HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: First year approaches to enhance science identity and STEM persistence

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With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 2 project aims to enhance the persistence and success of students from groups historically underrepresented in the STEM fields, particularly in their first year of STEM courses, within the context of a primarily undergraduate institution with a liberal arts and sciences based curriculum. This kind of institution is under-studied, and this project will serve both as a proof-of-concept and prototype for other primarily undergraduate institutions. Saint Mary's College of California will implement a broad approach that includes: (1) designing a science-motivated and contextualized calculus readiness course; (2) integrating research-oriented modules in introductory labs for chemistry and physics; (3) introducing a multidisciplinary science bridge midway through the year; and (4) redeveloping existing advising cohorts and developing peer mentoring for first year STEM students. The investigators will also (5) establish an educator learning community to foster a climate conducive to learning and inclusion, and to support equitable and excellent STEM education. The expected outcomes of this work are to increase the retention rate of STEM-interested students, reduce observed gaps in retention and success rates for students from historically underrepresented groups and effect positive changes in the science identity of first year STEM-interested students. The accompanying STEM education research has two areas of focus: the effectiveness of the science contextualized math course compared to a traditional calculus readiness course; and characterizing the nature of the peer mentor-mentee relationship and how its aspects affect science identity and student retention in STEM. To assess the effectiveness of the science contextualized math course, the investigators will compare retention rates, success rates, and course grades in STEM courses of students who participate in the new science contextualized course to those who participated in the existing model of remediation. They will also collect qualitative data to address the related question of how well the science contextualized math course supports the development of science identity. To assess the peer mentor-mentee relationship and its impacts, the investigators will analyze qualitative data from post mentor-mentee meeting reports, as well as compare first year retention and success rates of students with peer mentors compared to those without peer mentors. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.