Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Julie J Park

Institution: University of Maryland, College Park

In the higher education settings for Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM), social ties and social capital contain critical resources that students need to understand through college and beyond. Deeper exploration of social capital and its impact on differing populations and how it may hinder equity in STEM education and workforce advancement is needed. The research examines the effect of social ties and social capital on key outcomes such as retention and job placement for STEM...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: RAPID/EAGER

Principal Investigator: P. Wesley Schultz

Institution: California State University San Marcos Corporation

Previous research has demonstrated that a strong Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) identity predicts persistence and success in STEM disciplines. Individuals identify themselves with STEM to varying degrees depending on their perceptions of STEM and their other important identities. This project will add to the tools available to researchers to measure STEM-identity, other identities, and identity balance by developing, piloting and testing a new measurement instrument and...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Andrew N Meltzoff

Institution: University of Washington

The underrepresentation of women in STEM disciplines is a societal problem with economic implications. Despite the narrowing of the gap in math performance between boys and girls in the past two decades, gender disparities still influence students' decisions to enter math-related careers. Young students' math self-concepts have been found to predict future choices in math-related domains. As early as elementary school--and in the absence of gender differences in math achievement--girls have...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Marvin Powell

Institution: George Mason University

The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that will generate foundational knowledge in the field. To that end, this research project will collect data about the experiences, beliefs, and praxis of Black mathematics teachers from historical and contemporary perspectives to: (a) inform recruitment and retention efforts; and (b) contribute to theory building. This study is highly important since the number of Black mathematics educators choosing to teach mathematics at the...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Nicholas Giudice, Jenna Gorlewicz, Dr. Derrick Smith, Andreas M Stefik

Institutions: University of Maine, Saint Louis University, University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Students with disabilities often have fewer opportunities for experiential learning, an important component of quality STEM education. With continued shifts toward the use of digital media to supplement instruction in STEM classrooms, much of the content remains inaccessible, particular for students with visual impairments. The promise of technology and use of tactile graphics is an effective, emerging innovation for providing more complete access to important information and materials. Tactile...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Schmidt

Institution: Michigan State University

The ECR (Education and Human Resources Core Research) program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that will generate foundational knowledge in the field. This study will investigate student engagement in science in the interest of of broadening participation in STEM fields. This will be an important undertaking since research shows that low student engagement is a major challenge for students from subpopulations often underrepresented in STEM fields. The research will help advance...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: RAPID/EAGER

Principal Investigator: Walter Lee

Institution: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University propose to conduct exploratory research through the EHR Core Research (ECR) program to further develop and validate a survey instrument that can be used by college administrators and student-support practitioners to assess the magnitude of institutional support received by undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). An instrument to do this work does not currently exist. Such an instrument...

Effective: 2017-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Patrick Shafto

Institution: Rutgers University Newark

Asking questions is a common way that families and teachers support children's learning, and different types of questions influence children's exploration and understanding. Yet we still know little about the role of questioning in STEM learning. This project investigates how and why certain types of questions may be better at fostering learning. In particular, in contrast to questions asked by a person seeking to learn something new (information-seeking questions), children may learn better...

Effective: 2017-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Barbara L Schneider

Institution: Michigan State University

The EHR Core Research (ECR) program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that will generate foundational knowledge in the field. To that end, this project will extend the purpose of the College Ambition Program (CAP), a school-wide intervention designed to encourage high school students to become college applicants, particularly in STEM fields, and enroll in postsecondary school. The CAP will serve predominantly minority and low-income high school students and those with special needs...

Effective: 2017-2020

Funding Type: RAPID/EAGER

Principal Investigators: Michelle Miller, Chrystal Smith

Institutions: University of South Florida, University of Connecticut

Increasing the participation and success of all students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate degrees continues to be a challenge. This research will add to our understanding of the factors that impact the participation and success of understudied students. This is critical information for designing effective education and research programs to increase participation in STEM. This EAGER proposal will develop a survey instrument designed to gather...

