Collaborative Research: Overcoming Isolation and Scholarly Devaluation by Bolstering the Collective Agency of Black Discipline-Based Education Researchers

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

There is a growing need for scholars specializing in discipline-based education research (DBER) due to the importance of STEM in preparing the technical workforce and a science-literate citizenry. DBER is defined as a collection of related research fields (e.g., physics, biology, engineering, computer science) executing basic and applied research centered on education research questions anchored in the context of their specific field of study. The proposed project aims to advance understanding and mitigate the impact of systemic racism on the collective agency of Black scholars engaged in DBER focused on engineering and computer science. The project team conceptualizes systemic racism as the complex array of practices, policies, and systems of evaluation that contribute to the de facto segregation and scholarly devaluation of Black scholars. This combination of challenges presents obstacles for scholars working to maximize their potential impact as change agents within their disciplines. This project aims to examine how systemic racism restricts scholars' impact and shapes their individual and collective agency. The long-term goals of the project are to foster collaboration among STEM education researchers who are geographically dispersed across the country; build capacity for culturally-competent STEM education research and dissemination; enhance the visibility of the work done by Black scholars; and advocate for field-level changes to practices and policies that reinforce systemic racism. The main goal of this project is to advance understanding of the impact systematic racism has on the individual and collective agency of Black scholars engaged in DBER. The research team will use an asset-based, trauma-informed, community-oriented approach. First, the project team will collect, compile, analyze, and visualize data about the population of Black DBER scholars. Second, the project will interview a cross-generational subset of late-, mid-, and early-career Black scholars about the workplace challenges encountered during their professional journey and the tactics used to overcome them. Finally, the project will scaffold new collaborations between discipline-based education researchers through workshops focused on forming and sustaining productive research collaborations. This project is designed to expand prior literature about discipline-based education research to include substantial considerations of race or racism. The research design guiding this study will leverage and foster authentic partnerships among Black scholars engaged in DBER. This study design may also serve as a model for subsequent studies on collective agency. This collaborative project is funded through the Racial Equity in STEM Education activity (EDU Racial Equity). The activity supports research and practice projects that investigate how considerations of racial equity factor into the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. Awarded projects seek to center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by systemic inequities within the STEM enterprise. This activity aligns with NSF’s core value of supporting outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers from across the Nation's diversity of demographic groups, regions, and types of organizations. Programs across EDU contribute funds to the Racial Equity activity in recognition of the alignment of its projects with the collective research and development thrusts of the four divisions of the directorate. 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.