Fostering STEM instruction at HSIs

The challenge

Scholars and practitioners are interested in how Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)  can intentionally serve minoritized students. In particular, there is a need to reach a wider range of  students who are taking courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). One possible approach to strengthening pathways in these subject areas is through the integration of identity-affirming methodologies in biology courses. Undergraduate biology degrees account for 41% of STEM degrees earned and introductory biology courses are commonly required across STEM majors.

The approach

Undergraduate STEM Classroom Instructors’ Frames When Teaching about Sex and Gender in Biology: Fostering Identity-Affirming STEM at HSIs is a collaborative research project led by principal investigators Antonio Duran, assistant professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College; Aramati Casper, research scientist at Colorado State University and Sarah Eddy, associate professor with Florida International University. Yoon Ha Choi, postdoctoral researcher at Florida International University is a co-principal investigator.

The researchers will contribute to current literature by examining instructors’ decisions and approaches to creating affirming environments, specifically for students with minoritized sexualities and genders. Through a mixed methods, multi-site case study approach at five HSIs, the researchers will 1) characterize how undergraduate biology instructors at HSIs make decisions about if and how to include identity-affirming content in their courses and the various factors that influence these decisions 2) establish how identity-affirming content in biology impacts student experiences such as belongingness, interest in biology content and perceived content relevance and 3) develop a survey instrument to capture student perceptions of the prevalence of different instructor frames about sex and gender at HSIs.