Effective: 2017-2019

Funding Type: Conference

Principal Investigator: Bryna R Kra

Institution: Northwestern University

Northwestern University will host a summer workshop for women undergraduates in mathematics to motivate them to pursue graduate school and mathematics research careers. The project is the third workshop organized by the investigators to address barriers that impact the proportion of women transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school and the workforce. It is modeled as an intervention based on data about the progression of undergraduate women students in mathematics, documented barriers...

Effective: 2017-2018

Funding Type: Conference

Principal Investigator: Darnell Cole

Institution: University of Southern California

The University of Southern California will conduct a workshop to identify and address issues that impact career pathways for African American students in physics and astronomy. Diverse experts from Pk-12, higher education, industry, and professional societies will convene to (1) identify evidence-based approaches to mitigating barriers to African American students? academic performance and workforce participation, (2) discuss strategies for more rigorous, third-party evaluations of programs or...

Effective: 2017-2018

Funding Type: Conference

Principal Investigator: Marieta Harris

Institution: Le Moyne-Owen College

The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that will generate foundational knowledge in the field. This conference proposal will build on the current knowledge base and guidance from research studies about ways to improve the quality of STEM education and research for students who attend three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and one urban-based non-HBCU university. The conference will focus on ways to increase the number of African American students who...

Effective: 2017-2018

Funding Type: Conference

Principal Investigator: Shari Gardner

Institution: SRI International

The Education and Human Resources Core Research (ECR) program funds fundamental research on education and workforce development in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) focused on STEM Learning and Learning Environments, Broadening Participation in STEM, and STEM Workforce Development. The convening will bring together researchers who have been funded by ECR to share their research results and ongoing studies to better inform the continuing research funded by the program....

Effective: 2016-2023

Funding Type: CAREER

Principal Investigator: Marie Coppola

Institution: University of Connecticut

There are approximately 80,000 school-age children who are deaf or hard of hearing in our nation's schools and these students typically lag behind their hearing classmates in mathematics achievement. There is a pressing need to ensure that these students learn mathematics and are able to advance academically with equal access to science and mathematics education. Recent research suggests that early language development affects young children's cognitive representations of numbers and their...

Effective: 2016-2022

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Ming-Te Wang

Institution: University of Pittsburgh

Research has shown that, on average, African American students perform less well on STEM standardized tests, opt out of advanced coursework despite requisite ability, and choose to major in non-STEM fields in college despite relevant preparation. This project will use a combination of a primary quantitative analysis and a supplemental qualitative analysis to examine the interrelations between African American middle school students' experiences of stigma in math, developing gender and racial...

Effective: 2016-2022

Funding Type: CAREER

Principal Investigator: Christopher Jett

Institution: University of West Georgia

African American male students' stories of mathematics success are critically needed in the research literature, and it is important to gain insights from African American male science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors to improve efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate these students. Furthermore, African American male students' STEM career decisions can provide insights concerning persistence and career trajectories in STEM fields. This project awarded to a CAREER scholar...

Effective: 2016-2022

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Eva M Pomerantz

Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Many people believe that mathematics ability is a fixed trait. However, research indicates instead that mathematics ability is malleable, that it can be improved with effort and persistence, a belief system known as "growth mindset". There has been much attention to enhancing children's mathematics learning in the classroom. Although this is critical, it does not take into account that children spend a large proportion of their time outside of school, frequently with at least one of their...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Allan Wigfield

Institution: University of Maryland, College Park

Concern about students' participation and performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses and choice of STEM occupations has shifted from a focus on overall lack of participation in STEM careers to the underrepresentation of women and certain minority groups such as African Americans in careers in engineering and the sciences. As researchers attempt to uncover why some students are more likely to pursue STEM careers, they increasingly have focused on motivational...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Kevin Haudek, Jonathan Osborne, Mary Anne Sydlik, Christopher D Wilson

Institutions: Michigan State University, Stanford University, Western Michigan University, BSCS Science Learning

