Exploring Student Experiences in Science & Math to Address Underrepresentation in STEM
Brittany Davis, Hira Ahmad, Berenice Contreras, Krista Kaleel, & Sydney Majka
According to a 2018 publication by Higher Education Today, millions of dollars have been invested
in recent years to promote diversity in science. Yet still, domestic students of color and first generation
students are persisting in STEM at a lower rate than that of their similarly interested white or
non-first-generation counterparts (Witham, Malcom-Piqueux, Dowd, & Bensimon, 2015). This state of
underrepresentation is mirrored at our own university. To learn more about students’ experiences, we
conducted a survey to gather insight on the experiences of first generation students, international
students, and domestic students of color in science and math classes at DePauw. Our initial findings
have shown that classroom climate, teaching styles, and peer relationships all affect the degree to
which students negatively or positively evaluate their classroom experiences, and ultimately their
decision to persist with or leave STEM departments.
Student researchers individually coded responses collected from open ended questions and then collectively
categorized the responses based on recurring themes. A sample T-test was used to compare results.
Positive
Office hours: This seemed to be a make or break paradigm for students. Positive experiences in office hours
greatly enhanced student’s overall positive regard for the course. The professor was very understanding, if you
were struggling she would give you extra resources and was open for conversation. It was nice to have
curriculum support
Professor Aid: International students specifically reported that faculty members were more likely to reach out
to them with resources and that they felt more comfortable in office hours than domestic students did.
Collaborative classroom: Students of color specifically reported feeling more comfortable in classrooms that
lacked diversity when professors ensured all students worked together.
Academic growth: A significant difference between international and domestic students was found when
assessing confidence in STEM courses after taking STEM courses at the University. Specifically, international
students felt significantly more confident than domestic students afterwards and felt more successful.
Negatives
Professor Interactions: Students reported feeling as though professors put less effort in building relationship
with students that belonged to minority groups, whether that be students of color or female students in male
dominated fields. Some students stated that the lack of professor student interaction contributed to their low
grade outcome.
Course Structure: Faculty often fail to recognize that students come from a variety of educational backgrounds
and that some students may not be as well prepared. Some students felt behind in their STEM courses due to
the level of knowledge professors assumed students had.
We would like to thank our faculty sponsor, Dr. Pam
Propsom, and the Asher Fund for supporting this
project.
While STEM fields and careers are in high demand in today’s society and there is
increasing opportunity for people of a variety of backgrounds to become involved in
STEM, there has still been a lingering tradition of underrepresentation of certain groups
within these fields. To address this representation gap, studies were conducted in order to
determine causes for these disparities. Chesler (1997) conducted focus groups with
undergraduate students of color, and Malone & Barabino (2009) conducted focus groups
and interviews with graduate students of color in STEM research labs at a large research
university. Common trends from their findings were that faculty involved in students’
STEM experiences held problematic practices, that ultimately impacted their experiences
in science and math courses at their respective institutions. Among these issues, other
themes ranging from neglect to isolation from peers were also present.
With the aforementioned statistics, and the recurring data trends from studies like that
of Chesler, Malone & Barabino as precedents to our study, we have developed and
administered an interview survey that has been sent to students of all backgrounds,
campus-wide. In doing so, our aim with our particular study is to be able to provide a
statistical comparison of student experiences in science & math at Depauw University by
using a series of common questions and scenarios in order to address
underrepresentation in STEM.
The past research found:
● Student academic performance for domestic students of color improved when students
were allowed to teach each other at their own level of intelligence (Pentecost, 2002). .
● Classmate support and connections contributed to academic success (Palmer, 2011)
● Students felt meeting with welcoming professors and teachers assistants was very
meaningful to them in and contributed to a positive classroom experience (Slaten, Elison,
Lee, Yough, & Scalise, 2016)
The following solutions are consistent with the past literature and our results:
Responses collected were fairly representative of the student population except for
African-American students. Out of the 5.5% African-American students, only 2.4% responded
to the survey. This serves as a limitation as the population was not fairly representative.
Participants were 387 students from a midwestern university and were recruited through email announcements
sent by the university registrar.The survey took about 20 minutes to complete and included 10 statements
requiring a rating by the participant on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Examples of questions
include:
● I felt comfortable attending faculty office hours
● I feel confident taking a science and math course after taking a STEM course at DePauw.
An additional 4 open ended questions sought to understand students personal experiences in STEM classrooms.
Examples of open ended questions include:
● Please share any personal examples of feeling either welcomed, alienated, or both in a DePauw STEM
course
● Please give examples or suggestions for how a professor has or could create a comfortable environment for
all students present
Addressing STEM Culture and Climate to Increase Diversity in STEM Disciplines.
(2018, May 15). Retrieved from
https://www.higheredtoday.org/2018/04/23/addressing-stem-culture-climate-
increase-diversity-stem-disciplines/
Lewis, A., Chesler, M., & Forman, T. (2000). The Impact of "Colorblind"
Ideologies on Students of Color: Intergroup Relations at a Predominantly
White University. The Journal of Negro Education, 69(1/2), 74-91. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2696266
Malone, Kareen & Barabino, Gilda. (2009). Narrations of Race in STEM Research
Settings: Identity Formation and Its Discontents. Science Education. 93. 485
- 510. 10.1002/sce.20307.
Palmer, T. R. (2011). A qualitative investigation of factors promoting the retention
and persistence of students of color in STEM. Journal of Negro Education,
80(4), 491–504.
Pentecost, N.(2002). What successful black south african students consider as
factors of their success: Educational Studies in Mathematics, 50(1), 103-113.
Slaten, C. D., Elison, Z. M., Lee, J., Yough, M., & Scalise, D. (2016). Belonging on
campus: A qualitative study of asian international students. The Counseling
Psychologist, 44(3), 383-410.
Problems Solutions
Not all students have the same baseline
knowledge in STEM fields
Offer more beginner level courses, and
perhaps courses that are designed
specifically for non STEM majors
Not feeling welcomed by professors in
the classroom or office hours
Professors can learn student names, work
to be non-judgemental of student
questions, and facilitate kindness in the
classroom
Cliques and not knowing one another can
strain peer relationships in the classroom
Icebreakers and small group activities can
help peers become more comfortable with
one another
