Project Grant 2235957

This National Science Foundation award under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education program will support a $301,982 research project at Colorado State University from June 2023 through May 2026. The project aims to foster more accurate and identity-affirming science teaching and learning at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. A team from Colorado State University, Florida International University, and Arizona State University will investigate how the norm of "neutrality" in science instruction impacts undergraduate biology teaching at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and how some instructors incorporate identity-affirming content. The project has three goals: to characterize biology instructors' decisions around including identity-affirming content and influencing factors; to establish how such content impacts student experiences like belongingness and interest; and to develop a survey to capture student perceptions of different instructional approaches. The research intends to advance understanding of instructor decision-making regarding pedagogy and course content in the context of Hispanic-Serving Institutions.