Cultivating Learners' Autonomy to Improve Math Skills for STEM Learning

本项目旨在通过提高学生早期掌握在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域取得成功所必需的基本数学技能（即基本的程序数学技能）的动机，为国家利益服务。基于自我决定理论，IUSE学生参与学习第一级项目将为STEM流利性系统开发动机特征，这是一个在线培训系统，旨在通过明确的实践提高学生对基本数学技能的掌握。动机特征将通过为学生提供有意义的选择和理由来增加他们参与培训的动机，从而支持学生在在线培训期间的自主性。该项目将提高学生对基本数学技能的掌握，并对学生在STEM本科课程中的坚持和进步产生积极影响。该项目还将产生设计原则，为研究人员未来努力提高学生对各种STEM主题的在线培训的参与度提供指导。STEM专业的本科生通常不具备解决STEM问题所必需的基本数学技能，或者他们在使用这些技能方面远远不够流利。该项目的目标是开发一个增强的STEM流畅性系统，以满足学生完成基本数学技能培训的动机需求，特别是那些在STEM方面准备不足和代表性不足的学生。改进后的STEM流利度系统的开发将遵循基于设计的研究阶段，通过分析、设计、开发、实施和评估来迭代改进改进后的系统。该项目的核心问题是，在增强的STEM流畅性系统中，基本数学技能训练在多大程度上影响了学生的自主意识、对基本数学技能的掌握和自我效能感。为了解决这个问题，项目团队将进行准实验，将原始系统的有效性与集成自主支持功能的增强系统进行比较。项目团队还将使用经过验证的学习评估工具、调查和访谈来迭代地改进设计并测试增强系统的有效性。研究结果将通过会议报告、同行评议的期刊出版物和研讨会传播。该项目将促进对如何提高学生在线STEM培训参与度的理解，并通过培养多样化的、具有全球竞争力的STEM劳动力来造福社会。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing students' motivation to achieve early mastery of essential math skills (i.e., basic procedural math skills) necessary for success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Based on self-determination theory, this IUSE Engaged Student Learning Level 1 project will develop motivational features for the STEM Fluency system, an online training system that aims to improve students' mastery of essential math skills via explicit practice. The motivational features will support students' autonomy during the online training by providing students meaningful choice and rationale to increase their motivation to engage with the training. The project will improve students' mastery of essential math skills and positively impact students' persistence and progress in STEM undergraduate programs. The project will also generate design principles that will inform researchers' future endeavors to improve students' engagement in online training on a variety of STEM topics. STEM undergraduate students often do not possess essential math skills that are foundational to solve STEM problems, or they are far from fluent in their use. The goal of the project is to develop an enhanced STEM Fluency system that addresses students' motivational needs to complete essential math skill training, particularly for those who are underprepared and underrepresented in STEM. The development of the enhanced STEM Fluency system will follow the stages of design-based research to iteratively improve the enhanced system through analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The central question of the project is to what extent the essential math skill training in the enhanced STEM Fluency system affects students' sense of autonomy, mastery of essential math skills, and self-efficacy. To address this question, the project team will conduct quasi-experiments by comparing the effectiveness of the original system to an enhanced system with integrated autonomy-supportive features. The project team will also use validated learning assessment instruments, surveys, and interviews both to iteratively improve the design and to test the efficacy of the enhanced system. The research findings will be disseminated via conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal publications, and workshops. This project will advance understanding of how to increase student engagement in online STEM training and benefit society by developing a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.