Cultural congruity and academic confidence of American Indian graduate students in STEM: Peer interactions, mentor cultural support, and university environment fit.

Brazill, Shihua Chen; Myers, Carrie B.; Myers, Scott M.; Johnson, Catherine M.

doi:10.1037/dhe0000353

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…A notable exception is a recent study of American Indian STEM graduate students (Brazill et al. 2021 ), which showed that mentors’ cultural support was associated with increases in the students’ academic self-efficacy. Kirkness, who identifies as First Nation Cree of Manitoba, and Barnhardt, an advocate for Native Alaskan education, wrote about how Native students benefit from academic institutions that convey respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility (Kirkness and Barnhardt 1991 ).…”

Section: Integrating Into Stem Professional Communitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Culture and Quality Matter in Building Effective Mentorship Relationships with Native STEM Scholars

et al. 2022

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Native peoples (Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian) are underrepresented in academia; they represent 2% of the US population but 0.01% of enrolled undergraduate students. Native peoples share the experiences of colonization and forced assimilation, resulting in the loss of ancestral knowledge, language, and cultural identity. Recognizing history and the literature on social integration and mentorship, we followed 100 Native science and engineering scholars across a year of participation in the hybrid American Indian Science and Engineering Society mentorship program. The results showed that high-quality faculty mentorship predicted persistence a year later. Furthermore, mentors who shared knowledge of Native culture—through experience or shared heritage—uniquely contributed to the Native scholars’ social integration and persistence through scientific community values in particular. Therefore, Native scholars may benefit from mentorship supporting the integration of their Native culture and discipline rather than assimilation into the dominant disciplinary culture.

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Section: Integrating Into Stem Professional Communitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Culture and Quality Matter in Building Effective Mentorship Relationships with Native STEM Scholars

et al. 2022

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“…To address this gap, Johnson et al (2017) recommended that future research explore empirically how students' multiple identities shape their doctoral socialization journey and how they become experts in their profession (Gardner & Doore, 2020;Gardner & Mendoza, 2010). Therefore, for the purpose of this article, I define cross-cultural socialization as a process whereby students embrace their multiple identities throughout their graduate studies and accrue benefits that help them more fully realize the strengths and potential of their experiences and interactions with peers, faculty/mentors, institutions, and places (Brazill & Munday, 2022;Brazill et al, 2021). This definition of cross-cultural socialization is drawn from scholarly work on multiple identities and a strength-based perspective in response to the limitations of research from a deficit lens, which was problematic.…”

Section: Review Of Related Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Chinese International Doctoral Students’ Cross-Cultural Socialization: Leveraging Strengths and Multiple Identities

Brazill

2022

IJDS

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Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use narrative inquiry to discover and understand how Chinese students leverage their strengths and multiple identities in socializing to American higher education and their profession. Chinese students engage with American academic culture while embracing their multiple identities. I will explore the cultural strengths they use to socialize and develop their personal, social, cultural, and professional identities in their doctoral educational experience. Background: Chinese international doctoral students encounter a unique socialization experience during their doctoral studies because they lack meaningful cross-cultural support. Likewise, it is problematic that Chinese students are often viewed as a homogeneous group and much prior research has emphasized the traditional deficit perspective in explaining how Chinese students must adjust and assimilate to the university environment. Methodology: This qualitative research uses narrative inquiry to study Chinese international doctoral students’ socialization experiences while retaining their authentic voices. Narrative inquiry allows for a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of Chinese students compared to the perceptions imposed by other stakeholders. The narrative methodology provides diverse ways to understand Chinese student interactions within American culture, place, and context. This study applies the three-dimensional approach to retell participants’ stories. The three-dimensional approach is more holistic and provides a broad lens to learn about the interactions, past, present, and future experiences of individuals through time and space. Contribution: This research shifts the narrative from the deficit view to a strength-based perspective as to how Chinese international doctoral students can rely on their cultural values and multiple identities as strengths to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. Findings: Findings related to the literature in two important ways. First, findings support how the six cultural strengths of Yosso’s community cultural wealth apply to Chinese international doctoral students. Chinese students’ stories align with these strengths and through these strengths, they explore and develop their personal, social, cultural, and professional identity. Second, Chinese students’ stories as a counternarrative challenged and contradicted the essentialist view and misconception that Chinese students are a homogenous group personally, socially, culturally, or academically. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings from this study offer insight for practitioners into what institutions and departments might do to support Chinese international doctoral students in their socialization journey. It is vital to support the whole student through understanding their multiple identities. Recommendation for Researchers: Chinese students and other diverse learners may benefit from peer and faculty mentors in different ways. Therefore, understanding the unique cross-cultural socialization needs and strength-based perspective will help tailor social activities and inclusive learning environments. Impact on Society: The current political, economic, and social relationships between the U.S. and China make it vital for American institutions to consider Chinese international doctoral students’ cross-cultural socialization journey. Future Research: Though it is hoped that this study is transferable, specific issues of how it can be generalized to other Chinese international doctoral students in other areas of the U.S. are beyond the scope of this study. Future research might explore how Chinese International doctoral students’ socialization experiences differ depending on where they study in the U.S.

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“…Academic expectations and consistent communications of such policies to students may help them self-regulate to determine whether the amount of seat time lost would help or hinder their well-being accordingly. [19][20][21] Financial Security Poverty and lack of financial capital are barriers that directly impact the potential for AI/AN students to succeed in school. 18,20 Currently, 66% of the AI/AN nursing students in the CO-OP are economically and educationally disadvantaged, as defined by the Department of Education.…”

Section: Sense Of Placementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[15][16][17][18]22 Access to social activities on campus supportive of cultural identity improves retention rates of AI/AN students. [16][17][18][19][20][21]23 Cultural connections help students adapt to the academic environment and promote engagement and institutional commitment. The CON MSU also strategically gathers CO-OP AI/AN alumni to build students' professional networks early and over time.…”

Section: Social Connectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Caring for Our Own Program

Larsson

Johnson

2022

Nurse Educ

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Background: Research has identified workforce diversification as influential in improving health outcomes. The Caring for Our Own Program (CO-OP) set out to achieve classroom and workforce parity for rural Native American nurses and communities. Purpose: In this study, we report quantitative results of the first 20 years of the CO-OP and explore the extent to which the CO-OP model influenced degree completion for Native American students. Approach: The CO-OP employs a 4-pillar program model where sense of place, financial security, academic readiness, and social connection empower students as they progress. One hundred twenty-one Native American students have earned nursing degrees since inception. In addition, more than 10% of CO-OP undergraduates have returned to become nurse practitioners. Conclusions: The CO-OP model replicated elsewhere may also succeed by adapting key concepts in that context to achieve health equity.

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Cultural congruity and academic confidence of American Indian graduate students in STEM: Peer interactions, mentor cultural support, and university environment fit.

Cited by 9 publications

References 51 publications

Culture and Quality Matter in Building Effective Mentorship Relationships with Native STEM Scholars

Culture and Quality Matter in Building Effective Mentorship Relationships with Native STEM Scholars

Chinese International Doctoral Students’ Cross-Cultural Socialization: Leveraging Strengths and Multiple Identities

The Caring for Our Own Program

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