BCSER: Improving Peer-led Team Learning and Peer-Leader Training to Increase Undergraduate Student Achievement in Mathematics

该项目旨在通过提高本科生在STEM课程中的成绩来服务于国家利益。它将通过改进同行领导的团队学习(PLTL)的实施和开展研究以检查这些改进的有效性来做到这一点。本课题研究的重点是PLTL在早期数学课程中的作用。当在维尔京群岛大学的数学补习课程中实施PLTL时，学生能够成功地完成这门课程。然而，在随后的课程中，只有不到一半的人成功。本项目将加强本课程的PLTL课程，以提高学生解决数学问题的能力。它还将创建新的同伴领袖培训模块，旨在改善学生的非认知因素，如归属感，这可能有助于学生的坚持不懈和保持。此外，通过开展关于课程和同行领导培训影响的研究，调查员将通过培养她的量化和技术写作技能来提高她的STEM教育研究能力。在第一年，这个项目的目标是为数学补习课程创建一个改进的PLTL课程，并在第一年开发一个改进的同伴领袖培训计划。在第二年，PI将实施该课程，收集有关其影响的数据，并分析数据，以确定修订后的PLTL课程和同伴领袖培训的有效性。本研究将探讨以下问题：1)改进的PLTL计划对学生的通过率、数学自我效能感、数学焦虑、智力知觉、归属感和数学信念有什么影响？2)新的培训计划对同伴领袖的数学自我效能感、数学焦虑、智力知觉和归属感有什么影响？3)同伴领袖培训和强化课程对同伴领袖有效性和学生参与度有什么影响？为了回答这些问题，将使用定性和定量相结合的方法。对于问题1和问题2，将实施准实验设计，并将使用描述性和推理分析方法来确定重要性。对于问题3，将利用定性研究方法分析PLTL研讨会的音频和视频记录。PI正在与一个由三名导师组成的团队合作，他们在STEM教育研究、定性和定量研究方法、PLTL和研究评估方面拥有专业知识。通过经常与导师举行虚拟会议、教育定量研究方面的独立研究、讲习班、统计软件培训、出版物准备、联网以及与其他STEM教育研究人员合作的机会，将加强STEM的教育研究能力。PI将通过国家和地方会议以及同行评议的期刊分享该项目的成果。该项目由EHR核心研究：STEM教育研究能力建设(EHR：BCSER)竞赛支持，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，扩大对STEM领域的参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing undergraduate student success in STEM courses. It will do so by improving implementation of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) and implementing research to examine the effectiveness of these improvements. This project focuses on the effects of PLTL in early mathematics courses. When PLTL was implemented in a remedial mathematics course at the University of the Virgin Islands, students were able to complete the course successfully. However, less than half were successful in the subsequent course. This project will enhance the PLTL curriculum in this class to improve students’ mathematical problem-solving skills. It will also create new peer leader training modules, aimed at improving students’ non-cognitive factors, such as sense of belonging, that may contribute to student persistence and retention. Additionally, through conducting research regarding the impact of the curriculum and peer-leader training, the investigator will increase her capacity for STEM education research by building her quantitative and technical writing skills. During Year 1, this project aims to create an enhanced PLTL curriculum for the remedial mathematics course and develop an improved peer-leader training program during Year 1. In Year 2, the PI will implement the curriculum, collect data about its impact, and analyze data to determine the effectiveness of the revised PLTL curriculum and peer-leader training. The following research questions will be addressed: 1) What is the impact of an enhanced PLTL program on students’ pass rate, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, perceptions of intelligence, sense of belonging and beliefs about mathematics? 2) What is the impact of the new training program on peer leader’s mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, perceptions of intelligence, and sense of belonging? 3) What is the impact of the peer leader training and enhanced curriculum on peer leader effectiveness and student engagement? To answer these questions, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies will be used. For questions 1 and 2, a quasi-experimental design will be implemented, and descriptive and inferential analysis methods will be used to determine significance. For question 3, qualitative research methods will be utilized to analyze audio and video recorded PLTL workshops. The PI is working with a team of three mentors who have expertise in STEM education research, qualitative and quantitative research methods, PLTL, and research evaluation. The STEM education research capacity of the PI will be enhanced through frequent virtual meetings with mentors, independent study in quantitative research in education, workshops, training in statistical software, publication preparation, networking, and opportunities to collaborate with other STEM education researchers. The PI will share the results from the project via national and local conferences, and in peer-reviewed journals. The project is supported through the EHR Core Research: Building capacity in STEM Education Research (EHR: BCSER) 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.