187 Views

Going Above and Beyond: How Providing Minoritized Students with Agency and Ownership Helps Them Persist in Science

Friday, November 4, 2022

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Location: Roosevelt

Co-Presenter(s)

Brit A. Toven-Lindsey (she/her/hers)

Research Analyst, Center for Educational Assessment
University of California, Los Angeles
Berkeley, California, United States

Presenter(s)

Casey Shapiro

Assistant Director of Learning Analytics
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
London Williams

Graduate Student
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States
TJ

Tracy Johnson

Professor and Dean
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
ML

Marc Levis-Fitzgerald (he/him/his)

Director
University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Educational Assessment, United States
DO

Denise Ortiz

Graduate Student
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States

Program Abstract: Science identity and building a strong sense of community are crucial for minoritized groups of students majoring in STEM. The often hostile nature of STEM can threaten students’ sense of belonging and science engagement. The UCLA-HHMI Pathways to Success, a four-year academic support program for students of color in life sciences, provides students with a community of peers and mentors, and has been shown to increase science identity, persistence in science majors, and undergraduate research participation. This study examines the ways that Pathways encourages student ownership and belonging through interviews with students who served as peer learning assistants in the first-year research lab course or with peer facilitators for the collaborative learning workshops. Study findings help inform the design and assessment of academic support programs for undergraduate science majors, as well as broader implications for student persistence and commitment to careers in science.