Early Undergraduate Research Experiences and Broadening Participation in Biology at an HBCU

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Black Activism and Student Engagement at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Abstract

This paper discusses the findings of a study that introduces early research experiences in biology to predominantly Black undergraduates at an HBCU. A total of 273 underrepresented minority students representing two cohorts participated in the study and were exposed to course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in freshmen-level biology courses during the the 2019-2020 AY and 2020-2021 AY. Results revealed statistically significant effects in students’ biology motivation and self-efficacy and sense of belonging in the first cohort. Despite the adverse effects of the pandemic during the 2020-2021 AY, the second cohort experienced robust results students’ learning gains in research skills with some concomitant erosion in biology motivation, biology self-efficacy and sense of belonging compared to the previous year.

Authors

• Monica B. Mitchell, MERAssociates

• Shuhba Kale Ireland, Xavier University of Louisiana