BCSER: Understanding how student identities shape STEM retention: exploring perceptions of in-class interpersonal relationships and institutional and discipline inclusivity

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This capacity building project includes a study to measure a suite of social identities salient in STEM classrooms to understand how identities shape perceptions of in-class, interpersonal relationships with peers and instructors and perceptions of institutional and disciplinary inclusivity and how these factors impact retention of marginalized identities in STEM majors and careers. The project will simultaneously explore multiple student identities and interactions among identities and explore how marginalized identities shape perceptions of in-class dynamics, institutional inclusivity, STEM inclusivity, and retention across STEM majors at the University of South Alabama. The study will allow the investigator to assess which aspects of student-student interactions and student-instructor interactions are most challenging to multiple marginalized identities in STEM courses. Additionally, the investigator will explore how perceptions of institutional inclusivity are shaped by multiple identities and determine how multiple identities and interactions among them shape existing stereotypes of who scientists are, have been, and can be. The investigator proposes to implement a professional development plan that leverages expertise in community ecology to conduct STEM education research by strengthening quantitative data methodology skills. The plan includes interaction with advisors and collaboration with the Equity and Diversity in Undergraduate STEM (EDU-STEM) network. The investigator will investigate four research questions: (1) How do multiple identities shape in-class student-student dynamics, student-faculty dynamics, perceptions of group work, and overall comfort within STEM classrooms?, (2) How do multiple identities shape institutional sense of belonging and perceptions of institutional inclusivity? , (3) How do multiple identities shape disciplinary sense of belonging, confidence in conducting science, and knowledge of core scientific principles?, and (4) How do the interactions among in-class dynamics, institutional inclusivity, and discipline inclusivity impact the retention of underrepresented groups in STEM majors and careers? Data will be collected through surveys across STEM courses to measure the research variables. The data will be used to quantify how in-class interpersonal relationships, institutional inclusivity, and discipline inclusivity determine retention rates of students identifying with multiple marginalized identities. The project will inform targeted interventions for inclusive pedagogies that can be implemented through faculty workshops aimed at improving faculty consciousness of student identities to focus on inclusive pedagogies. The project is funded by the Building Capacity in STEM Education Research competition of the ECR Core Research program. ECR supports fundamental research that focuses on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM professional workforce development.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.