Investigating Motivation and Engagement in General Education Science Courses using Mixed Methods

The NSF ECR Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (BCSER) program contributes to the NSF mission (42 U.S. Code Chapter 16) by building the U.S. workforce undertaking STEM education research. The BCSER Individual Investigator Development in STEM Education Research (IID) track supports individual investigators who are new to STEM education research to develop foundational skills and gain practical experience to advance STEM education knowledge through mentored professional development and pilot research activities. STEM education research generates the knowledge, theories, and understandings on which viable strategies for improving STEM education and workforce outcomes are based. This project will investigate student motivation in introductory general education astronomy courses, focusing on skills in written communication and critical thinking. This BCSER IID project will allow the principal investigator (PI) to develop foundational skills and gain practical experience in designing and implementing cutting-edge STEM education research using innovative methods and tools. The project will help the PI to develop new expertise in STEM education research, including mixed methods approaches to studying motivation (e.g., latent cluster analysis, qualitative coding), and deepen theoretical knowledge in expectancy-value theory and self-determination theory. The PI will be mentored by experts in quantitative and qualitative methods, gaining skills in designing interview protocols, coding qualitative data, and analyzing motivation-related constructs in science and engineering education contexts. 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.