Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of historically
underrepresented graduate students, more than half of whom were enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This focus group study represents an initial stage in developing an intervention for historically underrepresented graduate students and their families.
Background: Underrepresentation of graduate students of color in STEM has been attributed to a myriad of factors, including a lack of support systems. Familial support is an endorsed reason for persisting in graduate school. It is unclear what historically underrepresented graduate students’ experiences are during uncertain times, such as a pandemic.
Method: Focus groups were conducted online using a videoconferencing platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five focus groups included: historically underrepresented doctoral students (n =5), historically underrepresented master’s students (n = 6),
academic faculty (n = 7), administrator, administrative faculty, and academic faculty (n = 6), and families of historically underrepresented doctoral students (n = 6). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: Historically underrepresented graduate students experienced difficulties in accessing resources, adjustments to home and family life, amplification of existing nonfinancial issues, and expressed both fears of and hopes for the future.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities in access to resources as well as nonfinancial family support.
Implications: This study may help normalize historically underrepresented graduate
students’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings include ideas for
informing families about graduate school that can enlighten family support efforts for historically underrepresented graduate students and their families.
more »
« less
Familial roles and support of doctoral students
Objective: Identify the role(s) and support(s), if any, that
family members provide to first-generation and historically
marginalized doctoral students, including strengths and
challenges of this support.
Background: Nonfinancial family support is important for
the success and retention of first-generation and historically marginalized graduate students. More empirical studies of the role(s) and support of family members of these
doctoral students are needed.
Method: During an intervention designed for firstgeneration and historically marginalized doctoral students
and their families, we conducted four focus groups with
doctoral students (n = 22) and three focus groups with the
family members they chose to accompany them (n = 15).
Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: Two themes emerged from the data: support and
connection. In addition to providing distinct types of support, families play both supportive and connective roles.
There are challenges to family roles and support in areas
such as communication, doctoral student stress, and different ways that family members and doctoral students think
about and approach life.
Conclusion: The study provided key insights to understanding the roles and support of family of doctoral students; more efforts are needed across graduate schools in
the United States.
Implications: Family science faculty and graduate schools
may collaborate to provide meaningful interventions for
graduate students and their families for the goal of promoting graduate student retention and success.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1856189
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10419589
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Family Relations
- ISSN:
- 0197-6664
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
This analysis reveals the informal instrumental and socio-emotional support that non-traditional (e.g. Latinx, Black, Indigenous, lower-income, and first-generation) college students receive from family members to combat experiences of marginalization and contribute towards their self-efficacy. Family support can be particularly important for underrepresented undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) students who have been shown to have higher risks of dropping out of their program and experience lower levels of success indicators (e.g. sense of belonging, self-concept, and STEM identity) compared to their white and Asian peers. Therefore, it is important to further investigate the nuances of family support contributing to non-traditional student retention and success. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, we used open-ended questions during focus groups with community college transfer students to gain their experiences with challenges and feelings of belonging in college and STEM. This article investigates the value family support holds for students in surviving STEM challenges by extending family to include romantic partners and extended family as well as applying the funds of knowledge framework to community college transfer students.more » « less
-
Amaral, Luís_A Nunes (Ed.)Despite the importance of a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in biological research, women, racial and ethnic minorities, and students from non-traditional academic backgrounds remain underrepresented in the composition of university faculty. Through a study on doctoral students at a research-intensive university, we pinpoint advising from faculty as a critical component of graduate student experiences and productivity. Graduate students from minority backgrounds reported lower levels of support from their advisors and research groups. However, working with an advisor from a similar demographic background substantially improved productivity and well-being of these students. Several other aspects of mentoring practices positively predicted student success and belonging, including frequent one-on-one meetings, empathetic and constructive feedback, and relationships with other peer or faculty mentors. Our study highlights the need to renovate graduate education with a focus on retention–not just recruitment–to best prepare students for success in scientific careers.more » « less
-
This study investigates instructional practices that support rightful familial presence in STEM as a mechanism to address the continued racial/class gap in STEM achievement for historically marginalized students. We define rightful familial presence as a form of authentic family engagement that 1) legitimizes families’ community cultural capital, and 2) fosters capital movement between families and schools, especially when these forms of capital have historically been marginalized within STEM learning. We ask: What practices grounded in research-practice-partnerships support rightful familial presence, and how do these practices facilitate capital movement between families and schools for STEM teaching and learning?more » « less
-
Research has shown that student achievement is influenced by their access to, or possession of, various forms of capital. These forms of capital include financial capital, academic capital (prior academic preparation and access to academic support services), cultural capital (the attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to education which students are exposed to by members of their family or community), and social capital (the resources students have access to as a result of being members of groups or networks). For community college students, many with high financial need and the first in their families to go to college (especially those from underrepresented minority groups), developing programs to increase access to these various forms of capital is critical to their success. This paper describes how a small federally designated Hispanic-serving community college has developed a scholarship program for financially needy community college students intending to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. Developed through a National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant, the program involves a collaboration among STEM faculty, college staff, administrators, student organizations, and partners in industry, four-year institutions, local high schools, and professional organizations. In addition to providing financial support through the scholarships, student access to academic capital is increased through an intensive math review program, tutoring, study groups, supplemental instruction, and research internship opportunities. Access to cultural and social capital is increased by providing scholars with faculty mentors; engaging students with STEM faculty, university researchers, and industry professionals through field trips, summer internships, professional organizations, and student clubs; supporting student and faculty participation at professional conferences, and providing opportunities for students and their families to interact with faculty and staff. The paper details the development of the program, and its impact over the last five years on enhancing the success of STEM students as determined from data on student participation in various program activities, student attitudinal and self-efficacy surveys, and academic performance including persistence, retention, transfer and graduation.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12848
