Accepting the Challenge: Minority Participation in STEM Through High-Context Teaching Strategies at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

• In Event: Faculty and Teaching at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of how faculty mentors participating in a program designed to increase underrepresented minority (URM) participation in STEM fields sought to increase diversity through high context teaching strategies at an HSI. This study asked: What teaching strategies do faculty mentors participating in a program to increase minority participation in STEM at an HSI employ? This study used multicontext theory to frame teaching strategies and found that faculty mentors employed high context teaching strategies to include: hands-on experiences; focus on process of conducting experiments; working in teams; real-world examples, relatable examples, contextualizing; interactive lectures; multiple approaches (reading, writing, experimenting); and intentionally blending classroom and lab experiences. These strategies varied by gender.

Authors

• Henrietta Williams Pichon, New Mexico State University

• Sandra M. Way, New Mexico State University

• Henrietta Williams Pichon, New Mexico State University