sylvia hurtado professor and director higher … and director higher education research institute,...
TRANSCRIPT
The Need to Diversify the STEM Workforce Broaden participation among native-born talent
Dramatic demographic shifts in the population
Diversity as an asset
Overview/History of Project Based on HERI surveys www.heri.ucla.edu
Surveys
2004 Freshman Survey (TFS) 63,000 STEM aspiratns, 350 institutions
2005 Your First College Year Survey 5,100 longitudinal student respondents, 160
institutions
2008 College Senior Survey 6,224 longitudinal (TFS) student
respondents, 240 institutions
2007 and 2010 Faculty Surveys More than 11,000 STEM faculty
2010 Classroom Survey 3,205 students, 76 classrooms
2011 Post-Baccalaureate Survey 13,500 longitudinal (TFS) student
respondents, 500 institutions
Qualitative Data
2007 Site Visits
71 students in undergraduate research
programs (focus groups)
12 program directors (interviews)
2010 Focus Groups
150 graduate students, 6 institutions
2011 Site Visits
241 students in introductory STEM courses
(focus groups)
26 faculty members teaching introductory
STEM courses (interviews), 8 institutions
2012 interviews with STEM pioneers
33 pioneers
Characteristics of STEM Aspirants
Higher HS GPAs (B+/A-) than non-STEM aspirants (B/B+)
Higher SAT scores (1174) than non-STEM aspirants (1105)
More likely to have participated in pre-college research programs
Higher level of academic self-concept at college entry
Many URM STEM aspirants appear as talented and well-prepared as their White and Asian American peers
22
35.8
40.4
24
38.5
43
29.6
46.6
52.4
12.3
24.3
29
9.4
18.2
21.8
11.6
20.2
24.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
4-Year Completion 5-Year Completion 6-Year Completion
Percentage of 2004 STEM Aspirants Who Completed STEM Degrees in Four, Five, and Six Years, by Race/Ethnicity (TFS & NSC data)
All students (N=56,499) White (N=39,160) Asian American (N=7,621)
Latino (N=3,863) Black (N=4,695) Native American (N=1,160)
Key Transitions along STEM Pathways College adjustment and introductory STEM courses
STEM persistence through the first year
Cultivating academic and social supports
Degree completion
Graduate school enrollment
The Role of Introductory STEM Courses The pre-med phenomenon
When I know that someone is pre-med, I mean, I can be friends with the person, but there’s always gonna be, if I know…that there is an internship for a hospital, I’m not gonna tell the person next to me that. I’m gonna get it, I’m gonna find out…sometimes I am very selfish when it comes to that. Because it’s – survival of the fittest.
(Marian, Southwestern Public Research University)
Resistance to innovation – both students and faculty
The Role of Introductory STEM Courses Authentic lab experiences – identifying as a scientist
Faculty accessibility cues and ethic of care Engaging pedagogy
Affirming student participation and engagement
I try to make whatever answer they say to be the right answer to
some question…I’ll say, “That would be true if we were doing this, but now we’re doing this, so why is this not true?” I think you can ask without making a student feel—I think they know I care about them. I think they know that I want them to learn....I think they know when I don’t let them off the hook it’s because I care about them.
(Professor Alpert, Southwestern Private Research University)
Persistence in Science through the First Year Prior preparation and achievement*
Identifying as a scientist
Research opportunities
Science clubs
Early academic success
Relevance of coursework to personal lives
Context matters
Institutional selectivity
Structures of opportunity
STEM Completion and Persistence Persistence through four years
Identifying as a scientist
Undergraduate research
STEM-related clubs
Relevance of coursework to personal life and career
Completion in six years
Prior preparation
Background characteristics (i.e., race, gender, income)
Institutional context
Selectivity
Faculty pedagogy and involvement in research
Student characteristics (e.g., concentration of STEM majors)
Matriculation into STEM Graduate and Professional Programs Prior preparation
HS science courses
HS GPA
Demographics
Race
Socioeconomic status
Financial concerns
College experiences
Research with faculty
Research programs
Mentorship from faculty
Academic clubs
Key Takeaways Innovation in introductory STEM courses
Undergraduate research programs make a difference
Context matters
Importance of Introductory STEM Courses Innovation in introductory STEM courses
Identifying
Scaling up
Demonstrating an ethic of care
Providing challenge to students with appropriate support
The Role of Undergraduate Research
Findings show they are working…
But there are a few caveats:
The earlier the better
Authentic experiences are important
Focus more on talent development
More research is necessary regarding the specific components of programs that are most effective
Contexts Matter
The contradictory role of institutional selectivity
Positively related to degree completion (any field)
Negatively related to STEM persistence
Selective institutions are sorting twice
Admission to the institution
Acceptance/admission into the major
Student-Centered pedagogy matters
Contact Info
This study was made possible by the support of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant Numbers 1 R01 GMO71968-01 and R01 GMO71968-05, the National Science Foundation, NSF Grant Number 0757076, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant 1RC1GM090776-01. This independent research and the views expressed here do not indicate endorsement by the sponsors.
Papers and reports are available for download from project website:
http://heri.ucla.edu/nih
Project e-mail: [email protected]
Faculty/Co-PIs: Sylvia Hurtado Mitchell Chang Kevin Eagan Tanya Figueroa Gina Garcia Juan Garibay
Postdoctoral Scholar: Josephine Gasiewski
Administrative Staff: Dominique Harrison
Graduate Research Assistants:
Bryce Hughes Michael Soh