NASA Education Internship STEM Outcomes Measurement: Developing Valid and Reliable Surveys From the Inside Out

• In Event: 32.084 - Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: 32.084-4 - Research on Evaluation SIG Poster Session

Abstract

The authors share methods used to develop and pilot two survey instruments designed to assess undergraduate STEM-related outcomes associated with participation in a NASA internship experience as part of NASA Office of Education’s agency-wide evaluation strategy. This work responds to decreasing Federal budgets and increasing accountability for evaluation of STEM programs. This pilot cycle yielded response rates of 49% and 76%, which represent a statistically relevant number of respondents in comparison to the internship placement population. As a model for best practices in survey development methods pertinent to the Federal STEM environment, the results provide quantitative data for next steps: Rasch analysis, qualitative data to edit poorly functioning survey items, and subsequent large-scale testing of these surveys.

Authors

• Lisa Elizabeth Wills, Association of American Colleges and Universities

• Carolyn Knowles, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Roosevelt Y. Johnson, National Aeronautics and Space Administration