Reducing achievement gaps in undergraduate general chemistry could lift underrepresented students into a "hyperpersistent zone"
Reducing achievement gaps in undergraduate general chemistry could lift underrepresented students into a "hyperpersistent zone"
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DOI：
10.1126/sciadv.aaz5687
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发表时间：
2020-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
13.6
通讯作者：
Freeman, S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Harris, R. B.;Mack, M. R.;Freeman, S.
来自代表性不足群体的学生开始上大学时，对STEM专业的兴趣与同龄人相同，但离开STEM的比例更高。我们使用25，768名学生的记录来验证这一假设，即普通化学的低年级有助于这种“除草”。在普通化学系列的第一门课程中，基于二元性别、种族/民族、社会经济地位和家庭教育背景的年级差距在四点量表上从0.12到0.54不等。当分析控制了学术准备时，差距仍然存在，表明代表性不足的群体的学生相对于他们的能力表现不佳。代表性不足的学生不太可能比代表性良好的同龄人坚持化学，如果他们的表现低于C-，但更有可能坚持，如果他们得到了C或更好。这一“超持久区”表明，缩小成绩差距可能会对实现STEM专业和职业公平的努力产生不成比例的巨大影响。
Students from underrepresented groups start college with the same level of interest in STEM majors as their peers, but leave STEM at higher rates. We tested the hypothesis that low grades in general chemistry contribute to this "weeding," using records from 25,768 students. In the first course of a general chemistry series, grade gaps based on binary gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family education background ranged from 0.12 to 0.54 on a four-point scale. Gaps persisted when the analysis controlled for academic preparation, indicating that students from underrepresented groups underperformed relative to their capability. Underrepresented students were less likely than well-represented peers to persist in chemistry if they performed below a C-, but more likely to persist if they got a C or better. This "hyperpersistent zone" suggests that reducing achievement gaps could have a disproportionately large impact on efforts to achieve equity in STEM majors and professions.