Postdoctoral Fellowship: STEM Ed IPRF: Motivation and Science Identity through Expanding the Reach of Citizen Science

Growing a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce and providing workforce training for citizens in the United States is a national priority. Research has demonstrated that participation in educational opportunities while in carceral settings leads to substantial positive impacts, including reducing the likelihood to return to prison. Ninety-five percent of all people in carceral settings will eventually be released, so providing STEM educational opportunities related to workforce can improve success when they return to their communities. However, not much is known about citizen science in carceral settings and what might motivate individuals to participate in STEM. Previous work has investigated motivation for educational opportunities while incarcerated, examining pre-carceral factors and in-prison influences. Expanding the reach of citizen science will provide insight into the motivations of incarcerated adults to pursue STEM opportunities and how their science identity may be formed or changed through these experiences. This project will provide evidence-based understanding into why incarcerated individuals pursue citizen science and how their STEM identities may change as a result.

As motivation and identity are critical factors to workforce and lifelong learning in STEM, this project will use a mixed-methods approach, aligned with Self-Determination Theory, Volunteer Functions Inventory, and science identity literature. This project will provide evidence-based understanding into why incarcerated individuals pursue citizen science and how their identities with respect to STEM may change as a result. It will quantitatively evaluate the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of participants, qualitatively evaluate development and drivers of their identity with respect to science, and examine how these change as a result of participation. This study may provide insight into these relationships for settings where people are typically less likely to identify with STEM. These findings will contribute to the success of educational systems seeking to improve outcomes for individuals, providing benefit for their communities and society.


This project is supported by NSF's STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within 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.

Award Number: 2514343
Principal Investigator: Annette Hilton
Funds Obligated: $333,971
State: CA