Field courses narrow demographic achievement gaps in ecology and evolutionary biology

Abstract

Disparities remain in the representation of marginalized students in STEM. Classroom‐based experiential learning opportunities can increase student confidence and academic success; however, the effectiveness of extending learning to outdoor settings is unknown. Our objectives were to examine (a) demographic gaps in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) major completion, college graduation, and GPAs for students who did and did not enroll in field courses, (b) whether under‐represented demographic groups were less likely to enroll in field courses, and (c) whether under‐represented demographic groups were more likely to feel increased competency in science‐related tasks (hereafter, self‐efficacy) after participating in field courses. We compared the relationships among academic success measures and demographic data (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, first‐generation, and gender) for UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students admitted between 2008 and 2019 who participated in field courses (N = 941 students) and who did not (N = 28,215 students). Additionally, we administered longitudinal surveys to evaluate self‐efficacy gains during field‐based versus classroom‐based courses (N = 570 students). We found no differences in the proportion of students matriculating at the university as undecided, proposed EEB, or proposed other majors across demographic groups. However, five years later, under‐represented students were significantly less likely to graduate with EEB degrees, indicating retention rather than recruitment drives disparities in representation. This retention gap is partly due to a lower rate of college completion and partly through attrition to other majors. Although under‐represented students were less likely to enroll in field courses, field courses were associated with higher self‐efficacy gains, higher college graduation rates, higher EEB major retention, and higher GPAs at graduation. All demographic groups experienced significant increases in self‐efficacy during field‐based but not lecture‐based courses. Together, our findings suggest that increasing the number of field courses and actively facilitating access to students from under‐represented groups can be a powerful tool for increasing STEM diversity.

How Field Courses Propel Inclusion and Collective Excellence

“…Field curricula can emphasize cooperative problem solving rather than competition along with connections between research and the wider world, from conservation and resource management to public education and cultural values. Second, through hands-on scientific experiences, field courses boost students' confidence in their professional abilities, ranging from experimental design and research methods to natural history skills like species identification [4]. These gains in self-efficacy and science identity can be particularly significant for students who begin with lower confidence in their skills, including URM students [4,8].…”

“…Second, through hands-on scientific experiences, field courses boost students' confidence in their professional abilities, ranging from experimental design and research methods to natural history skills like species identification [4]. These gains in self-efficacy and science identity can be particularly significant for students who begin with lower confidence in their skills, including URM students [4,8]. Finally, an area of competence especially linked to belonging in ecology and evolution and interest in graduate studies is a student's degree of comfort outdoors [6].…”

“…Field courses cost more than lecture classes per student credit earned; a reality that limits scaling of field opportunities in today's budget-constrained departments. However, this measure undervalues the ability of field courses to deliver greater retention and progress towards student learning objectives [4]. Accurate pricing, in the form of increased credits awarded for field courses to reflect their relative contributions to learning goals, is one way to recognize their curricular value.…”

“…Self-efficacyconfidence in science skills, competence [4,15] • Facilitate research design by students, participation • Teach and provide experience in specific science skills like data collection and analysis using field tools, species identification, making and recording observations, and communicating findings • Recognize student contributions to science.…”

“…Though the relationship between humans and bees of the Apidae family is ancient, modern beekeeping has recently proliferated in cities, including New York, Paris, London, and Berlin as 'an ecologically inspired urban lifestyle phenomenon' [2]. Activities involve hobby beekeepers with balcony hives and professional keepers with many hives across a city, leading to high colony densities (e.g., 6.5 colonies/km 2 in Paris) [3,4]. Supported by an environmentally engaged citizenry, managed (and feral) European honeybees (A. mellifera) can dominate urban bee communities [5].…”