Broadening Participation Research Project: Genre Theory as a Catalyst for Broadening Underserved Students’ Participation in STEM Discourse Communities

Albany State University, Albany GA

Investigators

Abstract

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Broadening Participation Research (BPR) in STEM Education projects supports the development, implementation, and study of new theory-driven models and innovations related to the participation and success of underrepresented groups in STEM undergraduate education. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, as well as improve the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented groups in STEM education and the workforce. This project at Albany State University seeks to examine genre theory, the spoken and written text with specific communicative purposes in the context of a discourse community, to deepen STEM teachers’ knowledge of language and confidence to design effective instruction for linguistically and culturally diverse students. It is anticipated that students who participate in a multi-year program will demonstrate increased mastery of scientific literacy and develop a sense of belonging within the biological sciences, thereby having the potential to increase the number of biology graduates at Albany State University. The aim of this project is to develop a process which applies the genre theory through a combination of instructional interventions, research mentorship and hands-on experiences, allowing students to decipher the academic language code in STEM and apply it to individual research projects. The focus is to design and pilot a systematic procedure using the teaching and learning cycle (TLC) across specific biology courses to provide access to academic literacy in discourse communities so that underserved students will have greater access to careers in STEM fields. This project intends to immerse Albany State University biology majors in a scaffolded series of curricular and experiential activities which are expressly designed to expose majors to what will be at its core, a “Research Pathway.” While enrolled in this pathway, the students will be rigorously mentored and guided in a variety of settings including the classroom, laboratory, field, and other professional STEM environments thereby ensuring the development of scientific literacy as well as the knowledge and skills required by practicing scientists. The discourse community will allow the faculty to apply the TLC as the student researchers learn from modeling research activities, practicing STEM discourse, and applying the knowledge and skills they acquire to individualized long term research projects. This design and development study involves the creation and testing of an intricate web of high impact practices for Albany State University biology majors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.