Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Inclusive Pedagogy Increase Retention and Success Outcomes of STEM Students

Abstract

The i‐NATURE (Indigenous iNtegration of Aquatic sciences and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Undergraduate culturally Responsive Education) is a culturally relevant, project‐, and place‐based curriculum that included extensive applied research experience contextualized for specific Indigenous communities. The program developed a model for incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into STEM undergraduate education which included direct participation of several Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. After implementation of the i‐NATURE model, we tested whether the inclusive pedagogical strategies used in our intervention improved retention and learning outcomes for the students who participated in the i‐NATURE program. We report a highly significant difference in annual retention and mean course grade point average in the Environmental Science and Studies Programs pre‐ and post‐implementation of the i‐NATURE curriculum. We also report an increase in student interest in pursuing STEM careers and the impacts of the i‐NATURE curricula on two undergraduate participants. This study indicates that academic and research experiences in STEM higher education programming, that incorporates cultural relevant ways of knowing and is reflective of Indigenous community values, can improve student success outcomes and garner interest in pursuing STEM careers.

Assessing opportunities and inequities in undergraduate ecological forecasting education

“…Native American undergraduate students are a subset of underrepresented minority students in the sciences in the United States, with pervasive socioeconomic barriers to success in the university context (Alexiades et al, 2021 ). Consistent with objective (1), we are currently evaluating existing data science and EF resources to address the accessibility of EF education for Native American undergraduate students.…”

Moving beyond content knowledge: Examining the impacts of a culturally responsive microbiology curriculum

“…Their findings indicated an increase in academic performance and graduation rates. Alexiades et al (2021) created a culturally responsive undergraduate STEM course that allowed the integration of traditional ecological knowledge from indigenous groups and found it led to an increase in mean grade point average. In support of the first research question posed in this study, they also found students had an increased interest in pursuing a career in STEM.…”

Present in class yet absent in science: The individual and societal impact of inequitable science instruction and challenge to improve science instruction

“…Likewise, acknowledgement and research into the experiences of emerging multilingual are continually growing. In addition, we acknowledge the marginalization of Native American/Indigenous/Alaskan Native and First Nations in the sciences and current efforts to develop inclusive pedagogies, implement culturally relevant curricula, and use local and indigenous knowledge in science instruction (Aikenhead, 1997; Alexiades et al, 2021; Reano & Ridgway, 2015). Implications for science instruction for these students have more advanced research and wider dissemination.…”