Understanding how socio-historical contexts inform approaches to improving racial climate in stem graduate education within the United States

IF 1.8 Q2 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Sarah L. Rodriguez, Rosemary Perez, Angie Kim, Rudisang Motshubi
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine how two socio-historical contexts within the United States, the Movement for Black Lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, informed approaches to improving racial climate in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) graduate education.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a general qualitative inquiry research study design to conduct focus groups (n = 121) with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty members from across STEM disciplines as well as administrators whose work involves STEM graduate students. Participants were from two US institutions involved in a National Science Foundation networked improvement community seeking to create inclusive environments for STEM graduate students.

Findings

This study demonstrates how these socio-historical contexts illuminated and amplified on-going efforts to address racial climate for graduate students in US-based graduate education. In response to these events, STEM faculty devoted time that otherwise might have gone to purely technical or scientific endeavors to addressing racial climate. However, some faculty members remain hesitant to address racial climate and efforts appear to have further waned over time. While diversity, inclusion and equity efforts came to the forefront of the collective consciousness during this time, participants worry that these efforts are not sustainable, particularly without support from faculty and administrators.

Practical implications

The findings from this study will inform efforts to improve racial climate in STEM graduate programs.

Originality/value

This study fills an identified need to capture how socio-historical contexts, like the US Movement for Black Lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, have influenced approaches to improving racial climate in STEM graduate programs.

了解社会历史背景如何为改善美国干系研究生教育中的种族氛围提供依据
本研究的目的是探讨美国的两个社会历史背景--黑人生命运动和 COVID-19 大流行--是如何为改善科学、技术、数学和工程(STEM)研究生教育中的种族氛围提供信息的。作者采用了一般定性调查研究设计,与来自 STEM 各学科的研究生、博士后研究员和教师以及工作中涉及 STEM 研究生的管理人员进行了焦点小组讨论(n = 121)。研究结果这项研究展示了这些社会历史背景是如何照亮并放大了美国研究生教育中为解决研究生种族氛围问题而正在进行的努力。为了应对这些事件,科学、技术、工程和数学系的教职员工将原本可能用于纯技术或科学工作的时间用于解决种族氛围问题。然而,一些教职员工仍然对解决种族氛围问题犹豫不决,而且随着时间的推移,他们的努力似乎进一步减弱了。本研究的发现将为改善 STEM 研究生项目中的种族氛围提供参考。原创性/价值本研究填补了一项已确定的需求,即了解社会历史背景(如美国的黑人生命运动和 COVID-19 大流行)如何影响了改善 STEM 研究生项目中种族氛围的方法。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-
CiteScore
2.90
自引率
9.10%
发文量
17
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