Assessing the impact of engaging students as active change agents in chemistry curriculum reform using scientist spotlights

This federal Project Grant award, funded by the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), aims to engage undergraduate students at the University of San Francisco as active agents in reforming the chemistry curriculum. The $179,218 award, effective August 15, 2024 through July 31, 2027, will support the adaptation and implementation of a "Scientist Spotlights" intervention. This intervention enables diverse students to author reflective assignments exploring the personal histories and professional contributions of counter-stereotypical scientists, which will then be integrated into chemistry courses to promote culturally responsive and inclusive curricula. The project plans to assess the impact of this intervention on student affective and academic outcomes in chemistry. The findings are expected to advance understanding of the significance of engaging STEM students as active curriculum reform agents and the effectiveness of the Scientist Spotlights approach in improving chemistry education and student success.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by engaging undergraduate students as active change agents in curriculum reform of entry-level and upper-division college chemistry courses. Chemistry suffers from high attrition rates, and studies on science identity, science belonging, stereotype threat, and possible selves suggests a lack of diverse representations of scientists could disproportionately impede historically underrepresented students from persisting and succeeding in stem. This project plans to give students the ability to reform undergraduate chemistry curricula to be culturally responsive and inclusive by authoring scientist spotlights. Scientist spotlights are reflective assignments in which students explore the personal history and professional contributions of counter-stereotypical scientists whose work is connected to the science concepts under study. Expanding these evidence-based, inclusive curricula in chemistry and enlisting students as partners to reform chemistry curriculum is important to improve stem student engagement and success. This project also plans to disseminate the scientist spotlights on counter-stereotypical chemists?authored by and for students on an open-access database so other instructors can in integrate culturally inclusive materials in their chemistry courses as well. This project aims to (1) adapt and implement the scientist spotlights intervention to engage students in authoring and experiencing culturally responsive curricula in all chemistry courses and (2) assess the impact of the scientist spotlights intervention on student affective and academic outcomes in chemistry courses. Diverse students at university of SAN francisco will author unique scientist spotlights, containing personal interviews, that would allow chemistry instructors to integrate inclusive activities explicitly into their courses in alignment with their chemistry content. Pre- and post-surveys will be collected to evaluate qualitative themes and quantify the shifts in students' stereotypes of scientists and scientist relatability before and after authoring scientist spotlights versus experiencing scientist spotlights. Student grades and pass rates will also be assessed during the scientist spotlights intervention to measure shifts in academic performance. Results emerging from these data will advance understanding of the significance in engaging stem students as active agents to reform the messaging in undergraduate chemistry curricula as well as the effectiveness of adapting and implementing the scientist spotlights intervention to a new discipline, institution, and diverse student population. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the engaged student learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.