NSF Award
1912389
Researchers at North Carolina Central University will examine the barriers to student achievement in STEM among underrepresented minorities in rural communities. They will identify patterns of STEM exposure and access to educational resources among incoming freshmen from rural high schools in North Carolina and generate data to guide interventions to increase student retention. The specific goals are to (1)conduct formative research, using community-based practices, to identify relevant geographically-specific cultural and social determinants and educational factors associated with STEM achievement, (2) triangulate formative data to inform the development of a multidimensional sociological framework-based program to recruit and retain rural students in STEM education, and (3) conduct feasibility and pilot testing of the prototype program Gaining Opportunities in STEM (GO STEM), a summer bridge program that focuses on critical rural workforce issues and relevant training to improve preparation for and recruitment into STEM-based coursework and degrees. The research results will document the effectiveness of a community-based approach to increase STEM retention in rural communities.<br/><br/>The researchers will use a mixed-methods design and community-based perspective to optimize data collection and triangulation of the research results. The research questions are (1) How is STEM education prioritized at the classroom, school, county, and state level? Are there differences between urban and rural schools? (2) How do urban and rural students differ on specific barriers and challenges relative to STEM exposure, interest and recruitment? (3) What supports are needed to recruit and retain students in STEM?. The project will be implemented in two phases. In Phase I, the researchers will conduct structured interviews and focus groups to assess barriers that impact student retention and survey incoming freshmen students from rural communities to identify social determinants relative to educational attainment and degree selection The Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction will be used to guide formative data collection activities in Phase 1. In Phase II, the researchers will use the results of Phase I to develop and test a pilot program (GO STEM) that focuses on the specific needs, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that impact the retention of rural students. The project will produce empirical evidence of the effectiveness of a community-based approach to mitigating STEM underrepresentation among rural underrepresented minority students.<br/><br/>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.
