷，个人半结构化访谈，和一个焦点小组将被用来收集数据的参与者在六个机构在三个州。这项研究将解决一些主要的限制，从以前的文献对拉丁美洲或英语学习者的STEM教育定量研究，通过提供急需的定性信息的“何时”，“如何”和“为什么”。它还将提供这些资源和资产，他们有更深入的了解和这些经验的意义，可能发挥了关键作用，在拉丁美洲EL的干教育。这个项目是由建设能力在干教育研究（BCSER）的竞争，使早期和中期的职业研究人员获得专业知识，调查相关的主题干学习和学习环境，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进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This capacity building project includes a study to examine the experiences of Latina English Learners to identify the resources and assets that impact their academic and career development and persistence in STEM. Guided by the culture wealth model and social cognitive career theory, the investigator will conduct a qualitative study using a phenomenology design to understand the meaning of these students’ experiences using three developmental milestones: interest, access, and persistence. The investigator will use an anti-deficit view to interpret and make meaning of the experiences and assets that may have impacted Latina English Learners’ outcomes. The study will provide insights concerning the career development and counseling support for this student population in both secondary and postsecondary schools. The findings will provide a deeper understanding, interpretation, and analysis of Latina English Learners’ STEM experiences and career decisions to inform interventions and initiatives to broaden the participation of Latina students in STEM. The investigator proposes to increase proficiency in qualitative research methods from a phenomenological perspective and acquire expertise in qualitative data analysis through a professional development plan that includes formal graduate courses, workshops, and mentor support. The research project will investigate four research questions: (1) What are Latina English Learners’ lived experiences in STEM from PreK-12 to college? , (2) What assets and resources do Latina English Learners describe as being beneficial to their academic and career development in STEM?,(3) How do Latina English Language Learners develop and maintain their interest, access, and persistence in STEM from PreK-12 to college? and (4) What barriers do Latina English Learners experience in STEM academic and career development from PreK-12 to college? A demographic questionnaire, individual semi-structured interviews, and a focus group will be used to collect data from participants at six institutions in three states. The study will address some of the major limitations in quantitative research from previous literature on STEM education of either Latinas or English Learners, by providing much needed qualitative information on the “when,” “how,” and “why”. It will also provide a deeper understanding of those resources and assets they have and meanings of those experiences that may have played a key role in Latina ELs’ STEM education.This project is funded by the Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (BCSER) competition that enables early- and mid-career researchers to acquire expertise to investigate topics relevant to STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM professional 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.