"Broadening Perspectives Activities" Improve LGBTQ+ Student Experiences and Religious Students' Content Comprehension

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Animal Behavior
• Inclusion in STEM

Background:

• Undergraduate biology curricula often lack representation, being historically hetero- and cisnormative.
• This lack of representation may contribute to lower degree completion rates for LGBTQ+ students in STEM.
• Existing curricula may perpetuate biases related to sex, gender, and sexuality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the impact of Broadening Perspective Activities (BPAs) in an online animal behavior course.
• To increase the representation of marginalized perspectives, particularly concerning sex, gender, and sexuality.
• To evaluate the effects of BPAs on student understanding and sense of belonging in biology.

Main Methods:

• A quasiexperimental design was employed to evaluate the BPAs.
• The study focused on an upper-division, undergraduate, online animal behavior course.
• Student perceptions of course concepts and sense of belonging were assessed.

Main Results:

• LGBTQ+ students demonstrated a greater sense of belonging in biology after the course incorporating BPAs.
• LGBTQ+ students initially possessed a stronger understanding of concepts influenced by cultural biases.
• Religious students showed improved comprehension of sex, gender, and sexuality concepts without compromising their sense of belonging.

Conclusions:

• BPAs can enhance the sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ students in biology, a crucial factor for STEM retention.
• Integrating diverse perspectives into STEM curricula benefits multiple student groups, including religious students.
• Addressing curricular inclusivity is vital for fostering a more equitable and supportive STEM environment.