Examining STEMM Mentorship within Student Organizations in Higher Education through a Critical Lens

Kassandra Fernandez; Krista Dulany Chisholm; Nancy Ruzycki

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Institutional inclusion: Advancing equity and belongingness in engineering education
Tagged Divisions: Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47372

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Paper Authors

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Kassandra Fernandez University of Florida orcid.org/0000-0003-1101-5219

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Kassandra Fernandez is a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where they are pursuing their PhD in Engineering Education (EED). They graduated from Miami Dade College with a B.S. in Biological Sciences & from the University of Florida with an M.S. in Microbiology & Cell Science. Prior to pursuing their PhD, they worked as a science teacher at a Title I school in Homestead, Florida & as an adjunct professor of Microbiology at a Hispanic-serving community college in Miami, Florida. As an educator, they utilized equitable teaching practices & encouraged student agency to ensure positive learning outcomes. Their first year of PhD research focused on undergraduate student perceptions of social responsibility in STEMM, with special emphasis placed on the importance of science communication & policy advocacy, as well as the intersection of institutional culture & transformational change towards cultivating more inclusive & equitable access for underrepresented minority students in STEMM fields. They are now pivoting to explore critical mentorship & building out a new study. Outside of their research, they are the President of the Policy Advocacy in Science and Engineering (PASE) student organization at the University of Florida.

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Krista Dulany Chisholm University of Florida orcid.org/0000-0002-3799-290X

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Dr. Krista Chisholm is a Research Assistant Scientist working for the EQuIPD grant at the University of Florida. She currently manages the development and deployment of the grant's K-12 Programs which include the Goldberg Gator Engineering Explorers Summer Program and the Powering the Community: AI Design Contest in school districts across Florida. She was previously the Lead Instructional Specialist on the EQuIPD grant coaching K-12 teachers in Florida and providing professional development. Dr. Chisholm excels in using a system thinking approach to support teachers and students to create understanding through conceptual modeling. She has experience in creating professional learning experiences, designing coaching systems, and developing frameworks and lessons. Her research interests include STEM education, system thinking, conceptual modeling, and coaching.

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Nancy Ruzycki University of Florida orcid.org/0000-0001-7516-2985

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Dr. Nancy Ruzycki, is the Director of Undergraduate Laboratories and Faculty Lecturer within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida Herbert Wetheim College of Engineering. Her focus is on developing curriculum ba

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Abstract

In this critical theory review paper, the researcher seeks to 1) reveal the current landscape of the research literature on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) mentorship that occurs within student organizations at institutions of higher education, 2) determine if the mentorship described in these articles exemplify critical mentorship as defined in the literature, and 3) determine if the addition of critical mentorship components adds value, defined here as a synergistic effect, for STEMM students who serve as mentors or mentees through their student organizations. As the intersection of STEMM mentorship and student organizations at institutions of higher education remains underrepresented in the literature, this paper also highlights the need for more studies in this area.

Mentorship is an important topic in STEMM education due to its role in a student’s professional formation. Defined as “a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the provision of career and psychosocial support,” mentorship may “enhance student outcomes, experiences, and retention” and “help with workforce development by increasing access, equity, and inclusion in STEMM” [1]. A mentorship relationship can last anywhere from three months to a lifetime and is most effective when critical theories are applied to mentoring practice [1], [2]. Practicing critical mentorship, however, requires that social constructs, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, be examined through a critical lens such that the mentorship relationship is “at once reciprocal, collaborative, participatory, emancipatory, and transformative” [2]. Involvement with student organizations has been shown to have a positive effect on student success, especially for students from historically marginalized communities (HMC) [3]. STEMM mentorship that occurs through student organizations should, therefore, have a synergistic effect.

A three-stage methodology was utilized: 1) Components and activities related to mentorship, referred to here as mentorship indicators, were extracted from the relevant literature and a thematic codebook was developed. 2) A scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify articles related to STEMM mentorship in student organizations in higher education. 3) Using the codebook developed in stage 1, reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on articles selected in stage 2.

The findings presented answer the following questions: 1) What is the current landscape of the research literature on STEMM mentorship that occurs within student organizations at institutions of higher education?, 2) Does the mentorship described in these articles exemplify critical mentorship as defined in the literature?, and 3) Does the addition of critical mentorship components have a synergistic effect for STEMM students who serve as mentors or mentees through their student organizations? While this review is laser-focused on STEMM mentorship that occurs within student organizations at institutions of higher education, it will lay the groundwork for future work on the role critical mentorship plays in the professional formation of STEMM students, regardless of their level of education.

References: [1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17226/25568 [2] Weiston-Serdan, T., Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide, 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003443872 [3] Baker, C.N. Under-represented college students and extracurricular involvement: the effects of various student organizations on academic performance. Soc Psychol Educ, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 273–298, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-007-9050-y

Citation
Format

Fernandez, K., & Chisholm, K. D., & Ruzycki, N. (2024, June), Examining STEMM Mentorship within Student Organizations in Higher Education through a Critical Lens Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47372

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In this critical theory review paper, the researcher seeks to 1) reveal the current landscape of the research literature on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) mentorship that occurs within student organizations at institutions of higher education, 2) determine if the mentorship described in these articles exemplify critical mentorship as defined in the literature, and 3) determine if the addition of critical mentorship components adds value, defined here as a synergistic effect, for STEMM students who serve as mentors or mentees through their student organizations. As the intersection of STEMM mentorship and student organizations at institutions of higher education remains underrepresented in the literature, this paper also highlights the need for more studies in this area.

Mentorship is an important topic in STEMM education due to its role in a student’s professional formation. Defined as “a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the provision of career and psychosocial support,” mentorship may “enhance student outcomes, experiences, and retention” and “help with workforce development by increasing access, equity, and inclusion in STEMM” [1]. A mentorship relationship can last anywhere from three months to a lifetime and is most effective when critical theories are applied to mentoring practice [1], [2]. Practicing critical mentorship, however, requires that social constructs, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, be examined through a critical lens such that the mentorship relationship is “at once reciprocal, collaborative, participatory, emancipatory, and transformative” [2]. Involvement with student organizations has been shown to have a positive effect on student success, especially for students from historically marginalized communities (HMC) [3]. STEMM mentorship that occurs through student organizations should, therefore, have a synergistic effect.

A three-stage methodology was utilized: 1) Components and activities related to mentorship, referred to here as mentorship indicators, were extracted from the relevant literature and a thematic codebook was developed. 2) A scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify articles related to STEMM mentorship in student organizations in higher education. 3) Using the codebook developed in stage 1, reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on articles selected in stage 2.

The findings presented answer the following questions: 1) What is the current landscape of the research literature on STEMM mentorship that occurs within student organizations at institutions of higher education?, 2) Does the mentorship described in these articles exemplify critical mentorship as defined in the literature?, and 3) Does the addition of critical mentorship components have a synergistic effect for STEMM students who serve as mentors or mentees through their student organizations? While this review is laser-focused on STEMM mentorship that occurs within student organizations at institutions of higher education, it will lay the groundwork for future work on the role critical mentorship plays in the professional formation of STEMM students, regardless of their level of education.

References:
[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17226/25568 
[2] Weiston-Serdan, T., Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide, 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003443872 
[3] Baker, C.N. Under-represented college students and extracurricular involvement: the effects of various student organizations on academic performance. Soc Psychol Educ, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 273–298, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-007-9050-y
AU  - Kassandra Fernandez
AU  - Krista Dulany Chisholm
AU  - Nancy Ruzycki
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Examining STEMM Mentorship within Student Organizations in Higher Education through a Critical Lens 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47372
ER  -