Nonwhite Students Research Articles

The impact of community engagement on undergraduate social responsibility attitudes

ABSTRACT The literature on student development cautions that social responsibility attitudes may stagnate or decline as students proceed through college. Given the importance of students’ future professional obligations to society, identifying ways to reverse this trend is crucial. In turn, an important aim of this study, situated at a large public university, is to evaluate the prospects of community engagement as a strategy to foster professional social responsibility development. The study uses longitudinal results from an instrument known as the Generalized Professional Responsibility Assessment (GPRA) to assess personal and professional social responsibility attitudes. The study’s sample includes 128 students who completed a survey both in 2017, when entering college, and in 2019, when near the midpoint of college. Findings indicate that social responsibility attitudes remain stagnant, and that students over that time period attach more importance to salary as compared to helping people when considering job priorities. Yet, results reveal that increased community engagement predicts growth in social responsibility attitudes, even when controlling for students’ pre-college social responsibility attitudes and demographic characteristics. Further, a novel contribution of this study is a focus on two sub-categories of community engagement: discipline-based and peer-based. Discipline-based community engagement appears to foster professional aspects of social responsibility, while community engagement experiences tied to peer interaction appear to exert greater impacts for non-White students. An observation derived from the study is that community engagement, particularly when it connects to a student’s discipline or draws on peer influences, could be an effective strategy to promote social responsibility development.

The Broadening of Art Perspectives in an Art Course of Non-Art Major Students through a Korean Art Teacher’s Asian Art Viewpoint

This research explores how Multicultural and Asian art affects college students in a U.S. university. The students did not major in art, and they chose art as elective subjects. The art course consisted of art theory and practice based on DBAE(Discipline-Based Art Education). In the art class, some non-white students always enrolled in the course. The researcher found that DBAE was satisfactory but sometimes inappropriate because DBAE is rooted in Western high art. The researcher changed the art studio class with a multicultural perspective, especially Asian art because he wanted to introduce a new art style to the class and give them a chance to appreciate non-western art. Qualitative action research and arts-based research methods were used to conduct this project. The result revealed that the students of color showed more confidence and actively participated in the class. The works of students of color were changed and improved. Second, women became more aware of social issues and expressed their feelings and emotions in their works. It seemed that the women students would become social activists and voice their opinions by making their art. Third, some students, especially Hispanic and Asian students showed their identity through their artworks. Forth, some Korean students did not make much progress. By including multicul-tural art in art classes, more students could broaden their perspectives on art and understand diversity through their artworks.

Perceived Barriers to Transfer that Rural Community College Students Experience when Transitioning to a Regional University

ABSTRACT This exploratory, phenomenological study explored how rural community college students perceived barriers from the transfer process and the support services they had needed for their successful transfers to 4-year universities in rural Texas. Transfer shock and transfer student capital were the two frameworks employed to model sampled students’ transfer experiences and the barriers to transfer. Data sourced from questionnaires and one-on-one interviews with 15 representative transfer students illuminated major barriers in academic advising and financial aid, which mirror the experiences of urban transfer students. Results also indicate that sampled students wanted more remote options and infrastructure (e.g., internet) for learning in rural areas. Most striking among the study’s findings was the nature of personal barriers experienced among the nonwhite students sampled, their unique challenges suggested there may be demographic differences among minoritized sub-groups in rural areas as they held different types of transfer capital and experienced transfer shock differently.

Adopting Open Educational Resources as an Equity Strategy.

Social determinants of learning (SDOL) impact students' abilities to successfully complete their courses. An economic barrier for vulnerable students is the skyrocketing cost of textbooks. An innovative strategy to promote equity in educational delivery is the adoption of open educational resources (OER). The Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN) project published five OER textbooks with input from over 65 contributors and 300 reviewers. Open RN textbooks have received widespread national and international usage. Analysis of student outcomes indicates similar successful course completion rates by all students in OER course sections and increased rates of successful course completion by non-White students.

Association between history of academic failure during dental school and self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress: A retrospective cohort.

