A curricular approach to supporting low-income STEM Scholars is outlined and initial associations with retention, social and cultural capital, perception of science, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations are examined. Details are provided for the curricular support program based on interdisciplinary research, service learning, and an explicit examination of the interpretation of science based on culture and social location. We show that Scholars had increased retention and graduation within STEM majors compared to a control group. Further, Scholars self-report in surveys and interviews increased social and cultural capital, motivation, and related outcomes that they attribute to the interdisciplinary coursework that comprises the bulk of the program.
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Financial and Interdisciplinary Support Programs Differentially Support Low Income Scholars Through COVID
Students Engaging In Scientific and Mathematical Interdisciplinary Collaboration (NSF 164375), supports low-income, academically talented Scholars with multiple components including scholarships, paid undergraduate research, service learning, social science and humanities courses, and career development. Scholars will graduate in STEM at a rate of 95%, higher than the rate of eligible, non-participants (62%). High percentages of Scholars attribute increased understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of STEM and growth in on-campus support networks to programming. However, they report variation in the components to which they attribute those gains, with most participants acknowledging the importance of engagement with different program components over time. Scholars report differences in off-campus work, which may have been impacted by the Covid pandemic. While all Scholars starting at the onset of the Covid pandemic were retained in STEM, retention of eligible, non-participants fell from 70% to 38%, indicating the importance of financial and communal support during challenging times.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1643475
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10391024
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Transforming STEM Higher Education
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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