A new approach to supplementary instruction narrows achievement and affect gaps for underrepresented minorities, first-generation students, and women

Abstract

To help students who traditionally underperform in general chemistry, we created a supplementary instruction (SI) course and called it the STEM-Dawgs Workshops. These workshops are an extension of the Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) SI. In addition to peer-facilitated problem-solving, we incorporated two components inspired by learning sciences: (1) training in research-based study skills, and (2) evidence-based interventions targeting psychological and emotional support. Here we use an explanatory mixed methods approach to measure the impact of the STEM-Dawgs Workshops, with a focus on four sub-populations that are historically underrepresented in Chemistry: underrepresented minorities, females, low-income students, and first-generation students. Specifically, we compared three groups of students in the same General Chemistry course: students in general chemistry and not the workshops (“Gen Chem students”), students in the workshops (“STEM-Dawgs”), and students who volunteered for the workshops but did not get in (“Volunteers”). We tested hypotheses with regression models and conducted a series of focus group interviews with STEM-Dawgs. Compared to the Gen Chem population, the STEM-Dawg and Volunteer populations were enriched with students in all four under-represented sub-populations. Compared to Volunteers, STEM-Dawgs had increased exam scores, sense of belonging, perception of relevance, self-efficacy, and emotional satisfaction about chemistry. URM STEM-Dawgs had lower failure rates, and exam score achievement gaps that impacted first-generation and female Gen Chem students were eliminated in the STEM-Dawg population. Finally, female STEM-Dawgs had an increased sense of belonging and higher emotional satisfaction about chemistry than women Volunteers. Focus groups suggested that successes came in part from the supportive peer-learning environment and the relationships with peer facilitators. Together, our results indicate that this supplementary instruction model can raise achievement and improve affect for students who are underrepresented in chemistry.

Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math

“…could occur if a demonstrated commitment to inclusion in an active-learning classroom inspires disproportionately more intense effort from students from MGS. In support of this claim, a general chemistry companion course that used psychological interventions to address belonging, stereotype threat, and other issues, combined with evidence-based study skills training and intensive peer-led group problem-solving, narrowed achievement gaps while controlling for self-selection bias (16).…”

“…14 and 15, but see ref. 16). A second widely implemented approach for reducing performance disparities provides multifaceted, comprehensive support over the course of a student's undergraduate career.…”

Reducing achievement gaps in undergraduate general chemistry could lift underrepresented students into a “hyperpersistent zone”

“…Recent experiments suggest that intensive active learning and a more-inclusive classroom culture in general chemistry may lead to higher performance by low-SES and URM students (34,35). However, the literature still lacks an example of a revised course design in general chemistry that results in reduced or no achievement gaps for female, URM, low-SES, and/or first-generation students-in terms of either raw gaps or gaps controlled for indices of academic preparation.…”

With Big Data Comes Big Responsibilities for Science Equity Research

“…For example, work in the United States shows large introductory science courses impose gendered grade penalties that negatively impact women (29, 30), perhaps due to high-stakes exams that largely determine course grades (25) or large class sizes (31). Effective approaches that address problems inherent to introductory science courses include reducing the proportion of students’ final grades that is based on exams (26), reducing class sizes (32), or facilitating peer-led instruction (33, 34). Others point to the importance of engaging children in science at early stages of their education (35, 36).…”