Multiple Consciousnesses: Investigating The Identities (Academic, Gender, Race and Disability) Of Black Women Undergraduate Students In STEM And Their Impact On Persistence

Howard University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program supports research projects that seek to study the underlying issues affecting the differential participation and graduation rates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education of African American students. This award to Howard University is co-funded by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, specifically the ECR Research in Disabilities Education area of special interest. ECR emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Howard University has teamed with three other Historically Black Universities - Morgan State University, Hampton University, and Prairie View A & M University - to conduct a large empirical study of Black women undergraduate students in STEM. The overall goal of the project is to investigate the intersectionality of their existing identities (gender, race and disability) and the identity that they acquire as STEM students on their way to earning a degree and the impact of the intersectionality on their participation, retention and success. The project is guided by an evaluator, as well as an external advisory committee. For decades, researchers have examined the issues related to broadening the participation, retention, and success of individuals underrepresented in STEM. However, there is limited data on Black women, who over time have become an increasingly larger portion of the available talent pool. Past research on women and Blacks in STEM has not focused on the identities of race, gender and disability. The identity of being Black and female uniquely influences the pathways that students take to reach degree goals and be successful in STEM careers. The study will investigate the impacts of the intersectionality of existing identities (gender, race and disability) and the academic identity that they acquire as STEM students. The researchers will use a triangulation mixed methods approach to longitudinally collect qualitative and quantitative data to learn participants' perspectives and experiences from freshman to senior year. Additionally, those participants who self-identify as a person with disabilities will be invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Purposive sampling will be employed to ensure an adequate number of students with disabilities participate in the project's qualitative data collection. Once data are collected and disaggregated, the variance in the educational experiences of students along the variables of ethnicity, racial identity, gender identity, disability, and academic major will be examined. It is anticipated that a better understanding of the complexity of the identities of these women will inform inclusion practices, particularly at the collegiate level, and perhaps serve as a predictive element in success.