Diversity in the PLTW Classroom: How to Recruit Underrepresented Students Tracy R. Peterson Director, Diversity Programs and K-12 Outreach College of Engineering The University of Iowa
The STEM Crisis
Connecting the Dots
Connecting the Dots
Connecting the Dots Why is it that most of us did not think of going outside the boundaries to solve the problem? We had to get outside of our usual way of thinking, outside of the box we put ourselves in. We had to literally draw outside the lines. This is what is required of us when we interact with people who are different from us. We have to look at other ways of thinking about thinking. Drawing outside the lines is very difficult because we are so used to our own way of thinking and our own point of view that it is hard to see other points of view. To successfully interact with people from different backgrounds and different cultures, we must learn to look at the world from many points of view. Any examples or situations that required thinking outside of the box.
Unconscious or Implicit Bias Unconscious attitudes which often clash with professed (explicit) beliefs about groups Grow out of normal and necessary features of human cognition (schemas) Even the most well-intentioned person unwillingly allows unconscious thoughts & feelings to influence apparently objective decisions. - M. Banaji "... Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today -- especially in science, technology, engineering and math." -President Barack Obama, September 16, 2010
Schemas Templates of knowledge that help us organize specific examples into broader categories. Mental shortcuts (Kang, 2009) Schemas are expectations or non-conscious hypotheses about the characteristics of a person based on their group membership. Schemas influence our judgments of others (often regardless of our own group membership).
Pick out the Immigrant
Children of Single Mothers
Pick out the non-engineer! Dance Major
Issues affecting Underrepresented Students Lack of exposure to Science in the early years STEM is just not that cool Limited interest in Science as a Career Lack of hands-on experiences Increased High School drop-out rates Lack of role models and mentors
Lack of exposure to Science in the early years The numbers of students in underrepresented groups available for recruitment into STEM fields may be limited by the challenges faced by students in kindergarten through high school. Historically, most students, but particularly students from African American, Hispanic, and Native American backgrounds, are introduced to and engaged in science towards the end of high school and in college (Baker, 2000). By the time students reach high school, many have already decided whether or not to pursue higher education and may have focused on broad areas of interest, such as medicine or the biomedical fields.
Limited interest in Science as a Career While early exposure to science and teaching methodology have been shown to have profound effects on a student s ability to continue in science, there is evidence to indicate that student expectation of a scientific profession may play a role in successful completion of that career choice. A recent report by Tai and collaborators (2006), postulates that young adolescents who expect to have careers in science are more likely to graduate with a degree in science than their counterparts with no expectation of scientific careers. The longitudinal study did not provide proof of a cause and effect relationship between expectations of careers in science and becoming career scientists; however, the data did suggest that an early interest in science, developing in middle school or earlier, should be considered in the recruitment of minorities into the sciences.
Increased High School drop-out rates Another major challenge to the recruitment and retention of minorities into science is the small pool of students available to pursue higher education due to high school dropout rates and low graduation rates. Dropout rates in high school are greater for ethnic minorities than for any other group. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 1997) reported that the high school dropout rate for white students was fewer than 8% while it was just over 12% for African Americans and was approximately 30% for Hispanics. In an earlier report by Swisher and Hoisch (1992), they estimated the rate for Native Americans at 30%, although data for the Native American population were oftentimes difficult to collect and ascertain. In a more recent report (NCES 2005), the 2004 rates decreased slightly from the earlier rates reported showing 6.8% for white students compared with 11.8% for African Americans and 23.8% for Hispanics.
Lack of role models and mentors Funding is and will continue to be a central issue affecting the recruitment and retention of well-qualified, underrepresented minorities. However, students shy away from STEM disciplines even when funding is not the major issue. Effective mentoring and the presence of role models are often said to be key for establishing and maintaining a diverse academic environment (George et al. 2001). Many academic departments in STEM disciplines lack diversity, and students entering such schools often feel alienated by the absence of role models or individuals with whom they can identify. This feeling of alienation is sometimes abated in students who have had prior exposure to a given discipline. For underrepresented students, the development of a pool of role models and mentors is a circular problem. Underrepresented students need to see successful individuals whom they can emulate. They want to talk one-on-one with these individuals about personal challenges and roads to success. Without mentoring and role models, students will shy away from ecology and other science disciplines, and migrate towards those fields that are perceived as better compensated, more prestigious, or where they feel more culturally accepted.
Lack of hands-on experiences Students who have hands-on research experiences are distinctly advantaged over their peers. Hands-on research experiences or activities in STEM areas typically will not include field trips, college visits, or visiting a laboratories or field research. Research experiences that have real-world experiences or activities that bring to life theoretical concepts of what students acquired in the classroom is important. These kinds of experiences enable students to appreciate the need for developing skills in mathematics, the sciences and technology, and the scientific method.
STEM is just not that cool It s not cool to be the nerd in class according to imageconscious students A subculture among underrepresented minority students that discourages academic success acting white Social factors Interpersonal intimidation (being smarter) Threatened belongingness (don t want to be outted) stereotype threat/ identity threat (They ll make fun of me )
What is Science?
