Discipline: Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Research
Vivian L. Carter - Tuskegee University
Co-Author(s): Laurette Garrett, Mohammed Qazi, and Chadia Aji, Mathematics, Tuskegee University Li Huang, Psychology and Sociology, Tuskegee University
The Fostering Retention in STEM Disciplines at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) project is a Broadening Participation Research project that will provide an in-depth look at influences present in STEM disciplines at HBCUs. The study will be based at Tuskegee University, an institution noted for its strength in STEM education, but will also include data collection at HBCUs in other parts of the country. It will examine the interplay between psychosocial factors (e.g. motivation) and academic structural factors (e.g. mentoring) that affect the retention of minority students at these institutions.
The objectives are: 1) to determine the most prominent psycho-social factors that affect student retention in STEM programs; 2) to identify the structural factors that lead to the successful retention of students in STEM programs; 3) to gain insight into the issues that influence the effectiveness of those structural factors; and 4) to develop a manual describing suggestions for best practices. The study makes use of a three-year multi-methodological approach that integrates secondary data analysis, interview, and survey data to determine the most effective means by which to retain minority students in STEM disciplines. The methodology is based in the premises of phenomenology and community-based participatory research to allow the views of those who are actively engaged in STEM programs at HBCUs to inform the results.
An initial qualitative phase will inform a second quantitative phase. A final qualitative phase will build upon the previously collected data. Populations included will be: 1) students enrolled in STEM disciplines at HBCUs; 2) STEM faculty at HBCUs; 3) administrators and other non-faculty personnel at HBCUs involved with STEM retention; and 4) successful HBCU graduates of STEM programs.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation, Broadening Participation in Research (BPR) Grant.
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,