Introductory STEM Courses: Sorting, Harvesting, or Nurturing Student Talent

描述(由申请者提供)：拟议的项目考察了在STEM入门课程中促进学生学习、保持科学知识和技能发展的校园结构、教学策略和学生经验。鉴于少数民族学生在STEM领域的自然流失率增加，特别关注这些结构和经验如何影响代表不足的少数族裔学生的科学学习和发展。此外，该项目寻求确定超越课程成绩的学生成功的替代衡量标准，因为来自当前项目的早期经验证据表明，课程成绩与未来在科学方面取得成功所需的技能和性格没有显著关系。需要资金以扩大我们最初研究的样本，该研究的重点是在入门课程中区分成绩(年级)、先前的学术准备和科学工作的基本思维习惯。我们打算对15所不同机构的75门科学和数学入门课程的6000多名学生进行调查，以了解有效地促进学生科学学习和技能的不同策略。在这些调查之后，我们将访问其中的八个校园，与学生和教职员工进行访谈和焦点小组，以检查校园是如何组织的，以供本科生学习科学，并更深入地了解学生在入门课程中的经历。先进的统计技术，如分层线性建模和结构方程建模，将有助于确定心理、行为、教学和课堂环境因素(以及机构之间的差异)对学生在科学入门课程中学习的重要影响。该项目计划直接与旨在提高学生在入门课程中表现的干预计划合作，并将通过网络传播研究结果。 与公共卫生相关：尽管在实践中有良好的意图和最近的创新，但科学继续经历高流失率，特别是在学生大学一年级和二年级，特别是在代表性不足的少数族裔学生中。这一关键时刻影响着进入STEM专业和职业的个人的扩张性和多样性。这项研究试图解决和扩展独特的校园策略、教学实践和学生经验，这些都有助于成功地发展通过大学科学渠道继续学习所需的技能和性格。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project examines campus structures, pedagogical strategies, and student experiences that facilitate student learning, retention in science, and skill development in introductory STEM courses. Specific attention is given to how these structures and experiences affect the scientific learning and development of underrepresented racial minority students given their increased attrition rates in STEM fields. Additionally, this project seeks to identify alternative measures of student success that go beyond course grades, as early empirical evidence from a current project has shown that course grades are not significantly related to the skills and dispositions necessary for future success in science. Funds are requested to expand the sample from our original study that focused on distinguishing between performance (grades), prior academic preparation, and the essential habits of mind for scientific work in introductory courses. We intend to survey more than 6,000 students across 75 introductory science and math courses at 15 different institutions to learn about the different strategies being utilized that effectively foster students' scientific learning and skills. Following these surveys, we will visit eight of these campuses to conduct interviews and focus groups with students and faculty to examine how campuses are organized for undergraduate learning in science as well as a more in- depth view of student experiences in introductory courses. Advanced statistical techniques, such as hierarchical linear modeling and structural equation modeling, will help determine the significant contributions of psychological, behavioral, pedagogical, and classroom environmental factors (as well as between institution differences) that affect student learning in introductory science courses. The project plans to work directly with intervention programs targeted at improving student performance in introductory coursework and will disseminate findings via the web. Public Health Relevance: Despite best intentions in practice and recent innovations, the sciences continue to experience high attrition rates, particularly in students' first and second years of college and specifically among underrepresented racial minority students. This critical juncture influences both the expansion and diversity of individuals entering STEM majors and careers. This study seeks to address and expand the unique campus strategies, pedagogical practices, and student experiences that lead to successful development of the skills and dispositions necessary for continuation through the college science pipeline.