Argumentation is fundamental to both science and science education. This perspective is reflected in the Next Generation Science Standards where argumentation is presented as one of eight fundamental science and engineering practices through which students learn both the core ideas of science and the crosscutting concepts of science. Argumentation, however, is not measured well using standard multiple choice items. An alternative that is well suited to measuring argumentation skills is the...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Curtis Tatsuoka

Institution: Case Western Reserve University

The broad objective of this study, led by a team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University, is to further understanding of the neural and cognitive basis for mathematics learning. The focus will be on mathematics problem-solving strategies used by adolescents, and how these strategies are adopted and changed as problems become systematically more difficult. The project will examine the association of these strategies with mathematics-related cognitive skills, scores on tests of...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Michele M Mazzocco

Institution: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Individuals with mathematics learning disabilities are at risk for lifelong underachievement in mathematics, which can affect broader education and career related outcomes. The early development of mathematics learning disabilities is poorly understood. The learning of number words is important but often difficult for young children and could be critically important. The expression "one bin of apples" conveys an image of many more apples than the expression "two apples." Yet, "one" is smaller...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: John D Gabrieli

Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Difficulties in math and reading prevent many students from succeeding in STEM education which demands both math and reading skills. Dyslexia is the most common type of learning disability affecting reading proficiency but many students with dyslexia also exhibit dyscalculia, or math disability. To date, little research has sought to understand the extent of the neurobiological connections between dyslexia and dyscalculia. This proposal will explore the cognitive underpinnings of dyscalculia...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: John C Stewart

Institution: West Virginia University Research Corporation

Researchers at West Virginia University will develop a new theoretical framework for STEM departure that will detail the reasons why students leave STEM majors. The research extends Tinto's university departure model to include the career exploration process where a student leaves STEM but remains in college. The framework will be developed and tested by extensive measurement of demographic, social, academic, affective (self-efficacy, self-esteem, belonging), career exploration/aspirations and...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Paul Morgan

Institution: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park

Executive function (EF) deficits may explain lower math and science achievement for students with and without disabilities and therefore may be essential targets for intervention. Current research in this area often relies on cross-sectional studies using smaller samples of middle and high school students and so this study fills a critical gap by examining relationships between executive function and math and science achievement with younger students in a large, nationally representative...

Effective: 2016-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Ryan Baker, Gautam Biswas

Institutions: University of Pennsylvania, Teachers College, Columbia University, Vanderbilt University

This project aims to enhance theory and measurement of students' self-regulated learning (SRL) processes during science learning. SRL refers to learning that is guided by metacognition (thinking about one's thinking), strategic action (planning, monitoring, and evaluating personal progress against a standard), and motivation to learn. The project will accomplish this by developing a technology-based framework which leverages human expert judgment and machine learning methods to identify key...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Laura L Watkins

Institution: Maricopa County Community College District

Community colleges serve a large portion of students who require mathematics at the undergraduate level and play an increasing role in STEM workforce development. There is a growing national interest in the role of community colleges for undergraduate education. The proposal seeks to investigate the conditions under which instruction in community college algebra courses can be associated with student learning gains and course performance. This information can be used to design programs to...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: Conference

Principal Investigator: Kathy DeerInWater

Institution: American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)

This project will result in a literature review of studies of American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian and STEM education and learning as well as studies that include Indigenous populations as part of a larger underrepresented racial and ethnic minority group. The ultimate educational significance of this project is to identify practical strategies to address the extreme dearth of Native Americans in STEM education and careers. The outcomes of this project will set the stage for...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Marie S Hammond

Institution: Tennessee State University

Researchers at Tennessee State University will study the role of professional, social, and cultural identities on career choice and commitment among underrepresented minorities. They will expand the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by examining factors such as problem solving, decision making, goal setting, and managing goal pursuit that are not articulated in the current model. As critical as self-efficacy is in the process of developing one?s interests, making career choices, and...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Pamela Anderson

