HSI Institutional Transformation Project: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Through Family-Centered Pedagogy

在美国国家科学基金会改善本科STEM教育（IUSE）：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划）的支持下，这个第三轨道机构转型项目（ITP）旨在评估和实施一个新的以家庭为中心的变革理论模型，以提高拉丁裔学生在本科STEM学科的成功。具体而言，该项目将消除继续将STEM领域的拉丁裔学生边缘化的思维系统、政策和实践。该项目与德克萨斯大学大河谷分校（UTRGV）作为组织和大河谷分校作为服务社区相互关联。UTRGV是最大的“招生”HSI之一，该项目将利用拟议的以家庭为中心的模式，使高等教育与社区家庭之间建立伙伴关系，将其转变为真正的西班牙裔“服务”机构。这将为本科STEM教育、编程、基础设施以及与其他hsi（如位于格兰德山谷的南德克萨斯学院）的合作创造学习机会。通过利用通常在墨西哥裔美国人研究课程中使用的课程、教学法和学习框架，该计划将通过多种社会身份、权力领域和历史性的多维交叉框架来解决多样性、公平性和包容性（DEI）问题。现有的通识教育核心所需的数学、化学和物理STEM课程将进行修订，包括一个以家庭为中心的课程项目，该项目与文化相关，并解决STEM学科中的DEI问题，为提高学生的学习能力、毅力和学位成就铺平道路。该项目的目标是通过与家庭领袖和社区组织者合作，创造教育机会和环境，利用学生和家庭的文化财富和资产，增加拉丁裔STEM学生的机构整合和对UTRGV和里约热内卢格兰德谷社区的归属感。研究问题包括：1)家庭和大学领导者之间的伙伴关系动态如何以及在多大程度上消除了赤字思维实践和政策；2)以家庭为中心的项目如何以及在多大程度上影响学生、家庭和教师。数据将使用混合方法进行分析。定性和定量方法将用于三角测量在定性学生、教师和社区合作伙伴访谈、反思以及录音和录像观察中发现的证据。这项研究的结果将作为通过实施新课程、教学法、教师发展和评估过程进行制度改革的基础。调查结果也将通过演讲和出版物在全国传播。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，扩大STEM参与，并在HSI进行能力建设。考虑到hsi的多样性和背景，实现这些目标需要创新的方法来激励机构和社区转型，并促进基础研究(1)关于参与式学生学习，(2)关于如何有效地使STEM多样化和增加参与，以及(3)提高我们对如何在hsi建立机构能力的理解。HSI计划支持的项目也将借鉴这些方法，为如何实现这些目标提供新的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

With support from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE): Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 3 Institutional Transformation Project (ITP) aims to evaluate and implement a novel Family-Centered Theory of Change Model for enhancing Latinx Students’ success in undergraduate STEM disciplines. Specifically, the project will dismantle deficit thinking systems, policy, and practices that continue to marginalize Latinx students from STEM fields. This project is interconnected with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) as the organization and the Rio Grande Valley as the community being served. UTRGV is one of the largest “enrolling” HSI and this project will transform it to a truly Hispanic “Serving” Institution utilizing the proposed Family-Centered Model for partnerships between higher education and families from the community. This will create learning opportunities in undergraduate STEM education, programming, infrastructure, and collaborations with other HSIs, such as the South Texas College in the Rio Grande Valley. By utilizing curricula, pedagogies, and learning frameworks that are typically used in the Mexican American Studies courses, this program will address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through the multidimensional intersectional framework for multiple social identities, domains of power, and historicity. Existing STEM courses in mathematics, chemistry and physics that are required for the General Education core will be revised to include a Family-Centered class project that is culturally relevant and addresses DEI in STEM disciplines paving the way towards higher student learning, persistence and degree attainment. The goal of this project is to increase Latinx STEM students’ institutional integration and sense of belonging to UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley community by partnering with family leaders and community organizers to create educational opportunities and environments that capitalize on the students and families cultural wealth and assets. Research questions include: 1) how and to what extent do partnership dynamics between family and university leaders dismantle deficit thinking practices and policies; and 2) how and to what extent do family-centered projects impact students, families, and faculty. Data will be analyzed using a mixed methods approach. Qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to triangulate evidence found in the qualitative student, faculty, and community partners interviews, reflections, and in audiotaped and videotaped observations. Results of this study will be used as a basis for institutional transformation through the implementation of new curricula, pedagogies, and faculty development and evaluation processes. Findings will also be disseminated nationally through presentations and publications. 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.