(SGER) Youth-based Program Impact on Education and Career Choices: An Exploration of Issues in Planning and Implementing Longitudinal Research

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) explores the timely issue of how to conduct a feasibility study on the question of whether youths who participate in after-school information technology-oriented science-engagement programs are more likely to eventually choose a STEM related career. This project examines programs such as Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) along with other similar programs to determine innovative approaches to conducting such a long-term study so that it is methodologically sound and as economical as possible. The PI proposes to conduct the following activities: 1.Produce an expansive literature review, drawn from multiple interdisciplinary sources; 2.Produce a report comparing and contrasting the programmatic approaches and organizational structures implemented by existing youth-based programs; 3.Produce a report summarizing the insights of experts on longitudinal study design and implementation; and 4.Design and develop a longitudinal study of youth-based STEM programs. ITEST and similar programs represent a significant NSF investment and recent calls for more rigorous studies of such programs from both the Academic Competitiveness Council and the Office of Management and Budget make it imperative that new methods and approaches for determining the impact of such programs on students and teachers are developed and implemented as soon as possible.