Institution: ETR Associates

Researchers at ETR Associates will conduct a mixed methods longitudinal study on the malleable factors that affect community college students? persistence in information and communications technologies (ICT) classes and careers. The project involves a partnership between a research organization, about 25 community colleges, and five external advisors with expertise in higher education research, policy, and teaching. It will test and extend theories of student persistence and build on the team?s...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Cindy F Miller

Institution: Arizona State University

Increasing concern in recent years has highlighted the low percentage of adults who are earning degrees and pursuing careers in engineering, and this is especially true for female and ethnic minority individuals. Given that early experiences have a profound effect on later skill development and one's motivation to learn, it is essential to target children's early beliefs and experiences to better understand and change occupational disparities later in life. Very few studies have been conducted...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Nong Ye

Institution: Arizona State University

This project targets three significant gaps in the current state of knowledge relevant to engineering retention and success: 1) lack of knowledge on engineering retention and success characteristics based on interactive, concurrent effects of multiple factors, 2) lack of knowledge about engineering retention and success characteristics based on the modeling of variable relations that exist for some but not all values of variables or are different for different value ranges of variables, and 3)...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Preeti Gupta

Institution: American Museum Natural History

This longitudinal research study will contribute to a broader understanding of the pathways of STEM-interested high school students from underrepresented groups who plan to pursue or complete science studies in their post-high school endeavors. The project will investigate the ways that formative authentic science experiences may support youth's persistence in STEM. The study focuses on approximately 900 urban youth who are high interest, high potential STEM students who participate in, or are...

Effective: 2016-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Mick Cunningham, Jennifer DeBoer, Julie Kmec

Institutions: Western Washington University, Purdue University, Washington State University

Non-technical AbstractWomen's participation in engineering is a crucial national priority. The shortage of engineers in the US weakens the country's position as a leader in the global market and restricts our capacity to solve infrastructural challenges. This project involves research in four countries (Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia) to assess the contextual factors that encourage women's participation in engineering in tertiary education and as a career. In three of the four...

Effective: 2016-2019

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: James F Bowring, Louise Lyon

Institutions: College of Charleston, ETR Associates

ETR Associates and the College of Charleston will conduct a collaborative research project that is designed to increase diversity in computer science by exploring whether boot camps build students' adaptive expertise and how the actual preparation aligns with computing workforce expectations for knowledge and competencies. The study will be conducted in Silicon Valley in California and Silicon Harbor in South Carolina and will yield (1) models of the attributes of effective software developers...

Effective: 2016-2018

Funding Type: Conference

Principal Investigator: Dr. Linda Coats

Institution: Mississippi State University

The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that will generate foundational knowledge in the field. This conference proposal focuses on developing a research agenda that will explore ways to help African American female faculty at predominantly white institutions navigate the promotion and tenure process. The conference will establish a platform for intergroup discussions about diversity in the workplace, illuminate gaps in existing literature to help target future research,...

Effective: 2015-2023

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Erin A Cech, Tom J Waidzunas

Institutions: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Temple University

This award is supported the EHR Core Research (ECR) program. ECR emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. This research project is making contributions to the field in the areas of STEM workforce development and broadening participation in STEM. The proposed work is advancing basic understanding about the intersectional mechanisms of disadvantage, at the interpersonal, organizational and professional levels, for underrepresented groups...

Effective: 2015-2023

Funding Type: CAREER

Principal Investigator: Mary C Murphy

Institution: Indiana University

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-wide activity that offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Why do women thrive in some STEM classrooms and drop out of others, and how does this impact whether they will continue on in a STEM major? While...

Effective: 2015-2022

Funding Type: CAREER

Principal Investigator: Sarah Ovink

Institution: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-wide activity that offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. In a post-recession context of rising income inequality, the importance of a college degree to the attainment of financial stability remains...

Effective: 2015-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: David Marx

Institution: San Diego State University Foundation

This proposal was submitted in response to EHR Core Research (ECR) program announcement NSF 15-509. As part of ECR, this project is funded by the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) program. GSE seeks to understand and address gender-based differences in STEM education and workforce participation through education and implementation research that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic STEM workforce. Stereotype threat and feelings of not belonging are suggested as...

