Equity in college physics student learning: A critical quantitative intersectionality investigation

Abstract

We investigated the intersectional nature of race/racism and gender/sexism in broad scale inequities in physics student learning using a critical quantitative intersectionality. To provide transparency and create a nuanced picture of learning, we problematized the measurement of equity by using two competing operationalizations of equity: Equity of Individuality and Equality of Learning. These two models led to conflicting conclusions. The analyses used hierarchical linear models to examine student's conceptual learning as measured by gains in scores on research-based assessments administered as pretests and posttests. The data came from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes' (LASSO) national database and included data from 13,857 students in 187 firstsemester college physics courses. Findings showed differences in student gains across gender and race. Large gender differences existed for White and Hispanic students but not for Asian, Black, and Pacific Islander students. The models predicted larger gains for students in collaborative learning than in lecture-based courses. The Equity of Individuality operationalization indicated that collaborative instruction improved equity because all groups learned more with collaborative learning. The Equality of Learning operationalization indicated that collaborative instruction did not improve equity because differences between groups were unaffected. We discuss the implications of these mixed findings and identify

Associations between learning assistants, passing introductory physics, and equity: A quantitative critical race theory investigation

“…This is supported by the instructors reporting using more studentcentered collaborative teaching techniques when their courses included LAs. These teaching techniques support greater conceptual learning than teacher-centered lecture [86,93,94]. Van Dusen and Nissen [86] found that collaborative instructional practices increased conceptual learning across all demographic groups but that it did not eliminate differences across demographic groups.…”

“…These teaching techniques support greater conceptual learning than teacher-centered lecture [86,93,94]. Van Dusen and Nissen [86] found that collaborative instructional practices increased conceptual learning across all demographic groups but that it did not eliminate differences across demographic groups. Greater conceptual learning in the LA-supported courses would have resulted in higher grades if the grading practices were similar between traditional and LA-supported courses.…”

“…AICc scores take into account the explanatory power of each variable without overly weighting model parsimony. While it is a common practices to use variance explained to select a final model (e.g., our own prior work [86,87]), using it to select models when investigating marginalized populations risks the models falling prey to a tyranny of the masses. Using predicted variance to select variables risks excluding marginalized students from groups with small representations in the data because the variance explained by a variable is proportional to its the sample size.…”

“…Most PoC in this study self-identified as Hispanic. The impact of racism can vary widely across racial groups and settings [63,66,86]. Collecting data spanning course and institutional contexts with enough statistical power to disaggregate the data across demographic groups requires multi-institution collaborations.…”

Educational debts incurred by racism and sexism in students’ beliefs about physics

“…Critical Quantitative Intersectionality (CQI) provides a framework for applying critical theory [7,13,14] and intersectionality [15,16], which have been used primarily for qualitative studies [17,18], to quantitative studies in physics education [19]. CQI examines unique constellations of race, gender, and class social location as categories of experience in a given educational context [20].…”