Understanding the role of cultural and career purpose orientations in underrepresented minority science student success

California State University-Long Beach Foundation, Long Beach CA

Investigators

Abstract

One explanation for the underrepresentation of some ethnic minority groups in STEM education and STEM careers is that cultural barriers are perceived to exist that render integration of a cultural identity incompatible with an emerging identity as a scientist. In particular STEM careers appear to be disconnected from being able to serve one's community or give back to the place where one grew up. This research will examine how this "communal cultural orientation" along with some perceptions of science in general might influence how engaged students are in STEM courses and how interested they are in STEM careers. The researchers propose a mixed methods study including interviews, focus groups, a longitudinal survey study and randomized experimental classroom activities to examine how underrepresented minority students' cultural and career purpose orientations influence their perceptions of science careers and whether that perception could be altered through targeted activities. Such activities, if proven effective, might have the potential to be more broadly included in STEM curricula and pedagogy to encourage greater participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. Student participants will be recruited from the California State University, Long Beach campus which is a Hispanic Serving Institution (the Hispanic population on the campus is approximately 33%). About 46% of incoming freshmen indicating an interest in the physical or life sciences are identified as underrepresented minorities. The theoretical framework includes goal congruity theory (person-environment fit) and interest theory. The main hypothesis is that underrepresented minority students struggle to maintain an interest in and develop a strong identity with science if they do not see a career in science that would allow them to fulfill culturally connected communal purpose goals. The researchers' model emphasizes the critical role of goal congruence (or "fit") in predicting interest in and motivation for science careers, with mediating roles for science class interest and engagement and science identity. The researchers will engage three phases of work: interviews and focus groups; longitudinal survey study; and a large randomized experimental classroom study. Interviews will commence in year one and include 100 undergraduate freshman students with declared STEM majors and 50 additional students recruited in year two. Data analysis will be done using qualitative content analysis and descriptive analysis of demographic data. The longitudinal survey phase will involve recruiting a sample of freshmen and sophomore students (approximately 250 of each) followed for the three years of the study. Six categories of variables will be included in the data gathering beginning with background variables and moving on to communal goal endorsement, science and communal goal affordance perceptions, science class interest and engagement, science identity, and science career interest and motivation. Data analysis will follow linear growth curve modeling with multivariate repeated measures. Finally, the randomized experimental study will be administered across six classes over three academic semesters to a total of about 6,000 students in experimental and control groups. The intervention is a writing assignment administered for credit approximately every four weeks in the semester with different foci for experimental and control groups. Data analysis will include multilevel linear regression.