CAREER: Motivation in Science among Students with Learning Disabilities: Broadening Participation and Persistence

University Of Rochester, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project will pursue integrated research and education efforts to broaden participation, persistence, and success in advanced science coursework and career progression for students with learning disabilities, the largest disability category in United States' public education. Despite the potential for academic and career success in STEM, students with learning disabilities participate in advanced science courses and pursue STEM careers at much lower rates than their peers. The project will focus on the motivational beliefs of middle and high school students with learning disabilities as largely neglected but likely powerful influences on science trajectories, contributing to the goal of fostering an inclusive STEM educational system and workforce. The research will take place in three phases, addressing multiple perspectives and levels of analysis. In the first phase, a national longitudinal dataset (High School Longitudinal Study 2009) will be analyzed to investigate the relationship between motivational beliefs of high-school students with learning disabilities and subsequent pursuit of advanced science coursework and careers. In the second phase, a mixed-methods study with 80 middle-school students with learning disabilities will investigate how science instructional experiences shape motivational beliefs. The third phase will focus on the teacher perspective, working with a cadre of master science teachers to understand teachers' perceptions of learning disabilities and to co-develop practical resources for use in science classrooms. The education plan similarly uses multiple approaches to have impact. These include: 1) integrating project theory and research across the University of Rochester's masters-level courses for future educators in STEM and special education, 2) improving doctoral-level research methods courses by developing courses aligned with the project's varied research methods, 3) partnering with master teaching fellows who are current science teachers with the ability to improve STEM outcomes in area schools, and 4) developing professional development experiences to inform science instructional practices. The CAREER program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-wide activity that offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. This award is supported by EHR Core Research (ECR) which emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. 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.