Best Practices in K-12 STEM Research Experiences

绿岸天文台将为高中生组织和主办一次社区研讨会，讨论他们在国家科学基金会数学和物理科学局(MPS)支持的学科中的研究经验。研讨会旨在作为一个论坛，分享、收集社区意见，并说明向高中生提供研究经验并在大学、实验室和天文台组织此类研究活动的最佳实践。从研讨会收集的意见可以用来为NSF数学和物理科学委员会提供信息，以考虑如何通过未来有针对性的计划最好地支持K-12研究活动。人们经常说，解决21世纪提出的全球挑战需要一支受过STEM领域培训的美国劳动力，而STEM劳动力可能不足以满足这一需求。STEM的教育研究文献表明，让学生及早并经常参与真实的研究体验可以增强STEM的认同感、STEM自我效能和STEM职业兴趣：这三个个人属性与进入STEM职业道路和坚持STEM职业道路有关。然而，这些文献的大部分都是针对大学生的。这个研讨会将召集为高中生设计和实施研究经验的个人和组织，他们将检验这些经验在学生兴趣和STEM身份认同的发展中所起的作用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

The Green Bank Observatory will organize and host a community workshop on research experiences for high school students in disciplines supported by NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). The workshop is intended as a forum for sharing, gathering community input, and illuminating best practices in providing research experiences to high school students and organizing such research activities across universities, labs, and observatories. The input gathered from the workshop can be used to inform the NSF Mathematics and Physical Sciences Directorate in considering how best to support K-12 research activities through future targeted programs. It is often stated that solving the global challenges presented by the 21st century requires a United States workforce with training in STEM fields, and that the STEM workforce may be insufficient to fill that need. Education research literature in STEM suggests that engaging students early and often in authentic research experiences enhances STEM identity, STEM self-efficacy, and STEM career interest: three personal attributes that are linked to entry into and persistence on a STEM career pathway. Much of this literature is focused on college students, however. This workshop will convene people and organizations who have designed and implemented research experiences for high school students, and who will examine the role such experiences can play in the development of a student’s interest and STEM identity.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.