Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education Supporting Equitable and Effective Teaching (2025) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
7 Student Pathways Through Undergraduate STEM Curricula
7 Student Pathways Through Undergraduate STEM Curricula
Pages 167-187
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 167... ...
It acknowledges that students do not simply follow the designed or enacted curriculum described in Chapter 6; instead, there is an experienced curriculum: the way students actually navigate undergraduate STEM curricula. The chapter begins with a discussion of the complex and nuanced concept of motivation to pursue STEM, recognizing that in this space student agency and employment goals interact with instructor and societal expectations.
|
From page 168... ...
. This may be particularly important for community college students who have often have less extensive ties to disciplinary research communities and sometimes have lower levels of STEM identity (Teshera-Levye et al., 2023)
|
From page 169... ...
. While many students take STEM courses in high school, the opportunity to access these courses and the preparation that they provide for success in undergraduate STEM education is not equitable.
|
From page 170... ...
. Dual enrollment courses and programs enable students interested in STEM to study topics that are not available to them in their regular course offerings and may help increase engagement, motivation, or STEM identity -- all from choosing to participate in a special course.
|
From page 171... ...
. California State 54 More information about the Summer Success Academy at Albany State University is available at https://www.asurams.edu/enrollment-management/summersuccess.php 55 More information about the Summer Academic Success Academy at Coppin State University is available at https://www.coppin.edu/sasa 56 More information about the Summer Success Academy at Durham Technical College is available at https://www.durhamtech.edu/summer-camps/summer-success-academy 57 More information about the GW Jump Start Summer Success Program at George Washington University is available at https://studentsuccess.gwu.edu/gw-jump-start-summer-success-program 58 More about the CSM BOND program at Fresno State University is available at https://www.clemson.edu/admissions/summer-start/index.html Prepublication copy, uncorrected proofs
|
From page 172... ...
. Instructors may easily see why certain prerequisites are needed or 59 More about the CSM BOND program at Fresno State University is available at https://csm.fresnostate.edu/fye/index.html Prepublication copy, uncorrected proofs
|
From page 173... ...
A few studies have sought to analyze how students experience STEM education in terms of the curricular structures they must navigate (e.g. Lattuca & Stark, 2009; Smart et al., 2000)
|
From page 174... ...
remediation courses are potentially informed by their intended major and their goals. For example, students intending to go into medicine are often quite focused on GPA and their grades in foundational STEM courses can Prepublication copy, uncorrected proofs
|
From page 175... ...
At the start of their second year, students take an introductory chemical engineering course, an "assessment" course that includes the equivalency of a candidacy exam and continue to progress through organic chemistry. The initial chemistry sequence is a prerequisite for introductory chemical engineering, the assessment, and the organic chemistry course.
|
From page 176... ...
For example, policies around how teaching evaluation is considered in merit and promotion, approaches to evaluating teaching, expectations of teaching from various faculty types, teaching professional development expectations, resources for various levels of faculty that are teaching, representation of faculty in various teaching roles in teaching decisions. The Role of Teaching and Learning Environments Learning environments play a key role in student learning, with quantitative survey data and student interviews alike reinforcing that students frequently encounter gendered or chilly STEM learning environments (Jorstad et al., 2017; Marco-Bujosa et al., 2021; Wickersham & Wang, 2016)
|
From page 177... ...
. Existing research on students' learning and progress along STEM pathways concentrates on the classroom environment and the role of faculty.
|
From page 178... ...
qualitative study showed that, at community colleges, Black engineering students' persistence and transfer pathways were bolstered by positive engineering environments that featured engaging classrooms and strong advisor support. Research using observations and student interviews suggested that there are gendered experiences in CTE environments and that, although such environments seemed supportive on the surface, women encountered discriminatory interactions with peers.
|
From page 179... ...
These findings collectively show that community college faculty tend to play a supportive role as students navigate STEM learning and pathways. Career and Technical Education Programs In the community college context, career and technical education (CTE)
|
From page 180... ...
narrative examination of interviews with thirteen Black engineering students revealed the role of community with other students and faculty in facilitating their learning success. Qualitative research on Black students in STEM more broadly points to cultural, science, and STEM identities as important elements that bolster their experiences and success (García et al., 2019; Jackson Smith, 2016)
|
From page 181... ...
Berhane and colleagues (2023) conducted interviews and focus groups with Black community college students in engineering and found that the students felt largely supported by their community colleges, particularly with regard to personal connections with faculty and advisor guidance in navigating and securing institutional resources.
|
From page 182... ...
found that these students were more likely to persist and transfer as compared with their counterparts in non-STEM fields. Interviews with CTE instructors at two community colleges revealed that faculty were challenged by how to best support disabled students during college and transition them successfully into the workforce, but they also recognized the value of the innovative insights these students can bring CTE programs and fields (Nachman, 2024)
|
From page 183... ...
are full, respected partners. TRANSFER BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS Community colleges and technical colleges provide educational opportunities for a large segment of the U.S.
|
From page 184... ...
. Without intentional support and intervention, students pursuing STEM education through community and technical colleges tend to experience low completion and transfer rates.
|
From page 185... ...
For transfers from community colleges to private institutions, the policies and procedures will be determined at an institutional level. In recent years, transfers from technical colleges (where the focus is on learning technical skills and practicing skills needed for the workforce)
|
From page 186... ...
Numerous analyses have examined student motivation and transitions from high school to postsecondary education and found variations in experiences between different subpopulations of students. Dual enrollment, CTE programs, and transfer pathways all illustrate the critical role that community colleges play in the overall undergraduate STEM education system.
|
From page 187... ...
do not provide sufficient orientation and support for newly arrived students. Obstacles to smooth transfer pathways from community colleges to baccalaureate granting institutions are likely to disproportionately impact first generation, low-income, or minoritized students, further exacerbating their already disproportionate representation, Conclusion 7.4: Career and technical education (CTE)
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.