To investigate the association between history of academic failure (HAF) and self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate dental students. This study involved 244 dental students from one university. An online questionnaire collected information on the following variables: socioeconomic status, behavior, use of licit/illicit drugs, and the choice of dentistry as an undergraduate field of study. The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was applied. HAF in at least one subject during a participant's undergraduate tenure was defined as the main outcome. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variance. In addition, a subgroup analysis was performed for the variable "dentistry as the first choice for undergraduate studies." The prevalence of HAF was 25.00% (n=61). Among those students, the mean number of academic failures was 5.41±6.38 (range: 1-33). Higher rates of HAF were observed among older and non-white dental students. Moreover, those who self-reported at least severe depression presented a 79% higher HAF prevalence ratio (PR) (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.15-2.80). Similar findings were detected among those who reported (PR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.06-4.46) or did not report (PR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.10-4.46) interest in dentistry as a first undergraduate option. Conversely, among women and students who did not choose dentistry as their first option, HAF was significantly lower (PR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.21-0.80). Higher HAF rates are observed in students who are older, non-white, and self-report at least severe depression. However, dentistry as a first option for undergraduate studies was not associated with HAF.

Healthcare students’ perceptions of professional identity and program support

ABSTRACT To assess the self-reported professional identity of healthcare majors at a large public university, and to understand the degree to which the students perceive their healthcare programs support the development of this identity. An online, modified version of the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale (Tan, Van der Molen, and Schmidt [2017]. ‘A Measure of Professional Identity Development for Professional Education.’ Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames) 42 (8): 1504–19) was completed by 588 respondents with majors in dietetics, nursing, social work, and speech-language pathology. The 551 respondents who completed all survey items were included in the statistical analysis. Self-reported measures of students’ professional identity during preparation for practice were captured along with perceptions of program support. Findings indicated: (1) professional identity and perceptions of program support increase with age; (2) first-generation college students are more likely to have a professional role model and feel positive about program support for having a role model and in developing professional self-efficacy; (3) monolingual English-speakers had a higher professional identity and more positive perception about program support than multilingual students; (4) White students showed a higher sense of professional identify than non-White groups; and (5) there was no significant difference in professional identify or program support between genders as well as between four sexual orientation identities. Healthcare training programs benefit from supporting professional identity among pre-professionals to better prepare the workforce of tomorrow. Non-White, multilingual, and first-generation college students would especially benefit from professional role models and targeted programming to increase their sense of professional identity. Such efforts may support their persistence in healthcare fields where they are often underrepresented.

At the Intersection of Intersectionality: Race and Gender Diversity Among Surgical Faculty and Trainees.

To compare the representation of intersectional (ie, racial/ethnic and gender) identities among surgical faculty versus medical students. Health disparities are pervasive in medicine, but diverse physicians may help the medical profession achieve health equity. Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges for 140 programs (2011/2012-2019/2020) were analyzed for students and full-time surgical faculty. Underrepresented in medicine (URiM) was defined as Black/African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino/Spanish Origin, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. Non-White included URiM plus Asian, multiracial, and non-citizen permanent residents. Linear regression was used to estimate the association of year and proportions of URiM and non-White female and male faculty with proportions of URiM and non-White students. Medical students were comprised of more White (25.2% vs 14.4%), non-White (18.8% vs 6.6%), and URiM (9.6% vs 2.8%) women and concomitantly fewer men across all groups versus faculty (all P < 0.01). Although the proportion of White and non-White female faculty increased over time (both P ≤ 0.001), there was no significant change among non-White URiM female faculty, nor among non-White male faculty, regardless of whether they were URiM or not. Having more URiM male faculty was associated with having more non-White female students (estimate = +14.5% students/100% increase in faculty, 95% CI: 1.0% to 8.1%, P = 0.04), and this association was especially pronounced for URiM female students (estimate = +46.6% students/100% increase in faculty, 95% CI: 36.9% to 56.3%, P < 0.001). URiM faculty representation has not improved despite a positive association between having more URiM male faculty and having more diverse students.

Educators’ accounts of White racial advantage in K-12 settings: mitigating disadvantages for non-White students

ABSTRACTUtilizing qualitative content analyses of two open-ended questions, the study sought to understand the perspectives of 18 in-service educators regarding White student racial privilege and the ways White teachers can use their power to mitigate those privileges. The findings indicate that teachers are aware of the advantages and privileges afforded to White students in the schools. The findings also indicate that educators are aware of strategies White teachers can use to address those advantages and make the schooling experience for non-White students more equitable. Implications for non-White students, as well as future research and practice are discussed.

