CAREER: Thriving in Context: Bridging Academic, Social, and Psychological Wellbeing among Black College Women to Increase STEM Retention (Broadening Participation and Persistence)

黑人女性在STEM领域的学习动机受到了更多的关注。然而，心理社会过程，特别是那些与歧视有关的过程，对于理解黑人女性如何在大学环境中生存至关重要。不太清楚的是，个人因素和机构资源在什么条件下、以什么方式成为黑人女性保留STEM的保护因素。对社会和心理现象的关注如何揭示黑人女性的学习动机和STEM保留率？目前的CAREER提案借鉴了一个综合的研究和教育计划：(1)特别关注除了学术能力之外，社会和心理健康在很大程度上被忽视，但对黑人女性保留STEM的强大影响；(2)研究黑人女性制度气候感知与STEM持久性之间关系的关键调节因子；(3)探讨黑人女性如何培养个人和机构支持网络，以抵消基于身份的边缘化并茁壮成长。这项工作得到了发展科学项目和教育与人力资源核心研究项目的支持。该项目包括两个阶段的研究和一项教育计划，将使包括教育工作者、学者和社区组织在内的一系列利益相关者受益。第一阶段涉及混合方法数据收集，包括年度调查和对两所当地机构（PWI和HBCU）的黑人本科女性进行深入的半结构化访谈，为期4年。第二阶段包括与两所大学的管理人员进行基于设计的研究，为未来的黑人本科女性群体开发一套全面的实用资源。目前的研究将扩展大学生适应的发展理论，以创建一个学生蓬勃发展的框架，该框架将检查个人和机构层面的因素作为STEM成绩和保留的关键方面。此外，研究结果将为机构努力帮助黑人女性在STEM环境中茁壮成长提供信息，并与黑人女性STEM专业、STEM部门的教师和大学领导采用多层次的方法。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。

Academic motivation has received more attention regarding Black women’s STEM retention. Yet, psychosocial processes, particularly those tied to discrimination, are crucial to understanding how Black women navigate university contexts. What is less clear is under what conditions and in what ways, individual factors and institutional resources, operate as protective factors for Black women’s STEM retention. How might attention to social and psychological phenomenon shed light on academic motivation and STEM retention among Black women? The present CAREER proposal draws on an integrated program of research and education to: (1) focus specifically on how, in addition to academic ability, social and psychological wellbeing are largely neglected, but powerful influences on Black women’s STEM retention; (2) investigate key moderators of the relationships between Black women’s perceptions of institutional climate and STEM persistence; and (3) explore how Black women cultivate networks of personal and institutional support to offset identity-based marginalization and thrive. This work was supported by the Developmental Sciences program and the Education and Human Resources Core Research program.The project includes two phases of research and an educational plan that will benefit a range of stakeholders, including educators, scholars, and community organizations. The first phrase involves mixed methodological data collection with annual surveys and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Black undergraduate women at two local institutions (PWI and HBCU) over a 4-year period. The second phase involves design-based research with administrators at both universities to develop a comprehensive set of practical resources for future cohorts of Black undergraduate women. The current study will expand developmental theories of college student adjustment to create a student thriving framework that examines individual and institutional-level factors as key aspects of STEM achievement and retention. In addition, the findings will inform institutional efforts on helping Black women thrive in STEM contexts, and use a multi-tiered approach with Black women STEM majors, faculty in STEM departments, and university leaders.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.