Field-based Undergraduate Training: Utilizing Research for Equity (FUTURE) in Biology

本科实地课程可以作为教学工具，在课程中增加生物专业的持久性，特别是对边缘学生。然而，目前还不清楚实地课程应该如何设计，以及何时在本科课程中提供实地课程，以为学生提供最大的利益。该项目将招募一组3名博士后，他们将在加州大学圣克鲁兹分校（UCSC）现有的三个部门计划中，对实地课程设计元素的好处进行定性和定量研究，UCSC是一个为西班牙裔服务的研究机构。研究员们的发现将把这一难题的各个部分联系起来，通过在战略课程时间点改进和实施课程和实习，提高STEM的保留率、公平性和学生的成功，尤其是在边缘化学生中。研究员将在智力上、专业上和社会上受益，为教育研究事业做准备，并将为数百名寻求类似机会的研究生提供榜样。通过为研究员提供队列和社区支持，并建立生物教育研究的能力，这项工作将对高等教育研究中的STEM人才和知识创造具有重要意义。高等教育的一个主要优先事项是提高来自边缘群体的学生的保留率，并通过进入研究生院和在不断扩大的STEM劳动力中就业来支持他们。尽管实地课程显示出招募和坚持边缘化本科生的希望，但关于哪些设计组件对于产生预期结果是重要的，以及在本科课程中何时应该提供这些机会，仍然存在许多问题。该项目将以公平的实地教学和多元化领导的现有优势为基础，支持3名研究员进行研究，以改善生命科学领域的本科生实地培训。这项针对博士后的综合支持计划有四个目标：1)有针对性的招聘、选择和保留策略，包括专业发展计划和确定有影响力的、可行的项目；2)在实地教学、教育研究、多样性、公平性和包容性方面培养一个实践社区，以支持成功和网络；3)培养部门和机构外的联系；4)评估和传播项目成果，将知识转化为可扩展的解决方案。通过合作设计和提供一个基于公平、安全和文化责任的新的实地教学计划，博士后研究员将改变数百名本科生和数十名实地课程教师的经历。本项目由美国国家科学基金会的STEM教育博士后研究奖学金（STEM Ed PRF）计划和西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）计划共同资助。STEM Ed PRF计划旨在提高STEM、STEM教育、教育和相关学科的近期博士的研究知识、技能和实践，以促进他们从事基础和应用研究的准备，从而提高该领域的知识。HSI计划支持改善本科STEM教育的项目，并提高西班牙裔服务机构本科STEM学生的招聘、保留和毕业率。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。

Undergraduate field courses can be used as pedagogical tools in the curriculum to increase persistence in biology majors, especially for marginalized students. However, it is unclear how field courses should be designed and when they should be offered in the undergraduate curriculum to provide the most benefits to students. This project will recruit a cohort of 3 postdoctoral fellows who will lead qualitative and quantitative research on the benefits of field course design elements in three existing departmental initiatives at University of California- Santa Cruz (UCSC), a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution. Fellows’ discoveries will connect pieces of the puzzle to improve retention, equity, and student success in STEM, especially among marginalized students, through refinement and implementation of courses and internships during strategic curricular time points. Fellows will benefit intellectually, professionally, and socially in preparation for education research careers, and will provide role models for hundreds of graduate students who seek similar opportunities. By providing cohort- and community-based support for the fellows and building capacity for biology education research, this work will be of significance in empowering STEM talent and knowledge creation in higher education research. A major priority in higher education is to improve retention of students from marginalized groups and support them through admission to graduate school and employment in the expanding STEM workforce. Although field courses show promise for recruitment and persistence of marginalized undergraduate students, many questions remain about which design components are important to generate desired outcomes, and when in the undergraduate curriculum these opportunities should be offered. This project will build on existing strengths in equitable field-based teaching and diverse leadership to support 3 fellows to undertake research to improve field-based undergraduate training in the life sciences. This comprehensive support program for the Postdoc Fellows has the four goals: 1) Targeted recruitment, selection, and retention strategies including a professional development plan and identification of impactful, feasible projects; 2) Cultivating a community of practice in field teaching, education research, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to support success and networking; 3) Fostering connections outside the department and institution; and 4) Assessing and disseminating the program outcomes to turn knowledge into scalable solutions. By collaboratively designing and delivering a new field teaching program based on equity, safety, and cultural responsibility, the postdoc Fellows will transform the experiences of hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of field course instructors. This project is supported by NSF’s STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program with co-funding from the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. The HSI Program supports projects that improve undergraduate STEM education and increase the rates of recruitment, retention and graduation of undergraduate STEM students at Hispanic-serving institutions.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.