‘Seeing Whiteness’ in Norwegian education challenging a discourse of silence

ABSTRACT Employing a systematic literature review, this study explores research into whiteness studies in Norwegian education. Whiteness is broached as a sociogenic rather than a phylogenic phenomenon homologous with constructed social categories such as class. The review shows a preponderance of a tiny number of academics studying whiteness, reticence and discomfort in grappling with white privilege and a hierarchy of whiteness where the indigenous Sami and East Europeans are relegated to a lower tier of whiteness – what we refer to as ‘shades of whiteness’. Teacher education courses need to furnish student teachers with analytical tools developed by scholars in the field of whiteness studies. We also drawn attention to the attendant challenge of exploring ways of identifying and redressing the deleterious effects of an internalized discourse of white supremacy on the part of non-white students. This would go some way in grappling with the imbricated and matrix-like nature of whiteness.

Education Research: Diversity in Neurology Graduate Medical Education Leadership.

To describe the current landscape of gender and racial diversity among adult neurology residency and fellowship program directors (PDs). Diversity in medicine affects the quality of care provided to a diverse patient population. There are efforts in nearly every field of medicine to increase the diversity of the physician workforce. While there has been improvement in some of the known disparities in medicine such as gender disparities, these disparities have persisted in more senior academic positions in medicine. A data set was generated by the Association of American Medical Colleges for the purpose of this study using a variety of sources. The data included deidentified, person-level variables, including self-reported gender, race, or ethnicity, and the type of program for all PDs of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residencies and fellowships. This retrospective descriptive survey study sought to (1) describe the current gender and race climate of neurology PDs and (2) identify groups that may be disproportionally underrepresented in these positions compared with those in other specialties and levels of medical training. Descriptive statistics and tests of nonrandom association were performed to address the objectives. We found that 56.7% of residency PDs and 58% of fellowship PDs are male. The male to female ratio of PDs was similar to current neurology residents who are 53.4% male. There were significantly more female medical students (51.5%) compared with all other categories of academic rank other than neurology residency PDs (41.1%). Only 4.3% of residency PDs were Black and only 3.7% were Hispanic. There were no Black fellowship PDs, and 5.1% were Hispanic. There were significantly more non-White medical students and trainees compared with each PD group. The breakdown of gender and ethnic diversity of neurology PDs was similar to that of PDs from all residencies and fellowships. While there are many barriers to achieving diversity in medicine, program leadership in graduate medical education may be one of them. This report describes the current landscape of diversity among PDs of residency and fellowship programs in the United States. This study shows one snapshot in time, which can be used as a baseline during this era of change.

School closures and effective in-person learning during COVID-19

We document large temporal and geographical discrepancies among prominent trackers that measure in-person, hybrid, and remote schooling in the U.S. during COVID-19. We then propose a new measure of effective in-person learning (EIPL) that combines information on schooling modes with cell phone data on school visits and estimate it for a large, representative sample of U.S. public and private schools. The EIPL measure, which we make publicly available, resolves the discrepancies across trackers and is more suitable for many quantitative questions. Consistent with other studies, we find that a school’s share of non-white students and pre-pandemic grades and size are associated with less in-person learning during the 2020–21 school year. Notably, we also find that EIPL was lower for schools in more affluent and educated localities with higher pre-pandemic spending and more emergency funding per student. These results are in large part accounted for by systematic regional differences, in particular political preferences.

Dissonance, (dis)respect, and (not) belonging in the school space: BME Muslim student accounts of their experience in Glasgow schools

