Opening Doors: STEM Education Opportunities for Mature Students in Postsecondary Education

• In Event: Access to and Equity in Canadian Higher Education for Mature Students Symposium

Abstract

Objectives
This paper explores the experiences of mature Black students accessing post-secondary STEM education and the role of access programs in supporting entry pathways. Research shows there are lower rates of post-secondary enrolment for Black students in Canada due to a variety of factors (Brooks, 2022; Colyar et al., 2023). Post-secondary enrolment and completion are important to institutions, students and governments. Studies of racialized experiences in access programs are absent in theory and policy (Author, 2022) and this study contributes to the theoretical and practical underpinnings of access literature, and Black students’ enrolment in post-secondary STEM.
Theoretical Framework and/or Perspectives
Cedillo (2018) argues that STEM education research concerning racial equity needs to articulate anti-Blackness, however current research does not use this language in addressing access to STEM, and equity is not prioritized in Canadian STEM (DeCoito, 2016). Thus, race is a central component of this study and Critical Race Theory (CRT) is used as the theoretical framework. CRT recognizes that education is not neutral and the opportunities and experiences afforded to racialized students when compared to the dominant hegemonic class are not the same (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Since CRT acknowledges that education is inherently inequitable, this paper furthers discourse in line with AERA 2025’s theme on researching and repairing education towards racial justice.
Methodology & Data Sources
In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted to highlight the experiences of mature Black students accessing post-secondary STEM. There were four participants and this sample size allowed for an in depth analysis during the coding phase (Bhattacharya, 2017). Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive-deductive coding process was used to come up with codes and subsequently themes (Ryan & Bernard, 2003).
Findings & Scholarly Significance
The two salient themes discussed in this paper are Non-Academic Supports to Wellbeing and Access to Information. For the first theme, participants shared how their racial identity resulted in feeling anxious, as if they didn’t belong, and that they would be “found out” as one participant put it. Participants shared that non-academic supports such as counseling services were instrumental to building their wellbeing and persisting through the program so they could eventually apply to post-secondary. The second theme relates to how mature students are required to be more self-directed in finding information about pathways to post-secondary STEM, compared to, for example, K-12 students.This paper will contribute to an under researched area of access to post-secondary education for Black students in Canada.

Author

• Nadia Qureshi, University of Toronto - OISE