Adaptive Equity-Oriented Pedagogy in Higher Education: Hierarchical Level Modeling of Underrepresented Minority Students' Learning Growth

• In Event: Effective Teaching and Learning Practices in Higher Education

Abstract

Using hierarchical modeling and a random-intercept model, this study examines whether an adaptive equity-oriented pedagogy (AEP) shows greater learning gains over time for underrepresented minority students in STEM (i.e., African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian, and Alaska Natives). This study has practical implications for higher education: consistently in three curriculum units, a treatment course with AEP significantly scores higher from pre- to post-test compared to an active-learning control. Instructors’ use of AEP are beneficial to support the learning gains of students from a diverse array of backgrounds, for both non-underrepresented-minority and underrepresented-minority students. Additionally, the extent to which instructional adjustments are needed may increase depending on the difficulty of the content material over time.

Authors

• Judy Nguyen, Stanford University

• Andrew Estrada Phuong, University of California - Berkeley