Transcript Expanding and Diversifying STEM Degree Recipients

Expanding and
Diversifying STEM
Degree Recipients: What
We Know From
Students' Experiences
JAM 2010
Sylvia Hurtado, UCLA
Higher Education
Research Institute
Key Points
Opportunity to advance and diversify
scientific talent
Integrating social science theories and
conceptual models in practice
Diversifying science means creating a better
understanding of our students—context
and opportunity matters
Opportunity Pool: Rising Interest in Science
Among Entering Freshmen
STEM Degree Completion Rates
Percentage of 2004 STEM Aspirants Who Completed STEM
Degrees in Four and Five Years, by Race/Ethnicity
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
4-Year Completion
White
Asian American
Latino
5-Year Completion
Black
Native American
Barricades, Bridges, and Programmatic Adaptation: A
Multi-campus Case Study of STEM Undergraduate
Research Programs
• Three Barriers to
Persistence
– Little exposure to research
environments
– Lack of practical tools and
skills
– Limited access to networks
• Three Major Program
Functions
– Research experience and
exposure
– Access to supplemental
services
– Opening social networks
“But I just try to build a little
sense of community on this
campus with the few African
American staff members, and
we won’t even get into the
dismal faculty figures. The
only way I can describe it is
horrid, and that’s part of the
problem too, you see, when
you don’t see yourself
represented.”
(Female faculty administrator, PWI)
Approaches to Our Study
Hybrid Model to Study Students—A series of
studies that are:
Confirmatory—Replication of previous
findings regarding interventions and
integration of students in science
Exploratory—In preparation for a more
systematic study plan
Emergent—Where very little theory or
research exists
Source: Carlone & Johnson (2007).Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44 (8).
Expanding Theory With Findings: Context
Matters
Source: Focus groups of students in programs reported in Diversifying Science, Research in Higher Education (2009)
Competence
Students talk about science
differently in the classroom,
in a professor’s project, or
in a structured research
program (peers, dedicated
faculty)
Recognition
Institutional ethos – “We do
science here”
Peer culture
Proximal contexts, faculty
belief in students’ potential and
determination to succeed
Emergent Results
Knowledge/content is to be
mastered (memorized) versus
knowledge can be discovered
and “owned”
Science is competitive, getting
right answers vs. collaborative
using both challenge and
support
More ways of demonstrating
competence
Failure in scientific work is OK
Rethink and try again until one
succeeds
Validation from faculty and peers
STEM IDENTITY
Factors in Managing Academic Success in
the 1st Year
Source: Predicting Transition and Adjustment, Research in Higher Education (2007)
* Indicates effect is stronger for URM STEM students
Negative Effects
Interfering family responsibilities
Concern about financing college*
Perceptions of a competitive
environment *
Perceptions of a hostile racial
climate*
Institutional selectivity
Academic advising from a
freshman peer *
Positive Effects
Self-rated ability to manage time
Best guess they will communicate
with faculty
High proportion of degrees in
science
Worked with an academic advisor
to select courses
Academic advising from a
junior/senior and major/preprof
clubs*
Change in ability to conduct
research
GPA and Thinking/Acting Like a Scientist
Source: Introductory Course Work Study, 12 courses on five campuses
• GPA was related to students’ ability to cram for exams,
previous preparation in high school, working in small
groups, and tutoring another student
• GPA was not significantly related to changes in thinking
and acting like a scientist in courses
• Students who were overwhelmed with course
expectations not only had lower GPAs but were also less
likely to think and act like a scientist
Implications: Are we assessing and recognizing the
broader skills necessary for scientific work?
Which Faculty Are Likely to Include
Undergraduates on Research Projects?
• Institutional context matters
– Faculty at HBCUs and more selective institutions are
more likely to include undergraduates in research
• Faculty perceptions of institutional climate
– Feeling that students are well-prepared academically
and that departmental colleagues value their work
positively relate to the outcome
• Funding
– Any external funding positively predicts involving
undergraduates in research
– Effect of funding from governmental agencies is even
more positive than funding from industry or
foundations
Effect of Undergraduate Research Programs on
Intentions to Pursue STEM Graduate/Professional
Degree
• Quasi-experimental research design
• Positive benefit from undergraduate research
participation
– 7-8% increase in probability
– Previous studies using simple comparative
techniques suggested 17-21% “effect”
• UG research programs attract students who
already identify as scientists
• Findings argue for:
– Expanding the reach of these programs
– Ensuring programs not only harvest talent but
develop it, too
Findings on Retention in STEM
Source: Three different studies, one student dissertation, listed on project website
• URM students with a high level of science identity were 4 times
more likely to persist than their counterparts who reported moderate
level of identification, 8 times more likely than those with the
weakest level of identification
• However, high science identification and hostile racial climate
perceptions were among students less likely to persist
• Black students were 4 times more likely to participate in first year
research if a structured program existed on a campus
• HBCU’s have a positive effect on STEM student persistence
whereas selective institutions negatively affect persistence
• Women of color persisted in STEM if they joined student
organizations, discussed course content outside of class, and
participated in undergraduate research programs
STEM Majors: Plans After College
Source: College Senior Survey
• Only a quarter of URMs were going
directly into graduate school, compared to
a third of White/Asian students
• One in five were applying to graduate
school this fall
• Half were looking for a job or found a job
• One in five were working in a job related to
science, but only about 8% wanted
scientific research as a long term career
Implications
Assessment of Interventions
Employ broad notions of science talent/identity
Acknowledge social context factors for student
success
Building a Body of New Knowledge
Many findings suggest principles embedded in
practices—next step is to identify best practices
Practice
Learning contexts matter (proximal, institutional)
Find ways to help student experience the
empowering, collaborative, and error-driven
nature of science
RESOURCES & Project Staff
• Papers and reports are
available for download
from project website
• Project email:
[email protected]
• Project website:
www.heri.ucla.edu/nih
RESEARCH STAFF
Sylvia Hurtado, Co-PI
Mitch Chang, Co-PI
Postdoctoral Scholars
Kevin Eagan
Josephine Gasiewski
Graduate Assistants
Gina Garcia
Juan Garibay
Felisha Herrera
Monica Lin
Cynthia Mosqueda
Christopher Newman
Jessica Sharkness
Minh Tran