Struggling to Connect: First-Generation Student Experiences in STEM Courses

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 24
  In Roundtable Session: Struggling to Connect: The Politics of Identit(ies) in STEM Education

Abstract

This paper explores the academic experiences of 43 FG/LI students enrolled at a predominantly White, residential liberal arts college in the northeast, with particular attention to the experiences of students taking courses in STEM fields. We examine the social and contextual factors that affect persistence or departure from STEM courses by exploring students’ perceptions of faculty support and the strategies that they pursue as they attempt to complete STEM coursework. We highlight several recurring themes from interview data: 1) the lack of support FG/LI students perceive in STEM classrooms, 2) the lack of connection to faculty, and 3) the strategies they pursue as they decide whether or not to continue taking STEM courses.

Authors

• Tamar Ballard, Vassar College

• Jasmine Raizel Martinez, Vassar College

• Erendira Rueda, Vassar College