Effective: 2015-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Mark Warschauer

Institution: University of California-Irvine

The multi-year project will study 50 flipped, hybrid, and online courses offered in the three major STEM Schools at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Higher education institutions are increasing the number of courses they offer that use elements of virtual instruction in the belief that these courses will lead to better learning, lower costs, greater access, and higher graduation rates. However, recent meta-analyses of virtual learning in higher education all conclude that there is a...

Effective: 2015-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Kimberlee Shauman

Institution: University of California-Davis

This proposal was submitted in response to EHR Core Research (ECR) program announcement NSF 15-509. As part of ECR, this project is funded by the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) program. GSE seeks to understand and address gender-based differences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce participation through education and implementation research that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic STEM workforce. This study will...

Effective: 2015-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Lance C Perez, Sheryl A Sorby

Institutions: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Cincinnati Main Campus, Ohio State University

Engineers are known problem-solvers and the engineer of the future will be tasked with solving traditional problems as well as the ill-defined interdisciplinary problems faced by our society. Engineers will need to be able to think holistically about a myriad of factors and visualize a solution that solves the technical problem while satisfying cultural, environmental, societal, and economic constraints. Spatial visualization skills have been linked to success in engineering and mathematics as...

Effective: 2015-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Chad E Forbes

Institution: University of Delaware

This proposal was submitted in response to EHR Core Research (ECR) program announcement NSF 15-509. As part of ECR, this project is funded by the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) program. GSE seeks to understand and address gender-based differences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce participation through education and implementation research that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic STEM workforce. This project will...

Effective: 2015-2021

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Maura J Borrego, David Knight

Institutions: University of Texas at Austin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will conduct a mixed methods research project to better understand how various mechanisms of funding - fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, etc. - influence students' pursuit of doctorates in STEM and subsequent employment. The project will produce empirical evidence and a conceptual framework to inform the improvement of graduate student funding policies and...

Effective: 2015-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Wiley

Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago

A majority of people experience illusions of understanding when reading explanations of scientific phenomena. That is, people generally think they understood what they read better than they actually did. This self-assessment skill (referred to as monitoring) is critical in order for students to regulate their own learning and tailor their study behaviors so that they develop deep understanding of science topics. Interestingly, a number of recent studies have demonstrated that illusions of...

Effective: 2015-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Jacquelynne Eccles

Institution: University of California-Irvine

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California-Irvine, and the University of Michigan, will examine the underrepresentation of Hispanics in STEM fields. Hispanic youth, the largest minority and fastest growing demographic group, are the most likely to drop out of the STEM pipeline before college and are the least likely to complete college STEM training. Understanding the psychosocial non-cognitive influences on Hispanic youth's educational and occupational decisions is...

Effective: 2015-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Jason Owen-Smith, Bruce A Weinberg

Institutions: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ohio State University

Ohio State University and the University of Michigan are investigating factors that affect graduate student pathways to non-academic careers. The interdisciplinary research team examines two research questions: (1) What are the pathways that graduate students take into non-academic careers? and (2) What is the role of their training environments, including faculty sponsors and networks, in guiding those pathways? To investigate these questions, the researchers will develop a data infrastructure...

Effective: 2015-2020

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigator: Ebony O McGee

Institution: Vanderbilt University

The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that will generate foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. As part of ECR, this project is funded by the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) program. GSE seeks to understand and address gender-based differences in science,...

Effective: 2015-2019

Funding Type: ECR:Core

Principal Investigators: Tracy Noble, Philip Vahey

Institutions: TERC Inc, SRI International

The goal of the project is to bring together research about English-language learners with the use of dynamic representational technology for middle school quantitative reasoning. Dynamic representation technology allows learners to work with multiple representations of a problem simultaneously. These representations include, for example, graphs of an equation, a table of values and a simulation of the real-world phenomenon to understand concepts such as linear functions and rates of change...