Nadia Jahan
Pronouns: She/her
Research Mentor(s): Alison Bressler
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Biological Station/EEB / LSA
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors:
Abstract
Minority students are underrepresented in STEM fields. Past studies identify systemic barriers that students experience and strategies to address them. However, research has not specifically focused on minority students’ motivation to choose and stay in STEM fields. I researched student motivations for taking ecology courses and motivations for pursuing STEM fields including case studies following minority students from their time at the University of Michigan Biological Station to after graduation. My research fills a gap to understand how certain demographics of minority students are motivated to choose STEM paths. I analyzed survey data collected through Qualtrics using SPSS, qualitatively analyzed focus group data to look for themes, and conducted case studies, following students from the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) to past graduation using alumni surveys. I found that minority students were motivated by learning potential of participating in ecology courses. The case studies indicated that a majority of the students were motivated because they wanted to pursue STEM careers and UMBS supported or reinforced their motivation with the exceptions of a few. Lessons learned about the factors that contribute to students’ motivations to pursue STEM will help us build a system to nurture these motivations and increase the retention of minority students in STEM.
