Drawing a New Scientist: Why I Come Out to My Chemistry Class

Abstract

Encouraging the persistence of underrepresented populations in STEM begins in gateway science courses like general chemistry. In these courses, success often depends on students’ ability to affirm their identity and sense of belonging in the science classroom. General chemistry suffers from an unfortunate lack of diverse role models; however, the instructor can use personal identity to help remedy this problem. Actively affirming identity in the classroom allows students from all backgrounds to feel like they belong in science. Additionally, by sharing information about oneself, the instructor is in a unique position to share power in the classroom, empowering students to develop their own voices as scientists.

Calculating Queer Acceptance and Visibility: A Literature Synthesis on Queer Identity in Mathematics

“…Research shows that having role models that share aspects of your identity such as race and gender supports students' persistence and academic performance in math (Drury, Siy, & Cheryan, 2011;Marx & Roman, 2002). While there have yet to be studies to document the same effect on academic performance and persistence for queer students there are a growing number of STEM professionals advocating for coming out in math and science to provide visible role models for youth (Barres, Montague-hellen, & Yoder, 2017;Esposito, 2019;Knezz, 2019;Restar & Operario, 2019;.…”

Using Student-Led Discussion and Reflection of a Public Health–Related Nonfiction Book as a Tool to Encourage Inclusive Pedagogy in an Undergraduate Classroom

“…While STEM educators believe in inclusive pedagogy, they often avoid discussing sociopolitical, culturally sensitive topics due to the enormity of course content, and/or an inherent discomfort in facilitating these discussions (8). As a result, instruction in a STEM classroom is typically objective, data-driven, and focused on scientific concepts (e.g., gene regulation) (9). Nonetheless, instructors who have successfully executed such discussions provide evidence that socio-scientific issues-based instruction fosters content learning, improves performance on high-stakes tests (10), and increases reflective judgment and epistemological growth (11,12).…”

Where Does CER Stand on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? Insights from a Literature Review

“…Another strategy targeting social factors of learning is creating a classroom culture that respects and values students’ diverse racial, gender, and socioeconomic identities. Studies showed that such a classroom culture improved students’ sense of belonging and retention in chemistry courses. ,,− On the basis of a review of evidence-based practices, White and colleagues suggested that instructors’ enactment of a growth mindset and validation of students’ identities can promote students’ sense of belonging and positively impact performance and retention of URM students. Knezz described her experiences from sharing her own identity with students in chemistry classes and advocated that actively affirming identity in the classroom allowed students from all backgrounds to feel that they belong in science.…”

“…Studies showed that such a classroom culture improved students’ sense of belonging and retention in chemistry courses. ,,− On the basis of a review of evidence-based practices, White and colleagues suggested that instructors’ enactment of a growth mindset and validation of students’ identities can promote students’ sense of belonging and positively impact performance and retention of URM students. Knezz described her experiences from sharing her own identity with students in chemistry classes and advocated that actively affirming identity in the classroom allowed students from all backgrounds to feel that they belong in science. In a high school classroom, Patchen and Smithenry showed that engaging students in different participant structures (students work as individuals, in small groups, and as the whole group) makes all students feel they belong to a learning community.…”

“…We speculate that the increase in diversity at the undergraduate levels may be driven by widespread reforms to improve retention and academic outcomes for students from historically minoritized groups. Some researchers have focused on providing support to individual students, such as additional academic support, like supplementary instruction, ,,, early research experiences, and social-psychological interventions. ,,, In particular, several researchers have pointed to the effectiveness of practices that combine academic support and psychological support. , Other researchers have targeted the social factors of learning by promoting active and collaborative learning ,,, and creating a classroom culture that respects and values students’ identities. ,,− Some scholars have targeted the content of chemistry curricula themselves and revised them to be more relevant to students lives. ,− Additionally, we note that many studies, even when the primary research goal was not to advance DEI, examined the impact of interventions on student subgroups. ,, This research focus appears to be a response to a call for student subgroup comparisons . We believe this approach can be useful as it encourages the CER community to always take equity into consideration in their research practices.…”