BCSER - PVEST: A Dynamic Framework for Investigating STEM Interest, Attitude and Identity Among African American Middle School Students

Interest in STEM is often shaped in middle school and understanding the STEM attitude and interest of African American middle school students would be significant in reducing barriers to STEM careers. Virginia State University aims to advance knowledge on the impacts of holistic contextual factors, such as race/ethnicity, school quality, family dynamics, gender, social supports, daily danger exposure, social status, and interpersonal competence, on STEM interest and attitudes. The project builds capacity through training and experience applying psychological theory to STEM education. Outcomes of the project aim to contribute to the development of validated interventions that increase STEM identity and resilience among students from underrepresented groups. This project aims to use the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) to investigate the role of risk contributors, stress engagement, and reactive coping styles on STEM interest. PVEST provides a holistic, culturally sensitive framework for understanding the development of competence under non-ideal circumstances. The primary research question investigates whether multiple contextual variables adequately predict STEM interest and attitudes among African American middle school students. The project aims to deploy a variety of assessments to examine cognitive-emotional regulation, perceptions of neighborhood risk and social supports, life experiences with racism, and attitudes toward STEM subjects. The project is supported through the EHR Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) competition that is designed to build individuals’ capacity to carry out high-quality fundamental STEM education research in STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM workforce development. 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.