Sylvia Hurtado Professor and Director Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA

Transcription

1 Sylvia Hurtado Professor and Director Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA

2 The Need to Diversify the STEM Workforce Broaden participation among native-born talent Dramatic demographic shifts in the population Diversity as an asset

3 Overview/History of Project Based on HERI surveys 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

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5 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

6 60 Percentage of 2004 STEM Aspirants Who Completed STEM Degrees in Four, Five, and Six Years, by Race/Ethnicity (TFS & NSC data) Year Completion 5-Year Completion 6-Year Completion 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)

7 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

8 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

9 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)

10 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

11 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)

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13 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

14 Key Takeaways Innovation in introductory STEM courses Undergraduate research programs make a difference Context matters

15 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

16 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

17 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

18 Contact Info Faculty/Co-PIs: Sylvia Hurtado Mitchell Chang Kevin Eagan Postdoctoral Scholar: Josephine Gasiewski Administrative Staff: Dominique Harrison Graduate Research Assistants: Tanya Figueroa Gina Garcia Juan Garibay Bryce Hughes Michael Soh Papers and reports are available for download from project website: Project This study was made possible by the support of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant Numbers 1 R01 GMO and R01 GMO , the National Science Foundation, NSF Grant Number , and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant 1RC1GM This independent research and the views expressed here do not indicate endorsement by the sponsors.