Scottish Government education policies, such as the Curriculum for Excellence, rely on statements about ‘inclusion’, social justice, fairness, and equality for children and young people. However, these values do not apply to all children and young people, particularly non-White students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, many of whom feel they are treated as racialised outsiders. This paper has emerged from my doctoral research (2016) and takes the opportunity to further explore the educational experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Muslim youth as they prepare to exit compulsory education. In the original study, 17 participants were identified by their schools and agencies as needing support to transition out of compulsory education due to a higher propensity to fall out of education, employment, or training (More Choices, More Chances, 2006), with 14 meeting the criteria of visible ethnic minorities. Eleven of the participants were also of the Muslim faith. This paper focuses on the findings of the 11 Muslim BME young people from the original study, and their responses to the first research question. The research question asked them about their experiences with compulsory education. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews in pairs or small groups of three. Through direct content analysis, three themes emerged: 1. Relationships between young people and their White Scottish peers were weak to non-existent. 2. Relationships between young people and their White Scottish teachers were weak. 3. The young people’s sense of (not) belonging and trust in their schools was strong. Six of the eleven study participants did not feel included in the school environment or treated as equals with their peers. They faced instances of racial discrimination by their teachers. Of the remaining five participants, two were troubled and had to be constantly reassured that the interviews were conducted for research purposes only. They were not required to participate and had the choice of physically leaving the session or contacting the researcher to have their contributions removed from the study. Three of the five participants did not cite unfair treatment; however, they did not seem to recognise or want to acknowledge that episodes of miscommunication and differential treatment shared with the researcher constituted discrimination. The study argues that policy language needs to be specific to address equality and inclusion in the school environment if outcomes are to be improved, particularly when it comes to the experiences of ethnic (and religious) minority students in school in Glasgow, Scotland. The young people feel they do not belong, are tolerated, and do not receive the same courtesy as their White Scottish peers. This paper highlights how racism can play out in education, disenfranchising young people. The paper recommends that policy and practise be aligned to ensure that all students are treated equally. This requires alignment of policy and practice, with strong leadership in schools who focus on racial, social justice, and fairness.

“The other side of diversity”: Students’ experiences of race, difference, and inequality in a Costa Rican international school

ABSTRACT This paper examines bids for a more critical global citizenship education, the desire to engage students’ lived experiences of power and inequality, from students in an international school in Costa Rica that embraces diversity and conflict transformation as core values. In the midst of a racial reckoning prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement, I show how students pushed back against post-racial multiculturalism, White saviorism, and ahistorical approaches to cultural diversity in their school. I argue that their experiences as racialized diaspora subjects led them to critique elements of global citizenship education that fail to acknowledge structural racism. While much of the literature on global citizenship education emphasizes the failure to engage primarily elite/White/Western students in critical discussions of race and structural inequality, this paper shows how some students, primarily racialized non-white students, sought to open these conversations based on their own experiences of difference.

Volume, Distribution, and Inequities by Race and Gender of Clinical Experiences Reported by Medical Students Entering Obstetrics and Gynecology Residencies

To assess for inequities by race and gender of fourth year medical students' (MS4s) self-reported clinical experience in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn). This was a voluntary, cross-sectional survey. Participants provided demographic data, information regarding their preparation for residency, and self-reported numbers of hands-on clinical experiences. Responses were compared across demographic categories to assess for disparity in pre-residency experiences. The survey was open to all MS4s matched to Ob/Gyn internships in the United States in 2021. The survey was distributed primarily via social media. Eligibility was verified by participants supplying the names of their medical school of origin and their matched residency program prior to completing the survey. 1057/1469 (71.9%) MS4s entering Ob/Gyn residencies participated. Respondent characteristics were not different from nationally available data. Median clinical experience numbers were calculated for hysterectomies (10; IQR 5-20), suturing opportunities (15; IQR 8-30), and vaginal deliveries (5.5; IQR 2-12). Non-White students had fewer hands-on experiences with hysterectomy, suturing, and cumulative clinical experiences when compared to White MS4s (p values <0.001). Female students had fewer hands-on experiences with hysterectomies (p < 0.04), vaginal delivery (p < 0.03), and cumulative experiences (p < 0.002) than male students. When assessed by quartiles, non-White students and female students were less likely to be in the top quartile for experience and more likely to be in the bottom quartile for experience than their White and male counterparts, respectively. A significant number of medical students entering Ob/Gyn residency have minimal hands-on clinical experience with foundational procedures. Additionally, there are racial and gender disparities in clinical experiences of MS4s matching to Ob/Gyn internships. Future work should identify how biases in medical education may affect the access to clinical experience in medical school, and potential interventions to mitigate inequities in procedures and confidence prior to residency.

