Education Commons^™

Examining Motivation As A Mechanism For The Effects Of Stereotype Threat On Stem Outcomes: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis, Delaram A. Totonchi

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Although African-American students start STEM majors with higher levels of interest compared to their racial majority peers, they drop out of these majors at higher rates. One often tested explanation for this racial disparity is stereotype threat–the anxiety related to being judged stereotypically or the fear of confirming such stereotypes. Stereotype threat negatively impacts academic outcomes through a variety of psychological mechanisms including declined motivation. Accordingly, in this study, I examined expectancy-value beliefs as motivational mechanisms for the effects of stereotype threat on STEM outcomes. Participants were 362 African-American students in introductory chemistry and biology courses who completed surveys at …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Study The Effects Of A Naturalist Summer Program On The Perceptions Of African American Children About Nature, Kendrick Buford

Dissertations

African Americans have been reported to have a more negative outlook on nature than people of other races. Much work has been done to explain this phenomenon through the lenses of social and environmental justice. However, most of this information pertains to adults, and little to no exploration has been done to understand how children could be affected. This lack of information creates a novel research topic. This study addressed the problem using a mixed method analysis to better understand both the narrative of the children and any generalizable conclusions to better understand their attitudes in a summer program titled …

Self-Efficacy: Understanding African American Male Students Pathways To Confidence In Mathematics, Lisa Ann Williams

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is about the stories of African American male undergraduate students who have experienced success in mathematics. Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory and Tillman’s (2000) culturally sensitive research approach which promotes qualitative methods, recognizes ethnicity, and positions culture as central to the research were applied. Student interviews, parent interviews, teacher interviews, and mathematical autobiographies were used to investigate African American men self-efficacy, the sources of their beliefs, and societal factors that impacted their motivation and academic achievement in mathematics.

The descriptive portraits and the interviews revealed five broad themes: (1) college experiences, (2) K-12 experiences, (3) access and equity, …

A Preliminary Study Investigating The Factors Influencing Stem Major Selection By African American Females, Tiffany Monique Ray

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the significant factors influencing STEM major selection by African American females. A quantitative research design with a qualitative component was employed. Ex post facto survey research was conducted utilizing an online questionnaire to collect data from participants. African American undergraduate females that had declared a major in STEM comprised the target population for the study. As a basis for comparison, a second data collection ensued. All non-African American undergraduate females majoring in STEM also received the survey instrument to determine if there was a significant difference between factors that influence STEM major …

The Stem Pipeline: Recruiting And Retaining African American Female Engineers, Delores Rice

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of the study was to examine the career experiences of African American female engineers and explore their challenges and support systems during their career development. This qualitative study utilized a life history approach and was designed using basic interpretive inquiry. There were nine African American female participants in the study who currently worked in an engineering field within an engineering industry. Using an ecological model to ground the study, the findings were categorized as macrosystem (environment) or microsystem (individual) factors. The highlight of this manuscript includes a focus on implications, which offer insight into recruiting and retaining African …