HSI IUSE Pilot: Implementation of a Model Recitation Period to Support STEM Student Development and Scientific Literacy Skills in Chemistry

在改进的本科生STEM教育：拉美裔服务机构(HSI计划)的支持下，这一PPP试点项目旨在实施学术支持，以改善学生在化学入门课程中的学习和表现，从而增加进入化学和生物化学专业的学生人数。这项探索性的研究和开发研究将有助于建立关于如何最好地支持和改善针对市内少数民族学生的化学教育的知识库，这些学生对大学化学水平的准备不足。该项目将使30名对化学和生物化学专业感兴趣但面临着在普通化学和有机化学课程序列中无法取得进步的本科生受益。根据之前实施普通化学和有机化学复习部分的经验教训，圣文森特山学院(CMSV)的项目团队将重新设计复习部分，以侧重于目标设定、学习技能、针对普通化学和有机化学课程序列的问题解决以及课程工作与职业的相关性。该项目将提供初步证据，证明通过普通化学和有机化学补充课程培养学生在设定目标、解决问题和科学素养方面的技能的有效性，以及这些技能在多大程度上提高学生的成绩和坚持不懈，特别是市中心的有色人种学生。该项目的目标是实施背诵模式，并表明它支持学生发展动机、自我效能、解决问题的能力、将课程内容与实际问题和职业联系起来的能力，以及科学素养。因此，学生在普通化学和有机化学两门课程序列中的成绩将有所提高，从而增加了完成这两门课程并宣布主修化学/生物化学的学生数量。由化学教师和一名教育研究人员组成的项目团队将调查以下研究问题：计划中的支持在多大程度上提高了学生的自我效能感、内在动机、课程内容与现实世界应用和职业的联系以及科学素养，这些改进是否会导致更高的化学/生物化学专业宣言和坚持性？成就目标理论的有效性和责任模式的逐步释放的证据将影响CMSV科学项目的教学方法，并有助于帮助其他HSI的高危学生的策略。CMSV打算根据试验结果制定实施和评估项目建议，以进一步支持建议的背诵策略，学院将全面实施重新设计的背诵模式，以提高学生的化学成绩。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育，扩大STEM的参与，并建设HSIS的能力。鉴于高等教育机构的不同性质和背景，实现这些目标需要创新的方法，以激励机构和社区的变革，并促进基础研究(I)关于学生参与式学习，(Ii)关于如何有效地多样化和增加对STEM的参与，以及(Iii)提高我们对如何建设高等教育机构能力的理解。HSI计划支持的项目也将从这些方法中获得如何实现这些目标的新知识。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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this pilot PPP project aims to implement academic supports that improve student learning and performance in introductory chemistry courses, thereby increasing the number of students entering chemistry and biochemistry majors. This exploratory research and development study will contribute to the knowledge base on how best to support and improve chemistry education for underserved inner-city minority students who are underprepared for college-level chemistry. The project will benefit 30 undergraduate students who are interested in chemistry and biochemistry majors but are at risk of not progressing through the general chemistry and organic chemistry course sequences. Based on lessons learned from prior implementation of a recitation section for general and organic chemistry, the project team at College of Mount Saint Vincent (CMSV) will redesign the recitation to focus on goal setting, study skills, problem-solving specific to the general chemistry and organic chemistry course sequences, and relevance of coursework to careers. The project will provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of building student skills in goal setting, problem-solving, and scientific literacy through supplemental curriculum for general chemistry and organic chemistry and the extent such skills improve student achievement and persistence in students, especially inner-city students of color. The objectives for the project are to implement a model of recitation and show that it supports student development of motivation, self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, ability to relate course content to real-word problems and careers, and scientific literacy. As a result, students will have improved grades in the general chemistry and organic chemistry two-course sequences, increasing the number of students who complete both courses and declare a chemistry/biochemistry major. The project team, composed of chemistry faculty and an education researcher, will investigate the following research question: How well do the planned supports increase students’ self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, connection of course content to real-world applications and careers, and scientific literacy, and do these improvements lead to higher major declaration and persistence in chemistry/biochemistry? Evidence of the effectiveness of achievement goal theory and the gradual release of responsibility model will influence pedagogy in CMSV’s science programs and contribute to strategies that help at-risk students at other HSIs. CMSV intends to build upon the results of the pilot to develop an Implementation and Evaluation Project proposal to further support the proposed recitation strategies, and the College will fully implement the redesigned recitation model to improve students’ chemistry achievement. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.