Researchers at North Carolina A&T State university will examine the extent to which institutional knowledge of students' science capital can be leveraged to enhance their motivation, persistence, and persistence in STEM. They hypothesize that knowledge of students' science capital can be used as a powerful tool to inform the development of novel teaching approaches, learning strategies, and STEM interventions that will promote academic success. The eight dimensions of science capital that the study will address include science literacy; science-related attitudes, values, and dispositions; knowledge about the transferability of science; science media consumption; participation in out-of-school science learning contexts; family science skills, knowledge and qualifications; knowing people in science-related roles; and talking about science in everyday life. The underlying assumption is that the more of the eight defined dimensions of science capital that a student possesses, the more likely the student will have a positive science identity and will continue post-undergraduate education. The proposed project is the first to investigate science capital as a tool to promote STEM persistence at a Historically Black College and University. The project will produce new insights into student motivations and experiences that faculty can use to personalize and localize science instruction.
Researchers will employ a mixed-methods and a quasi-experimental design to develop a generalizable instrument to measure students' science capital and use this instrument to inform curricular changes to broaden participation in STEM. The research questions that will guide data collection and analysis are: (1) Using the literature and existing measures as a guide, what kinds of assessment tools can be developed that sufficiently capture students' science capital and are sensitive to the unique assets, interests, and experiences brought by students in HBCU communities? (2) To what extent does faculty development focused on understanding, measuring, incorporating, and promoting students' science capital influence the development of an asset mindset and motivate changes in curriculum design and instructional delivery? (3) How does an overt focus promoting awareness of students' science capital - directed toward both faculty and students - impact student interest, engagement, and persistence in STEM? The researchers will develop a science capital survey and establish a scale to assess students' science capital level, provide faculty development in asset-based thinking to promote novel program development around student science capital, and pilot the application of science capital inventory in one course to test its potential for student engagement. By coupling data collection and analysis with program implementation activities, researchers will obtain the information needed to answer the research questions and simultaneously share information and findings with relevant groups in context.
This project is supported by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU-UP) program, Broadening Participation in STEM Education Research track, that focuses on the creation and investigation of new theory-driven models and innovations relevant to the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM education and the workforce.
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.
