Broadening Participation in Undergraduate STEM: An Intersectional Examination of Motivation, Support, & Belonging

Abstract

Despite the need for a diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, Women, Black, Latinx, and Native Americans have been historically excluded and continue to be underrepresented in STEM in the United States (National Center for Science & Engineering Statistics, 2023; National Science Board, 2021). While there are many possible explanations for why these groups continue to be underrepresented in STEM, this dissertation includes three separate but thematically related studies that explore student motivation, institutional support, and sense of belonging, and achievement in STEM through an intersectional lens. The first study examines the links between student intrinsic motivation at the beginning of an introductory chemistry course, using situated expectancy-value theory, and their subsequent achievement in the course. The second study used focus groups to better understand undergraduate STEM students’ perceptions of institutional support and sense of belonging. Lastly, the third paper examines the links between undergraduate STEM students’ perceptions of institutional support during their first semester, their sense of belonging in STEM, and their GPA at the end of their first year of college. This work is focused on better understanding the experiences of historically excluded students in STEM so that universities and STEM programs can better support students who are multiply-marginalized.