Supporting Student Success and Persistence in STEM With Active Learning Approaches in Emerging Scholars Classrooms

Abstract

Over the last several decades, Emerging Scholars Programs (ESPs) have incorporated active learning strategies and challenging problems into collegiate mathematics, resulting in students, underrepresented minority (URM) students in particular, earning at least half of a letter grade higher than other students in Calculus. In 2009, West Virginia University (WVU) adapted ESP models for use in Calculus I in an effort to support the success and retention of URM STEM students by embedding group and inquiry-based learning into a designated section of Calculus I. Seats in the class were reserved for URM and first-generation students. We anticipated that supporting students in courses in the calculus sequence, including Calculus I, would support URM Calculus I students in building learning communities and serve as a mechanism to provide a strong foundation for long-term retention. In this study we analyze the success of students that have progressed through our ESP Calculus courses and compare them to their non-ESP counterparts. Results show that ESP URM students succeed in the Calculus sequence at substantially higher rates than URM students in non-ESP sections of Calculus courses in the sequence (81% of URM students pass ESP Calculus I while only 50% of URM students pass non-ESP Calculus I). In addition, ESP URM and ESP non-URM (first-generation but not URM) students succeed at similar levels in the ESP Calculus sequence of courses (81% of URM students and 82% of non-URM students pass ESP Calculus I). Finally, ESP URM students’ one-year retention rates are similar to those of ESP non-URM students and significantly higher than those of URM students in non-ESP sections of Calculus (92% of ESP URM Calculus I students were retained after one year, while only 83% of URM non-ESP Calculus I students were retained). These results suggest that ESP is ideally suited for retaining and graduating URM STEM majors, helping them overcome obstacles and barriers in STEM, and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Calculus.

Facilitative Teaching Utilizing Active Learning Modules in Engineering Graphics: A Model for Promoting Success and Engagement in Technology and Engineering Education

“…Additionally, since many students at risk of non-matriculation are traditionally in underrepresented groups, including students of color and those who identify as female, enhancing performance through active learning modules and other supplemental materials can lead to not only their success but also a more diversified STEM field. Similarly, studies have demonstrated that incorporating active learning within curricula can level the playing field by enhancing the performance of underrepresented students and the inclusivity of courses (Miller et al, 2021;Theobald et al, 2020). While the study in this article highlights improving academic success and providing support for autonomy, other studies have identified how active learning can enhance the community aspect of courses, enhancing the learning experience for participants (Ricks et al, 2014).…”

“…According to Ricks et al (2014) and Theobald et al (2020), active learning modules provide a flexible avenue for accessing content and using course time as a collaborative time to practice the application of course content. Active learning can increase students' final course grades in classes aside from engineering, such as in Calculus courses (Miller et al, 2021) and can also narrow achievement gaps in passing rates of underrepresented students (Theobald et al, 2020). Utilizing active learning can support students' interaction with course content while also providing a social system through collaboration, therefore allowing for an increase in retention as discussed by Xu (2016).…”

COVID-19 and the Incoming Chemistry Student: The Effect of the Pandemic on Student Self-Efficacy and Identity

“…As a result, it is important to discuss strategies that promote student confidence in chemistry classrooms. In general, evidence-based instruction practices, such as student-centered instruction and active learning, have been identified as beneficial for STEM students with regard to their self-efficacy and retention in STEM programs. − Active learning especially might have been difficult to implement in remote and hybrid learning environments and will be critical with the return to face-to-face instruction in addition to other practices that promote self-efficacy, such as undergraduate research experiences and student mentorship programs. , …”

Exploratory Factors and Reliability Analysis of Active Learning Techniques Instruments to Assess Business Subjects of Secondary School Students in Malaysia

“…Next, Miller et al (2021) in his study has made a difference between the two groups that use AL and also traditional learning. The results of the test were found to be better for the group that practiced AL, with a relatively large difference in achievement between the two groups.…”