Reimagining Math Readiness: Equity, Identity, and Belonging Among Black Students in STEM

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Intersectional Racializations, Gendering, and Caste Across Schooling Contexts

Abstract

This study examines how math placement policies shape identity, belonging, and persistence for Black STEM students. Using narrative inquiry and interviews with undergraduates placed into developmental math at an HBCU, the research highlights how opaque placement practices disrupt confidence. Yet, students found strength through peer accountability networks and affirming faculty relationships. Guided by Critical Race Theory, sociocultural learning, and belonging frameworks, this study reframes placement as a pivotal moment of identity negotiation rather than academic deficit. The findings call for culturally responsive, student-centered placement and support systems that challenge institutional norms. Implications address how equity-minded practices can transform math pathways and foster success for historically marginalized students in STEM fields.

Author

• Elise A. Simmons, Albany State University