Engaging Underrepresented Adolescents in Authentic Scientific Settings: Scientist Role Models and Improving Psychosocial Outcomes

Abstract

There is a critical need for more effective comprehensive programs to increase the number of underrepresented minority students pursuing scientific careers. Science education often is fragmented, delivered with single-focused approaches -traditional classroom lectures, or hands-on-activities, or conducting research. The current paper examines a comprehensive biomedical research program that integrated classroom teaching, hands-on-activities, conducting a research study, and mentoring from scientists in authentic scientific settings. We assessed short-term psychosocial outcomes and long-term academic outcomes in the participants, largely underrepresented minority high school students. The psychosocial outcomes assessed pre and post program include: knowledge of science pathways, attitudes toward science, self-efficacy in science, and scientific communication skills. Post-program results showed an increasing trend for knowledge of science pathways, attitudes toward science, and self-efficacy in science. Post-program, students also reported significant increases in feeling they had role models in science. A long-term assessment was conducted examining participating students' college attendance and majoring in a STEM field. The long-term assessment showed that 77% of students were attending college, 79% were majoring in STEM, and 75% were planning to pursue additional higher education. Findings provide evidence for the short-term and long-term benefits of a comprehensive biomedical research program conducted in an authentic scientific setting.

Pre-College Summer Program in Entrepreneurial and Design Thinking Influences STEM Success for African American Students

“…Fortunately, there are STEM educational support programs in-college, which have been shown to work in helping overcome disadvantages that some students' background characteristics might present to their academic success and persistence in STEM degree programs (Barlow and Villarejo, 2004;Carter, 2006;Chang et al, 2014). And importantly, there are university-based outreach programs that reach students, pre-college, aimed at promoting, recruiting, preparing, and enrolling them for STEM degree programs (Ashley et al, 2017;Bachman et al, 2008;Cappelli et al, 2019;Chávez et al, 2019;Constan and Spicer, 2015;Elam et al, 2012;Findley-Van Nostrand and Pollenz, 2017;Martinez et al, 2012;Murphy et al, 2010;Zhou, 2020;Zhou et al, 2017). These university-based academic outreach pro-grams range from one-week summer camps to bridge programs that may stretch an entire summer.…”