My research questions pertain to (1) how Black undergraduate studentsâwho were interested in STEM at college entranceâperceive influences on their choice of a STEM or non-STEM major and (2) to how studentsâ lived experiences in STEM appear to have challenged their success in their intended postsecondary STEM pathways. In exploring the answers to these questions, I focused on students in two different contextsâa historically Black college (HBCU) and a predominantly White institution (PWI). In addition, I traced out the racialized nature of studentsâ experiences and uncovered ways that STEM structures (e.g., instructional practices) seemed to be impacting their academic choice processes. Using qualitative interview methodology, I uncovered several findings. STEM structures formed barriers to the expression of certain studentsâ values that, in turn, dissuaded them from persisting in STEM. Introductory course expectations appeared to reify racialized inequalities in pre-college educational access. Some studentsâ lack of access to effective college STEM supports in the areas of instruction and academic advising was compounded by unequal access to compensatory, informal, STEM supports which were dispensed along racial lines. Microaggressions in STEM spaces were evident on both PWI and HBCU campuses, though HBCU students more frequently revealed how their STEM professors at times marginalized them because of their gender, nationality, and assumed class identities. Based on these findings, I offer a series of recommendations for how undergraduate STEM programs might be more supportive of equity and diversity with respect to Black undergraduate students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-09142017-153614 |
| Date | 21 September 2017 |
| Creators | Bentley, Lydia Claire |
| Contributors | Luis Leyva,Ph.D., Tony Brown, Ph.D., Leona Schauble, Ph.D., Ebony O. McGee, Ph.D. |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-09142017-153614/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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