CAREER: Thriving in Context: Bridging Academic, Social, and Psychological Wellbeing among Black College Women to Increase STEM Retention (Broadening Participation and Persistence)

学术动机已经得到更多的关注黑人妇女的干保留。然而，心理社会过程，特别是那些与歧视有关的过程，对于理解黑人女性如何在大学环境中导航至关重要。不太清楚的是，在什么条件下，以什么方式，个人因素和机构资源，作为黑人妇女的STEM保留的保护因素。对社会和心理现象的关注如何揭示黑人女性的学术动机和STEM保留？目前的职业生涯建议借鉴了研究和教育的综合方案：（1）特别关注如何，除了学术能力，社会和心理健康在很大程度上被忽视，但对黑人妇女的干保留的强大影响;（2）调查黑人妇女对制度气候和干持久性的看法之间的关系的关键主持人;以及（3）探讨黑人妇女如何培养个人和机构支持网络，以抵消基于身份的边缘化和茁壮成长。这项工作得到了发展科学计划和教育与人力资源核心研究计划的支持。该项目包括两个阶段的研究和一个教育计划，将使一系列利益相关者受益，包括教育工作者，学者和社区组织。第一阶段涉及混合方法的数据收集与年度调查和深入的，半结构化的采访黑人本科妇女在两个地方机构（PWI和HBCU）在4年的时间。第二阶段涉及与两所大学的管理人员进行基于设计的研究，为未来的黑人本科女生群体开发一套全面的实用资源。目前的研究将扩展大学生适应的发展理论，以创建一个学生茁壮成长的框架，该框架将个人和机构层面的因素作为STEM成就和保留的关键方面。此外，调查结果将为帮助黑人妇女在STEM环境中茁壮成长的机构努力提供信息，并与黑人妇女STEM专业，STEM部门的教师和大学领导人使用多层次的方法。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Academic motivation has received more attention regarding Black women’s STEM retention. Yet, psychosocial processes, particularly those tied to discrimination, are crucial to understanding how Black women navigate university contexts. What is less clear is under what conditions and in what ways, individual factors and institutional resources, operate as protective factors for Black women’s STEM retention. How might attention to social and psychological phenomenon shed light on academic motivation and STEM retention among Black women? The present CAREER proposal draws on an integrated program of research and education to: (1) focus specifically on how, in addition to academic ability, social and psychological wellbeing are largely neglected, but powerful influences on Black women’s STEM retention; (2) investigate key moderators of the relationships between Black women’s perceptions of institutional climate and STEM persistence; and (3) explore how Black women cultivate networks of personal and institutional support to offset identity-based marginalization and thrive. This work was supported by the Developmental Sciences program and the Education and Human Resources Core Research program.The project includes two phases of research and an educational plan that will benefit a range of stakeholders, including educators, scholars, and community organizations. The first phrase involves mixed methodological data collection with annual surveys and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Black undergraduate women at two local institutions (PWI and HBCU) over a 4-year period. The second phase involves design-based research with administrators at both universities to develop a comprehensive set of practical resources for future cohorts of Black undergraduate women. The current study will expand developmental theories of college student adjustment to create a student thriving framework that examines individual and institutional-level factors as key aspects of STEM achievement and retention. In addition, the findings will inform institutional efforts on helping Black women thrive in STEM contexts, and use a multi-tiered approach with Black women STEM majors, faculty in STEM departments, and university leaders.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.