Promoting Investigators' Capacity in STEM Education Literature Synthesis

This project, Promoting Investigators’ Capacity in STEM Education Literature Synthesis (PICSELS), will train investigators to use qualitative meta-synthesis methods in their STEM education research practices. Qualitative meta-synthesis is a set of methods that involves collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing qualitative research studies to identify patterns and themes across them, leading to new insights on a specific topic based on examining a broad body of studies which provides more complete and nuanced insight into an issue than a single study might provide.

Meta-synthesis studies are highly valued in disciplines where high volumes of qualitative research are generated, such as medicine or STEM education, and they can serve the public by quickly and succinctly identifying key findings, recommendations, and research gaps on a given topic. PICSELS will increase the number of investigators who are trained to use qualitative meta-synthesis methods in their research, writing, publishing, and proposal development.

Training will be offered at both introductory and advanced levels. The project will add a train-the-trainer component to advanced workshops, offering pedagogical training, high-quality and free course materials, and a learning community. In effect, this component will support the integration of teaching qualitative meta-synthesis in investigators’ future STEM education course offerings, thus making meta-synthesis scalable and increasing the project’s impact as an NSF investment.

PICSELS will facilitate broader participation in STEM education by increasing and deepening the training of investigators, including those who are members of minoritized groups and/or at minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and by integrating examples from STEM education equity and inclusion literature throughout all project workshops and written materials.

PICSELS will enhance the nation’s STEM education enterprise through promoting the capacity of STEM education investigators to conduct and publish rigorous meta-syntheses, and to teach this method to others. PICSELS’ goals are to 1: Build new capacity for performing meta-synthesis studies among STEM education professionals; 2: Provide advanced training for investigators who are ready to go beyond introductory meta-synthesis lessons; and 3: Promote an increase in meta-synthesis preparation by including a train-the-trainer component.

Each year of the project, 100 investigators who are new to meta-synthesis (300 total) will be offered culturally responsive training through in-person and virtual introductory workshops. PICSELS will additionally support three cohorts of 24 investigators advanced in this method (total 72) through yearlong, hands-on, hybrid training; coaching and mentoring; community support; and online resources.

Outcomes of advanced workshops will include fully executed meta-syntheses, competitive synthesis grant proposals, and submitted meta-synthesis manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, by completing and publishing a meta-synthesis project, investigators will establish and demonstrate domain expertise in a particular area of STEM education.

PICSELS will also provide pedagogical training and open-access curriculum materials to emergent meta-synthesis instructors, thereby scaling up the number of faculty who are prepared to teach meta-synthesis skills. PICSELS will facilitate broadening participation in STEM through outreach to investigators belonging to minoritized groups, partnering with MSIs, and consistently employing examples from STEM education equity and inclusion literature in all aspects of training.

The project falls within the Institutes for Methods and Practices in STEM Education Research track of NSF’s EDU Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) program, which is designed to build investigators’ capacity to carry out high-quality STEM education research.

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.