Developing Science Leaders Through Applied Learning Experiences and Reflection

Austin College

Investigators

Abstract

Austin College will fill a critical gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and to promote the national interest by producing a workforce ready for 21st century STEM jobs. The guiding philosophy of the project is that all thoughtful and scientifically trained people should be prepared to assume leadership roles at some point in their careers. By integrating education in five leadership behaviors--communicating ideas, problem solving, foresight and planning, collaborative work, and acting responsibly--with research and service learning, Austin College will prepare its students to be leaders and active participants in the 21st century workforce. The Developing Science Leaders Through Applied Learning Experiences and Reflection project will integrate leadership training directly into the STEM curriculum. Using a framework developed as part of the STEM Teaching and Research (STAR) Leadership Program, the project will employ high-impact educational practices including providing common intellectual experiences, collaborative assignments and projects, undergraduate research opportunities and service- and community-based learning. The research component will assess whether students' leadership capabilities grow as a result of the project and will determine whether the applied learning components of the STAR Leadership Program contribute to a sense of belonging, interdependence-independence, growth versus fixed mindset, and self-efficacy in STEM. To increase the impact, the proposed research will leverage an ongoing longitudinal study, developed as part of a prior S-STEM award, which examines the impact of the leadership curriculum. The results could add to the STEM educational paradigm by demonstrating that including more holistic training in personal attributes helps students to succeed in the STEM workforce and graduate programs.