If we wish to see our STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) broadening participation efforts affect change, we must also critically reflect upon and broaden our scientific approaches to studying STEM participation, adopting methodologies and frameworks that most appropriately fit the problems and questions at hand. In this article, we discuss how critical mixed-methodological approaches and intersectionality frameworks offer the possibility of a science of broadening participation that deeply understands, contextualizes, and addresses complex barriers to STEM inclusion. First, we describe the suggested approaches and frameworks, illustrating how they allow us to improve how we collect, measure, interpret, and analyze data. Next, we provide some specific examples of how such approaches and frameworks have enriched our scientific work. Last, we offer some final recommendations for researchers seeking to broaden the science of broadening participation in STEM.

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This essay details the usefulness of critical theoretical frameworks and critical mixed-methodological approaches for life sciences education research on broadening participation in the life sciences.

Computer science is seeing a decline in enrollment at all levels of education. One key strategy for reversing this decline is to improve methods of student retention. This paper, based on a 10-month case study at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, examines two aspects of student retention at both the graduate and undergraduate levels: community identity and community relationships. Our data shows that students feel isolated from each other, faculty, and members of the greater computer science community. Given our findings, we highlight existing programs and propose new programs which improve student-community interactions. While the lessons learned might not apply at every institution, they constitute a valuable case study for improving conditions for students at large research universities.