NSF Award
2411884
Various disparities in STEM higher education have been the focus of many programs for decades. Practices typically emphasize preparing historically excluded populations and overlook or minimize preparing the institutional environment to be inclusive. The Bowie State (BSU)/University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)/University of Maryland (UMD) Network proposes the development of a Culturally Responsive Community of Practice to facilitate the adaptation of culturally responsive practices in graduate education and mentoring. Culturally relevant practices have recently begun to be incorporated into secondary education; however, these practices may also be effective in addressing the gaps observed in STEM graduate education. Previously funded work by the BSU/UMES/UMD Network evaluated how historically excluded populations at the Network institutions viewed the graduate school at UMD. The survey results from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and administration informed the focus and approach to be utilized in this project. The Community of Practice is designed to provide faculty who have expressed interest in working with the Network with an opportunity to adapt culturally relevant methods to teach and mentor historically excluded populations. Additionally, the proposed project intends to help student participants become familiar with graduate school opportunities at the various institutions, especially UMD, and engage them in necessary research training to ease their transition into graduate education in STEM fields. This novel approach addresses disparities for historically excluded populations in STEM graduate education and has the potential to be adopted by other schools in Maryland and the nation. <br/><br/>Culturally relevant pedagogy in STEM refers to approaches that incorporate diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives into teaching. Culturally relevant pedagogy is supported by cultural awareness, cultural competence and cultural responsiveness of the educator. This pedagogy has been introduced to secondary educators, postdoctoral students, and graduate students; however, graduate STEM faculty have had limited exposure. The goal of this proposal is to conduct four trainings in culturally relevant pedagogy for STEM faculty and implement an online mentor training program. The training and mentoring program are intended vehicles in developing a Culturally Responsive Community of Practice. The intended structure of the Culturally Responsive Community of Practice is to allow participants to share culturally responsive research opportunities and instructional strategies as well as facilitate continuous engagement among regional colleagues in similar fields. The aim is to implement the culturally relevant practices in a 10-week summer research program held at the three partnering institutions for undergraduate students from historically excluded populations. In addition to the 10-week summer research program, plans include each Network institution hosting professional development workshops for students, which will culminate in a joint symposium and students having the opportunity to travel and present their research, extending their connection with mentors and lab mates beyond the summer. Project activities, including an instrumental case study approach employing mixed methods, are also designed to address the following research questions: 1) What is the impact of a cross-institutional culturally responsive Community of Practice on cultural awareness, responsiveness, and competency among STEM faculty; and 2) What is the impact of a cross-institutional culturally responsive Community of Practice on interest in STEM research among undergraduate students from historically excluded populations.<br/> <br/>This collaborative project is funded by the EDU Racial Equity in STEM Education activity, which is supported by the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU). This activity supports research and practice projects that investigate how considerations of racial equity factor into the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. Awarded projects seek to center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by systemic inequities within the STEM enterprise. Programs across EDU contribute funds to the Racial Equity activity in recognition of the alignment of its projects with the collective research and development thrusts of the four divisions of the directorate.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
