- Title: Through the Eyes of Students: Promoting Student Success in STEM
- Abstract: Institutions have long asked how they should act to retain more of their students. Students, however, do not seek to be retained. They seek to persist even if it means doing so at another institution. Understanding the difference between these two perspectives and what it means for enhancing student success is key to our efforts to improve retention and graduation rates for Hispanic students in STEM.
- Slides
- Title: EASEing students into college: Closing the achievement gap through a STEM cohort program
- Abstract: Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity (RD) design, this study examines the impact of a one-year long STEM cohort program designed to aid less-prepared Bio Sci majors on a variety of student academic outcomes, including course performance in gateway biology courses and retention within the Biological Sciences major, as well as noncognitive measures, such as sense of belongingness, motivation, and attitudes regarding science. Our results indicate that program participation increased students’ academic performance and sense of belonging substantially. These results provide compelling evidence that learning communities can support at-risk populations when implemented with a high level of fidelity.
- Slides
- Title: The Color of Success
- Abstract: There is much to celebrate about the diversification of STEM fields over the last decade. But the academic system is still rigged against minority groups of all types—women, ethnic minorities, first-generation college students. To level the playing field and encourage success for all students, we need to confront two challenges. First, we need to acknowledge and resist systemic bias against those who do not fit stereotypes of scientists. Second, we need to provide opportunities for students to identify as scientists. This talk will present evidence underlying these challenges and progress toward addressing them.
- Abstract: California has adopted new science standards that stress inclusion of all students in a rigorous sequence of science classes from Kindergarten through high school. Over time implementation of these standards should broaden the pool of qualified Hispanic students ready to enter UC and Cal State programs. These standards require teachers to engage students in carrying out a set of science and engineering practices, applying a set of cross-cutting concepts, and using their newly-learned science concepts to explain phenomena. The standards are based on the NRC report "A Framework for K-12 Science Education". I challenge science faculty to read the key chapters of this report describing the practices and the crosscutting concepts, as well as those describing the core disciplinary ideas to be addressed in k-12 science. There are many implications for undergraduate-level science courses, particularly those at the entry level. Research on science learning at the undergraduate level points in similar directions, and suggests the need to rethink undergraduate science teaching strategies. How can courses better serve a broader range of students? What courses prepare the k-12 science teachers of the future? What supports students to explore science, engineering and technology-related majors? What bridges or invitations are needed to encourage broader participation in these majors as the overall campus population changes its composition?
- Slides
- Title: Latinos in STEM: Linking What Works and the Workforce
- Abstract: This presentation will share characteristics of evidence-based practices serving Latinos in STEM as well as the STEM workforce to inform the discussion among attendees on what we can do to address barriers and increase opportunities for Latino student success.
- Title: Perceptions of instructors’ theories of intelligence shape minorities’ STEM experiences
- Abstract: Theories of intelligence (i.e., perceiving that abilities are malleable or fixed; Dweck, 1999) have predominantly been construed as an individual difference variable. However, research has found that perceptions of organizations as having an entity (i.e., fixed) or incremental (i.e., malleable) theory of intelligence also affect cognition and behavior (e.g., Murphy & Dweck, 2010). For example, entity organizations, compared to incremental organizations, can be particularly threatening for people already contending with negative stereotypes about their social identity group (e.g., women in business settings; Emerson & Murphy, 2015). We extend this research by examining how perception of experts’ theories of intelligence can similarly signal identity threat when contending with negative stereotypes. In an experience sampling, we examined how students’ perceptions of college instructors’ entity vs. incremental lay theories of intelligence shape ethnic minorities’ experiences in STEM. We predicted that when ethnic minority students perceived their STEM professors to have a fixed theory of intelligence, it would be associated with increased levels social identity threat and consequently would be correlated with lower belonging and decreased desire to stay in STEM fields. Results were largely in line with predictions. Implications for outcomes in STEM academic contexts will be discussed.
- Title: Científicos Latinx: The Untold Story of Underserved Student Success In STEM
- Abstract: Based on a study of Latinx STEM graduates, this presentation seeks to dismantle deficit-based narratives about underserved students and to dispel the notion that perseverance alone accounts for success. The journey of successful Latinx STEM students will be reviewed, including: challenges experienced, examples of STEM pedagogies that proved helpful, meaningful validating experiences, as well as personal assets and community cultural wealth that students employed to excel in STEM.
- slides
- Title: Improving College Pathways in California
- Abstract: Only about 30 percent of California 9th graders are expected to earn a bachelor’s degree, with the vast majority falling off the pathway in the last two years of high school or the first two years college. Academic preparation alone does not move students to and through college: even academically prepared students are falling off the college pathway. Widespread progression problems in high schools are keeping even academically prepared students from advancing to the next level of college prep coursework. Similar problems exist in community colleges, where well-prepared students do not take the transfer level courses that would move them toward college completion. Historically under-represented students, including Latino students and African American students are more likely to drop off the pathway at every stage.
- Slides