STAYING THE COURSE: THE PERSISTENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN BIOLOGY MAJORS AT A PREDOMINATLY WHITE INSTITUTION

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Pass, M. (2020). STAYING THE COURSE: THE PERSISTENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN BIOLOGY MAJORS AT A PREDOMINATLY WHITE INSTITUTION. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

ABSTRACTMICHELLE B. PASS. Staying the course: the persistence of African American biology majors at a predominantly White Institution. (Under the direction of Dr. CHANCE W. LEWIS) Increasing the number of African Americans graduating with STEM degrees and entering the STEM workforce has been the focus of countless political reports and educational studies for decades; however, African Americans continue to experience waning graduation rates and mounting attrition rates in STEM disciplines while remaining vastly underrepresented in STEM fields. This study differs from previous studies that have focused on African Americans in STEM utilizing a deficit-based approach. This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the experiences of African American students who were successfully navigating the biology major at a predominantly White institution. This study sought to identify the factors that support the persistence of African American students in the biology major at a predominantly White institution, and to describe how these factors support their persistence in the biology major. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with six African American undergraduate biology students and analyzed using phenomenological analysis. Findings revealed that although the students were successful in the biology major, the lack of support from professors and peers within the biology major, adversely affected their academic and social experiences. Four themes emerged from the analysis of interview data. The themes are: self-determination, peer-support, independence, and adaptation. Recommendations for educational stakeholders and future research are discussed.

Details
Author

Pass, Michelle

Title

STAYING THE COURSE: THE PERSISTENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN BIOLOGY MAJORS AT A PREDOMINATLY WHITE INSTITUTION

Physical Description

1 online resource (158 pages) : PDF

Date

2020

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

ABSTRACTMICHELLE B. PASS. Staying the course: the persistence of African American biology majors at a predominantly White Institution. (Under the direction of Dr. CHANCE W. LEWIS) Increasing the number of African Americans graduating with STEM degrees and entering the STEM workforce has been the focus of countless political reports and educational studies for decades; however, African Americans continue to experience waning graduation rates and mounting attrition rates in STEM disciplines while remaining vastly underrepresented in STEM fields. This study differs from previous studies that have focused on African Americans in STEM utilizing a deficit-based approach. This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the experiences of African American students who were successfully navigating the biology major at a predominantly White institution. This study sought to identify the factors that support the persistence of African American students in the biology major at a predominantly White institution, and to describe how these factors support their persistence in the biology major. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with six African American undergraduate biology students and analyzed using phenomenological analysis. Findings revealed that although the students were successful in the biology major, the lack of support from professors and peers within the biology major, adversely affected their academic and social experiences. Four themes emerged from the analysis of interview data. The themes are: self-determination, peer-support, independence, and adaptation. Recommendations for educational stakeholders and future research are discussed.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Lewis, Chance

Committee Members

Wiggan, Greg
Merriweather, Lisa
Brown, Banita

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2020.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

Pass_uncc_0694D_12601

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:2291