STEM Pipeline
Project Background
Course grades are the primary way teachers communicate with students about their academic performance. There is evidence, however, that students interpret grades differently depending on their race/ethnicity and gender, and that these differences may affect whether they pursue undergraduate STEM degrees. These differential responses to grades may be an important contributing factor to gender and race/ethnicity gaps in the pursuit of STEM degrees.
Aims/Goals
This study asks whether receiving unrepresentative grades affects if and how students advance through the college STEM pipeline and if these effects differ by race/ethnicity and gender of the student. We are specifically interested in the connection between unexpected grades and whether students take subsequent STEM courses or declare/drop a STEM major. We will also investigate the extent to which these results may vary between campuses or departments. Finally, we are interviewing academic advisors across the UNC System to better understand how students are supported in thinking about and interpreting their grades.
Potential Outcomes/Impact
In the context of the many factors that shape students’ path to STEM degrees, how students respond to grade information is among the most susceptible to intervention. Although one interpretation of the results might suggest wholesale changes to grading policies like the elimination of forced curves, other responses could include changes to the sequencing of courses within majors, proactive support for students who experience disruptions to their learning, and the development of advising practices that help students interpret and evaluate the grades they receive in a way that supports appropriate and equitable progress through the STEM pipeline—all solutions within reach of instructors, departments, and universities. Thus, to the extent that the findings of this work reveal disparities in responses to unrepresentative grades by gender and race/ethnicity they will help inform responses that can help reduce race/ethnicity and gender gaps in STEM participation.
People
- Daniel Klasik
- Ethan Hutt
- Lauren Sartain
- Will Zahran
- Wesley Morris
Publications
Updates coming soon