Location

PARB 126 (First Floor)

Proposal Track

Research Project

Session Format

Presentation

Abstract

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continue to drive the nation forward, there remains a need for more diversified STEM minds. While there have been many interventions geared toward supporting minorities at predominately white institutions (PWIs), seldom do researchers investigate where African American STEM students experience the most success, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Therefore, this qualitative case study aimed to examine the contextual factors that make up mentoring relationships in STEM at a HBCU that contribute to African American student persistence in STEM. An exploratory, qualitative approach was utilized to focus on STEM students at a private HBCU in the Southern region of the United States. Critical race theory and the phenomenological variant ecological systems theory were used to undergird the findings that were revealed about mentoring relationships in STEM at HBCUs. The results of this study indicated that when students receive quality mentoring their motivation increases which may contribute to their persistence within their STEM major. The findings have implications for STEM mentors and STEM programs at institutions where African Americans tend to struggle with persisting in STEM.

Keywords

STEM, Persistence, HBCUs, Diversity, Mentoring, Broadening Participation

Professional Bio

Dr. Brittany Chambers currently serves as an adjunct professor with Morehouse College and a postdoctoral research associate with the HBCU STEM-Undergraduate Success Research Center. Dr. Chambers received her Ed.D. in Higher Educational Leadership at Clark Atlanta University. In 2019, Dr. Chambers co-authored her first publication centered on STEM education and has since co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles and several poster and oral presentations. As a developing educational research scientist, Dr. Chambers is interested in understanding the contextual factors that make-up positive mentoring relationships for diverse African American students as they persist and achieve within STEM fields.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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Oct 14th, 9:00 AM Oct 14th, 10:15 AM

BLACK STEM MENTORS MATTER: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY EXAMINING THE CONTEXTUAL FACTORS OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS IN STEM AT A PRIVATE HBCU THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT PERSISTENCE WITHIN STEM MAJORS

PARB 126 (First Floor)

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continue to drive the nation forward, there remains a need for more diversified STEM minds. While there have been many interventions geared toward supporting minorities at predominately white institutions (PWIs), seldom do researchers investigate where African American STEM students experience the most success, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Therefore, this qualitative case study aimed to examine the contextual factors that make up mentoring relationships in STEM at a HBCU that contribute to African American student persistence in STEM. An exploratory, qualitative approach was utilized to focus on STEM students at a private HBCU in the Southern region of the United States. Critical race theory and the phenomenological variant ecological systems theory were used to undergird the findings that were revealed about mentoring relationships in STEM at HBCUs. The results of this study indicated that when students receive quality mentoring their motivation increases which may contribute to their persistence within their STEM major. The findings have implications for STEM mentors and STEM programs at institutions where African Americans tend to struggle with persisting in STEM.