Fourteen Recommendations to Create a More Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Academic Biology

Cooper, Katelyn M.; Auerbach, Anna Jo; Bader, Jordan D.; Beadles-Bohling, Amy S.; Brashears, Jake; Cline, Erica T.; Eddy, Sarah L.; Elliott, Deanna B.; Farley, E. Ann; Fuselier, Linda; Heinz, Heather M.; Irving, Madison; Josek, Tanya; Lane, A. Kelly; Lo, Stanley M.; Maloy, Jeffrey; Nugent, Michelle; Offerdahl, Erika G.; Palacios‐Moreno, Juan Manuel; Ramos, Jorge; Reid, Joshua W.; Sparks, Rachel A.; Waring, Ashley L.; Wilton, Mike; Gormally, Cara; Brownell, Sara E.

doi:10.1187/cbe.20-04-0062

Cited by 80 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 101 publications

(179 reference statements)

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“…As we continue to seek widespread change in STEM education, future work should more closely examine the context within which instructors are working and how that affects their decision-making. In particular, the effects of context on the decision-making processes of instructors that identify with science persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) or who identify as LGBTQ+ should be explored as their experiences have significant implications for inclusion in STEM (Asai 2020;Cooper et al 2020). We will then be able to suggest beneficial changes at the institutional, departmental, and individual level that will help instructors adopt student-centered instructional practices in an evidence-based way.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model of peer effects on instructor innovation adoption

2020

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A considerable body of evidence demonstrates that active, student-centered instructional practices are more effective than lecture-based, transmissionist approaches in improving undergraduate STEM learning. Despite this evidence and extensive reform initiatives, the majority of STEM instructors continue to teach didactically. Awareness of teaching innovations is widespread in some STEM disciplines, and instructors report trying new instructional approaches, yet the majority of them fail to continue using active learning strategies. Recent work suggests that the decision to experiment with and persist in using a teaching innovation is influenced more by instructors’ perceived supports (e.g., access to curricular resources, supportive colleagues, positive departmental climate toward teaching) than perceived barriers. This commentary expands on the notion that the instructional decision-making process is personal and influenced by both individual and contextual factors to explicitly model the potential mechanisms by which peers encourage or discourage adoption of teaching innovations. We also discuss implications of this work for future research. We hope that this model will be helpful for work related to increasing the prevalence of active, student-centered instruction in undergraduate STEM.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model of peer effects on instructor innovation adoption

2020

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“…To explore the potential usefulness of the CSI framework in the unique context of biology, we used the CSI framework to explore Christianity, an identity that is not typically stigmatized 1 Some individuals have racial/ethnic identities that are hidden, and one should not assume a person's race/ethnicity based on physical appearance alone. Further, the gender identity that one identifies as may not be apparent from their physical appearance; this is particularly important for individuals who identify as nonbinary gender or transgender (Cooper et al, 2020a).…”

Section: Christianity As a Csi In Biologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Christianity as a Concealable Stigmatized Identity (CSI) among Biology Graduate Students

Barnes

Maas

Brownell

2021

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“…Students suggested using online Fig. 3 Points along the process of obtaining an undergraduate research experience where we aimed to identify the rules of research 1 We recognize that not all students identify as gender binary (man or woman) (Cooper et al, 2020); however, there were too few students who identified as non-gender binary to include this category in the analysis. 2 We collapsed students who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic, Latino/a or of Spanish Origin, and American Indian or Alaska Native into one category, which we call Persons Excluded because of their Ethnicity or Race (PEER) (Asai, 2020).…”

Section: Finding Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural capital in undergraduate research: an exploration of how biology students operationalize knowledge to access research experiences at a large, public research-intensive institution

2021

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Background Undergraduate research experiences are becoming essential for pursuing future opportunities in science, but little has been done to identify what factors predict which students get to participate in research and which students do not. In this manuscript, we propose “scientific research capital” and specifically “scientific research cultural capital” as constructs to explain what students may need to know and do in order to successfully engage in an undergraduate research experience. We begin to articulate what comprises one component of scientific research cultural capital, embodied cultural capital, by identifying the knowledge that students may need to have in order to obtain an undergraduate research experience at a large, research-intensive institution where there are many more undergraduates vying for research positions than opportunities available. We interviewed 43 researchers, defined as undergraduates who had participated in research, and 42 non-researchers, defined as undergraduates who were interested in participating in research but had not yet successfully obtained a position, in a biology department at an R1 institution. We analyzed the data using inductive coding. Results We identified 10 “rules of research” or aspects of scientific research cultural capital that undergraduates reported about finding and securing undergraduate research. We used logistic regression to test whether undergraduate researchers were more likely than non-researchers to know particular rules. Researchers were more likely than non-researchers to know rules about securing research opportunities. Conclusions Since researchers were more likely than non-researchers to know rules related to securing research, educating students about how to secure research experiences and encouraging faculty to re-examine the criteria they use to admit students into their labs may be a key step in leveling the playing field for students who are vying for research positions. We propose that the construct of scientific research cultural capital can help publicize the hidden curriculum of undergraduate research so that students can more equitably gain access to undergraduate research.

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Fourteen Recommendations to Create a More Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Academic Biology

Abstract: This essay highlights recommendations to make academic biology more inclusive of LGBTQ+ individuals. These recommendations are drawn from the literature and the collective experience of the 26-member author team.

Cited by 80 publications

References 101 publications

A model of peer effects on instructor innovation adoption

A model of peer effects on instructor innovation adoption

Christianity as a Concealable Stigmatized Identity (CSI) among Biology Graduate Students

Cultural capital in undergraduate research: an exploration of how biology students operationalize knowledge to access research experiences at a large, public research-intensive institution

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