Abstract
The purpose of this study was to uncover and describe the institutional classroom practices of STEM education at a Midwest research university (MRU). Using the framework of feminist standpoint theory, this study explored the everyday experiences of undergraduate women in math and physics to provide a unique perspective on the STEM education teaching and learning environment. In analysis of student interviews, faculty interviews, classroom observations, and instructional documents, we found that the difficult and intimidating aspects of the teaching and learning environment that created challenges for women participants were guided by STEM discourses of individualism, competition, and difficulty. These findings indicate that recent efforts to reduce the “chilly” climate have been unsuccessful because the discourses that motivate the chilly climate have not changed. Recommendations include revising the STEM institution to one that is inclusive for non-man students by identifying and revising the teaching and learning practices motivated by the discourses of competition, individualism, and difficulty.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to uncover and describe the institutional classroom practices of STEM education at a Midwest research university (MRU)
This article reports on a portion of a larger institutional ethnography of STEM education at MRU; in this manuscript, we explored data collected on classroom and department-level teaching and learning practices (See Parson & Ozaki, 2017; Parson, 2018)
We asked what STEM teaching and learning practices and processes characterized the organization of the day-to-day work of being a math and physics student and if challenges emerged for undergraduate women as a result of those organizational processes
Summary
The purpose of this study was to uncover and describe the institutional classroom practices of STEM education at a Midwest research university (MRU). In analysis of student interviews, faculty interviews, classroom observations, and instructional documents, we found that the difficult and intimidating aspects of the teaching and learning environment that created challenges for women participants were guided by STEM discourses of individualism, competition, and difficulty. Weed out courses are introductory STEM courses designed to be so difficult they push out students perceived to be unprepared for (or identify those perceived to be unable to be successful in) difficult upper division courses (Mervis, 2011) This practice can create a competitive environment that is negative for women and minorities: “women do not find competition a meaningful way to receive feedback and may even find it to be offensive” We asked what STEM teaching and learning practices and processes characterized the organization of the day-to-day work of being a math and physics student and if challenges emerged for undergraduate women as a result of those organizational processes
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