Not all Disadvantages Are Equal: Investigating Grades and Motivational Beliefs

Abstract

Inequitable outcomes in physics courses point to systemic inequities in higher education for students with historically disadvantaged backgrounds and investigations focusing on these can be useful to provide support and create an equitable and inclusive learning environment. Specifically, student grades and motivational outcomes in introductory physics courses can influence their retention in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and future career aspirations. This study uses data at a large public research institution to investigate the grades earned by students categorized by four demographic characteristics: gender, race/ethnicity, low income status, and first-generation college student status. We find that on average across all years of study, underrepresented minority (URM) students experience a larger penalty to their STEM GPA than even the most disadvantaged non-URM students. In order to further understand inequitable outcomes in introductory physics courses, we discuss an investigation of students' motivational beliefs that show a gender gap.