Talk by Rebecca Bates (Minnesota State Univ. Mankato)

Speaker:  Rebecca Bates, Associate Professor, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Title:  Connection, Community & Engagement in STEM Education

Location:  X836 Board Room, ICICS/CS

Abstract:

Belonging is an important factor in STEM education and is a basic human need which is dependent on social relationships for fulfillment. Researchers at five institutions are conducting a multi-year study of belonging among engineering and science students and the relationship to connections to communities both on and off campus. The pathways by which participation in non-academic communities leads to academic engagement are explored in a mixed-methods study using surveys and focus groups. From spring 2010 through spring 2011, a combined total of more than 900 students completed surveys at a large Research institution located in the Northwest United States, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the Southeast, a women's college in the Northeast, a small private faith-based institution in the Northwest, and a large teaching institution in the Midwest.  Focus groups were then used to explore how students' most important communities influence their academic life and how participation met student needs. Across all institutions, family is the community to which students feel most connected, with friends being a distant second. Students spoke of communities strategically, identifying needs that they meet through participation in communities and linking their participation with increased ability to engage in their academic endeavors.  Most frequently, student's belonging needs were met through participation in outside communities, although safety and esteem needs were also affected. Our results strongly suggest that, among the many types of needs studied, providing students with opportunities to belong will provide the most return on investment for engagement in academic endeavors.

This talk will include results and analysis from both surveys and focus groups.

Hosted by:  Steve Wolfman and CSSEI/CWSEI

Contact:  Holly Kwan (Tel: 604.822.3060)