Identity Salience and Field-Course Engagement: From Deficits to Assets

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Higher Education Pedagogy
• Diversity and Inclusion in Science

Background:

• Field courses are high-impact educational practices in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
• These experiences often disproportionately engage students from privileged backgrounds, raising concerns about equity.
• Investigating student experiences is crucial to address inequities in STEM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how student identities influence engagement in graduate-level international field courses.
• To identify how visible and hidden identities act as promoters or barriers to participation.
• To inform pedagogical practices for more inclusive field courses.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a series of interviews with students in an international, graduate-level field course.
• Analyzed student reflections on the salience of their identities in the field-course context.
• Examined how course interactions intersected with student identities.

Main Results:

• Student identities, both visible and hidden, significantly impacted their engagement.
• Interactions within the course context were perceived as either positive or negative based on identity.
• The interview process itself emerged as a potential pedagogical intervention for promoting inclusion.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the interplay between student identities and course practices is essential for inclusive STEM education.
• Pedagogical interventions, such as structured reflection, can help mitigate barriers to engagement.
• Best practices for field courses should prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students.