A Queer of Color Challenge to Neutrality in Undergraduate Stem Pedagogy as a White, Cisheteropatriarchal Space

Abstract

Higher education research has documented that racism and cisheteropatriarchy overlap to shape barriers and support opportunities for undergraduate queer and trans* students of color (QTSOC). However, research specific to STEM pedagogical practices (e.g., curricular design, classroom instruction, student support) is missing from this literature, which can provide discipline-specific insights on affirming classroom practices for this population. Reform in undergraduate STEM curriculum and instruction has largely focused on supporting all students, which upholds the guise of neutrality while leaving unchallenged the interlocking functions of cisheteropatriarchy and white supremacy. As a response to the JWM themed issue's call for reimagining STEM higher education research, this position paper proposes a queer of color research agenda to generate alternative approaches for undergraduate pedagogy that disrupt the violence of neutrality in STEM. Our agenda makes a twofold contribution. First, we extend research on racism and misogyny in undergraduate STEM classrooms by exploring how cisheteropatriarchy informs variation in racially minoritized students' experiences of pedagogical practices when considering minoritized gender and sexual identities. Second, the agenda brings a focus on STEM pedagogy to research on QTSOC, which has been overlooked despite its impact on students' academic persistence and disciplinary identity constructions. The position paper concludes with implications for departmental faculty, college/university leaders, and federal agencies to assist the development of educational practice and policies that disrupt STEM neutrality responsible for marginalization among undergraduate QTSOC.

A quantitative exploration of Queer-spectrum students’ experiences in introductory undergraduate mathematics courses

“…Queer-spectrum students also report high rates of harassment (42% of all Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual students and 55% of Transgender students) and fear getting a bad grade because of a hostile classroom environment (11% of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual students and 15% of Transgender students) [13]. Furthermore, there is growing evidence to highlight that the chilly and exclusionary climate in higher education is further heightened within STEM environments [15][16][17][18]. This hostile environment may limit Queer-spectrum college students' ability to reach their academic potential, as students report that a positive campus climate contributes to their overall academic success [14].…”

“It’s completely erasure”: A Qualitative Exploration of Experiences of Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Nonconforming, and Questioning Students in Biology Courses

“…The second master narrative that students identified was related to what many authors refer to as the “neutrality” of STEM ( Cech and Sherick, 2015 ; Hughes, 2017 ; Miller and Downey, 2020 ; Leyva et al. , 2022 ).…”

“…These values mean that discussions of identity and the impact of science on social inequalities are often seen as off topic and not welcome. In turn, this impacts students’ ability to engage as their full selves in the classroom, because the values of the class and the content do not create a safe space for them to do so (reviewed in Leyva et al. , 2022 ).…”

Talent denied: Equity and excellence gaps in STEMM

“…• STEM pedagogical practices in higher education were mainly developed in a white, cis-heteropatriarchal space and thereby disadvantage many students. 168 TA B L E 2 Definitions of types of learning capital in STEMM (endogenous resources) and representative examples of resource differences with regard to equity gaps.…”