Harry Dion T, Crawford Ashtin, Pamintuan Chaterlee, Singh Abhishek, Thomas Dana, Cooke Natalie K, Oliver Colleen, Gordy Claire L, Lubischer Jane L
School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078.
Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2024 Dec;23(4):ar65. doi: 10.1187/cbe.24-02-0055.
College students with identities traditionally marginalized in scientific disciplines are more engaged and more likely to remain in science if they feel that they belong in their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes and departments. In this qualitative case study, we elevated marginalized student voices to learn how departmental experiences shaped their sense of belonging in curricular and co-curricular spaces. Our research team interviewed 27 undergraduate life science students at a large predominantly white, research-intensive university. Participants reflected on their lived experiences and feelings of belonging within a biology department and shared their perceptions of departmental efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Three themes emerged as being of value to undergraduate students while they navigated the sciences: 1) implementing inclusive pedagogies, 2) providing co-curricular resources and support, and 3) humanizing life sciences education. These stories illuminated the importance of authenticity and intentionality in the implementation of strategies related to these three themes. This study provides an example of the power of centering marginalized students' lived experiences to identify strategies that can be employed more broadly to improve our courses, our departmental cultures, and our institutional policies-strategies essential to supporting students with a diversity of identities in engaging, belonging, and persisting in STEM.
传统上在科学学科中处于边缘地位的大学生，如果他们觉得自己在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）课程及院系中有归属感，就会更积极参与且更有可能继续从事科学相关领域。在这个定性案例研究中，我们提升了边缘化学生的声音，以了解院系经历如何塑造他们在课程和课外空间中的归属感。我们的研究团队采访了一所大型、以白人为主、研究密集型大学的27名本科生命科学专业学生。参与者反思了他们在生物系的生活经历和归属感，并分享了他们对院系在多样性、公平性和包容性方面所做努力的看法。在学生们探索科学领域的过程中，出现了三个对本科生有价值的主题：1）实施包容性教学法，2）提供课外资源和支持，3）使生命科学教育更具人性化。这些故事阐明了在实施与这三个主题相关的策略时，真实性和意图性的重要性。本研究提供了一个例子，说明以边缘化学生的生活经历为中心来确定策略的力量，这些策略可更广泛地用于改进我们的课程、院系文化和机构政策，这些策略对于支持具有不同身份的学生参与、归属并坚持在STEM领域至关重要。
