The COVID-19 pandemic has created various challenges for all students, regardless of ethnicity.
Research reveals how historically minoritized groups have struggled in their educational pursuits
due to the pandemic. Black/African American students have encountered increased challenges in
learning online, job insecurity, and negative impacts on their health or emotional state. While
research indicates these negative influences have adversely affected students’ overall engagement
in postsecondary education, literature is scarce regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has
affected Black or African American students in postsecondary science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, and computing (STEM+C) education. The purpose of this exploratory study is to
understand the influences of COVID-19 on Black/African American STEM+C majors at a Hispanic
serving institution.
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Identifying Systemic Barriers: Computer Science District and School Policies for African American and Hispanic Students with Disabilities
Numerous African American and Hispanic Students with disabilities are confronted with systemic and policy-based challenges preventing access to K-12 STEM-related and computer science education. In addition, the African American and Hispanic Students with Disabilities in the Computer Science Research Alliance conducted an NSF-funded study to understand teachers’ perceptions of district and school policies and practices that hinder the participation of African American and Hispanic students with disabilities in computer science education in Central Texas. The project’s research study fills a critical gap in the literature concerning the systemic barriers affecting African American and Hispanic students with disabilities in K12 computer science education.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1923199
- PAR ID:
- 10445599
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the Alliance of Black School Educators
- ISSN:
- 1934-3558
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Engineering and computer science disciplines remain substantially under-represented in Hispanic, African American and women students. Relative to the population demographics reflecting approximately 50% women, 60% white non Hispanic/Latinx, 13% African American, 19% Hispanic and 1.3% Native American, engineering demographics reflect underrepresentation. While recent trends reflect significant gains, women remain under-represented in engineering. Based on the ASEE EDMS system, in 2022, women earned 25% of engineering degrees and under-represented students (URM=African American, Hispanic, native American and Pacific islanders) earned 21% of degrees. From a first time in college enrollment in a university perspective, URM freshmen accounted for 27% of all freshmen enrollment. Within that the African American student population was at 6% and Hispanic at 13%. The gap between freshmen enrollment at the Universities and higher percentages at graduation reflects the trend that URM students are entering the University experience beyond the freshmen level making the transfer student engagement and retention a key need. In this paper we explore systematic organizational change in communicating the degree pathways to a graduation in engineering and engaging students sequentially from enrollment through graduation. We explore these in the prepandemic, post-pandemic, new HSI designation macro changes in the University. The results indicate that students are benefitted from having administrators, faculty and full-time staff work synergistically to communicate information that can be accessed by students without needing an appointment/commute and to grow a students pathway to lifelong learning through research is best enabled through student-student direct engagement.more » « less
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This qualitative research study is part of a larger NSF-funded project entitled "Cogenerative Development of Culturally Relevant Pedagogical Guidelines for Computer Science and Computational Thinking in High Schools." During Year 1 of the project, qualitative semi- structured interviews were conducted with 26 high school students to better understand the challenges and barriers to enrollment in and/or engagement/success in Computer Science courses in high school. A grounded theory approach was used, given the exploratory nature of the study. Students were selected from three regional high schools and had to meet at least one of the criteria associated with underrepresented students in Computer Science: identifying as female; low socioeconomic status; and/or racial/ethnic minority (Black/African American; Hispanic/Latinx/Chicanx; Native American/Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or multi-racial). Common themes that emerged included the following: Challenges (Financial Factors, Role of Gender (i.e. identifying as female), and Race/Ethnicity Issues); Positive Influences (Role of Teacher, Role of Family); Other Interesting Insights (Wanting to be challenged in Computer Science Classes, Problems with the Marketing of Computer Science as a discipline). Social Identity Theory is used to better understand the experiences of high school students, especially what practices or beliefs keep underrepresented students of Computer Science from enrolling in Computer Science courses in the first place and/or persisting in the Computer Science field. Limitations of the current study are discussed as well as directions for future research and implications for a more culturally relevant pedagogical approach to teaching Computer Science and Computational Thinking in high schools. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation CS for All: Research and RPPs program, Award No. 2122367.more » « less
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As the demand for computing careers increases, it is important to implement strategies to broaden the participation in computer science for African Americans. Computer science courses and academic pathways are not always offered in secondary schools. Many teachers are not trained in computer science, yet are pushed to incorporate more computing, computational thinking, and computer usage. A qualitative focus group study was implemented to assess the computer science identities of African American teachers and of their respective urban secondary schools serving African American students. Three major codes were identified: district administration of computer and computing implementation, teacher attitudes towards computer science instruction, and teachers’ recommendations to improve computer science and computational thinking instruction and outreach for African American secondary school students. Findings can be used to improve computer science and technology rollout programs from county and district administrations, teacher instruction with digital tools, and computer science outreach for African American secondary school students.more » « less
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This qualitative research project is part of a larger NSF-funded grant entitled "Cogenerative Development of Culturally Relevant Pedagogical Guidelines for Computer Science and Computational Thinking in High Schools." During Year 1 of the project, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 high school students to better understand the challenges and barriers to enrollment in and engagement/success in Computer Science courses in high school. A grounded theory approach was used, given the exploratory nature of the study. Students were selected from three partner schools and had to meet at least one of the criteria associated with underrepresented students in Computer Science: identifying as female; low socioeconomic status; and/or racial/ethnic minority (Black/African American; Hispanic/Latinx/Chicanx; Native American/Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or multi-racial). Common themes that emerged included the following: Challenges (Financial Factors, Role of Gender (i.e. identifying as female), and Race/Ethnicity Issues); Positive Influences (Role of Teacher, Role of Family); Other Interesting Insights (Wanting to be challenged in Computer Science Classes, Problems with the Marketing of Computer Science as a discipline). Limitations of the current study are discussed as well as directions for future research and implications for a more culturally relevant pedagogical approach to teaching Computer Science and Computational Thinking in high schools. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation CS for All: Research and RPPs program, Award No. 2122367.more » « less
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