The Massachusetts Linking Experiences and Pathways Follow-on (M-LEAP 2) is a three-year longitudinal empirical research study that will continue examining prospectively how early formal and informal STEM education experiences are related to gender-based differences in STEM achievement-related choices in middle and high school. M-LEAP 2 will serve as a complement to and extension of the current NSF-funded M-LEAP, a primarily quantitative research study that has followed overlapping cohorts of 3rd - 6th grade female and male students for three years. M-LEAP surveyed over 1,600 students, 627 student-parent pairs, and 134 second parents in 8 diverse public schools across Massachusetts. In contrast, M-LEAP 2 is a heavily qualitative three-year study using in-depth interviews with 84 of the current students and their families.
The intellectual merit of this research is that it will add to the explanatory model of STEM-related achievement choices, including prospective career selection, and the gender disparities in STEM fields, specifically by examining students at an earlier time point than has heretofore been studied.
Regarding broader impacts, study results should build awareness among both informal and formal STEM educators regarding gender differences in early STEM experiences and their relationship to future choices. The knowledge gained should help stakeholders conduct activities that will narrow gender gaps, take an informed approach to engaging both girls and boys in STEM, and work with parents to understand various sources of influence on their child's achievement-related choices.
