Project Grant 2141956

This National Science Foundation Project Grant award of $289,017 provides funding from February 1, 2022 through January 31, 2025 to support research aimed at improving student success and equity in introductory biology courses. The award is made under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education program (CFDA 47.076), which supports the development and improvement of STEM education.

Specifically, the awardee, Texas Tech University, will implement and evaluate mindset interventions designed to foster positive beliefs about intellectual abilities in over 10,000 undergraduate students taking introductory biology courses at four university sites. The research aims to advance understanding of how contextual messages from instructors can enhance the effectiveness of such interventions. It will also examine how student outcomes are independently and jointly impacted by interventions targeted at both the student and instructor levels. The project seeks to generate insights into the mechanisms through which mindset interventions influence student experiences, engagement, and academic performance in the short and long term, as well as potential moderating effects of student racial/ethnic identity and generation in college. Results have the potential to broadly impact STEM education and participation through more equitable academic outcomes.