PLTW Statements Diversity in Thought We believe our workforce should be as diverse as the students and partners we serve. Developing leading-edge curriculum and implementing innovative business solutions takes an exceptional perspective. At PLTW, we find this perspective by attracting individuals from many different backgrounds and experiences that collectively enable us to meet everyday challenges. We promote an inclusive culture of equal opportunity and value the differences that make each of us unique. Culture of Learning We live STEM by employing innovative approaches to solve complex problems and by integrating technological advances that further our mission. We believe in lean practices to maximize resources and hold ourselves accountable for results. We provide our team with a variety of tools to enhance their professional journey from enriching professional development opportunities to coaching from a highly accomplished leadership team we encourage our employees to engage as thought partners in all aspects of our organization.
Diversity The first thing to acknowledge about diversity is that it can be difficult. The term often leads to anxiety for school administrators (Guild, 2014) Members of certain ethnic minority groups and women have been historically underrepresented among those who earn STEM degrees and go on to careers in the STEM fields. The nation is becoming ever more ethnically diverse; large increases are expected in the proportion of the population from the very groups that are historically underrepresented. Quality classes in the STEM subjects can be expensive, and districts with high concentrations of low-income students may have difficulty providing these opportunities without state aid.
What you can do to recruit students into STEM? Recognize that every person matters... Develop positive interactions with students and colleagues Form diverse research and classroom teams Participate in training to increase awareness and skills Recognize and interrupt bias that disadvantages groups Be an ally and let students know you are available for them Encourage civil discourse in the classroom and the school Help create exciting STEM curricula into the classroom Partner with area colleges and universities to visit their campuses
What you can do to recruit students into STEM? Reach out to coordinators in different programs with the colleges/universities to learn more about outreach opportunities Network with local companies that focus in STEM areas (Veterinary Clinic, Agribusiness, Technology firm, etc.) Develop a school wide STEM Ambassador program for teachers and administrators Reward staff members that are innovative in their teaching Hire women and underrepresented teachers, so that students have someone they can identify with
What can you do to recruit these students into STEM? Advocate for your students Speak differently and compellingly about diversity Frame issues Demonstrate leadership Be willing to alter status quo Don t engage in unnecessary arguments Share your story Seek out students needing motivation
How Educators can leverage STEM activities? Share your Story Encourage Job Shadows Seek Internships for students Host STEM demonstrations Seek Lab tours at the U of Iowa Host Career Presentations Attend Diversity trainings Mentor Underrepresented Minority and Female Students Leadership in Equity and Inclusion Creating an Inclusive Classroom Coordinate visits with target populations
OASIS Activities Student Mentoring/Training Train K-12 teachers for pre-engineering curriculum Provide social programing for summer undergraduate interns at UI Support student ambassadors/outreach agents/camp instructors Support student organizations for underrepresented minorities and women Assist with recruitment of underrepresented graduate programs Provide diversity training for First-year engineering students Support bridge programs for students entering college
OASIS Activities K-12 Student Programming Upward Bound Black Girls Do Science Noche de Ciencias Lego EV-3 training Hosting group visits to labs Wind STEM Talent Expansion Program (WindSTEP) Camps Outreach at state and regional STEM festivals First Tech Challenge Competitions
References Banaji, M. R., Bazerman, M. H., & Chugh, D. (2003). How (un) ethical are you?. Harvard Business Review, 81(12), 56-65. Connecting the Dots Exercise, http://mep.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/psu_diversity_activities.pdf George, Y.S., D.S. Neale, V.V. Horne and S.M. Malcolm 2001. American Society for Advancement of Science (AAAS) report. In pursuit of a diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce: Recommended research priorities to enhance participation by underrepresented minorities. http://ehrweb.aaas.org/mge/reports/report1/agep/agep_report.pdf Guild, P.B. Diversity, Learning Styles and Culture. http://education.jhu.edu/pd/newhorizons/strategies/topics/learning%20styles/diversity.html i.am FIRST: My Robot is Better Than Your Robot, http://iamangelfoundation.org/programs/iam_first/ Kang, Jerry. "Implicit Bias A Primer for Courts." National Center for State Courts; Prepared for the National Campaign to Ensure the Racial and Ethnic Fairness of America's State Courts. Aug. 2009 Baker, B. 2000. Recruiting minorities to the biological sciences. Bioscience 50 (3): 191-195. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).1997. Minorities in Higher Education. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC. National Center for Education Statistics (2005). Digest of Education Statistics (NCES 2006-030). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. The STEM Crisis Video, https://www.nms.org/aboutnmsi/thestemcrisis.aspx Swisher, K. and Hoisch, M. 1992. Dropping out among American Indians and Alaska Natives: A Review of Studies. Journal of American Indian Education. 31(2): 3-23. Tai, R.H., Qi Liu, C., Maltese, A. V. and Fan, X. (2006). Planning early for careers in science. Science 312 (5777): 1143 1144.
Questions?