Associations between Meeting 24-hour Movement Guidelines and Perceived Stress and Depressive Symptoms among College Students: Differences by Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation

ABSTRACT Little evidence exists concerning the proportion of US college students meeting collective recommendations for the behaviors of sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity, together known as 24-hour movement guidelines. As these behaviors are known to be related to mental health, the association between meeting these guidelines and mental health outcomes is of particular importance. Additionally, disparities by socio-demographic characteristics may also exist and need to be explored. To examine the following among US college students, (a) the proportion meeting 24-hour movement guidelines, (b) inequities based on socio-demographic characteristics, and (c) associations between meeting guidelines and mental health outcomes. A quantitative survey design was used with US college students (N = 515). Reported socio-demographic characteristics, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms were assessed. Movement guidelines were met by 22.1% of students. No differences in the proportion meeting all guidelines were evident based on gender (p = .143) or sexual orientation (p = .135), but more White students met all movement guidelines than nonwhite students (p = .022). Meeting all movement guidelines was not associated with lower perceived stress (p = .090), but was associated with lower depressive symptoms (p < .001). Most students do not meet 24-hour movement guidelines, and not meeting these guidelines appears to be associated with less favorable mental health. Given a plausible bi-directional association between movement behaviors and mental health, a dual-pronged approach simultaneously promoting healthier movement behaviors and mental wellbeing whilst considering student characteristics should be assessed by colleges.

Themed section introduction: Emerging research on racial/ethnic inequality in Canada.

Themed section introduction: Emerging research on racial/ethnic inequality in Canada.

The Real Cost to Remain Competitive: BYU Confronts Racist Past

College sports is a multi-billion-dollar business, and universities are looking for ways to remain competitive, including recruiting and retaining athletes from historically underrepresented groups to predominantly white institutions (PWI), many of which have a documented history of excluding non-white students, including blacks, indigenous peoples, and other people of color (often referred to as BIPOC). This article will examine the legacy of the racist teachings, past controversies, and compromises of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, Mormons) along with persistent struggles to shake off its 130-year-old racist past in efforts for its flagship school, Brigham Young University, to stay competitive in the lucrative Big 12 Athletic Conference. Deeply ingrained in the LDS culture is a politic of religious conservatism. Politics has often been intertwined with organized religion with much influence, and the LDS faith is no different. The cumulation of these interlocking systems generates thoughts, attitudes, and feelings that foster a racial climate at Brigham Young University where black students have reported feeling unsafe and unsupported. While this is a well-documented problem at predominately white institutions (PWIs) across the country, BYU is in many ways unique, given the discriminatory overt policies and practices employed for generations. We contend that the LDS Church’s history of racial marginalization and exclusion of black people made its way into the sports consciousness of the church’s flagship school and is not likely to change anytime soon. Understanding religion in the tradition of Charles Long as an orientation and utilizing Derrick Bell’s notion of racial realism are critical to our analyses. The confluence of politics, religion, race, and sport cannot be easily untangled.

Demographics Matter: Non-white and White Life Science Graduate Students Perceive and Use Resources Differently.

Many studies and interventions have been conducted to combat differential academic outcomes between majority and minoritized student populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education; however, few studies have examined resource use as a factor impacting these differences. Resource use is critical to success in myriad fields, and we posit that understanding resource use in graduate education, including the use and perception of resources, may be important in understanding differential outcomes and success among STEM graduate students. We employed a national survey of life science graduate students (N = 534) to describe student resource use outcomes and how these outcomes may be related to student demographic characteristics. The survey collected data on the following resource use outcomes: what resources students use, how often they use them, and how useful they perceive them to be. Academic stipend was the most frequently used resource and was perceived to be the most useful resource. Analysis of variance modeling and Tukey post hoc tests indicated that year in program, racial identity, gender identity, and college generation status all impacted student frequency of use or perception of usefulness for some resources, with the greatest differentials between white and non-white students. We conclude with recommendations for policy, practice, and future research.

Changing trends in ethnicity and academic performance: observational cohort data from a UK medical school

ObjectiveQuantify differential attainment by ethnicity in undergraduate medical assessments and evaluate whether institutional efforts to reduce the attainment gap have had impact.DesignObservational cohort study.SettingA single UK MBBS medical programme.ParticipantsPseudonymised data...

Whiteness and damage in the education classroom

ABSTRACT This paper analyses relationships between whiteness and damage in the university classroom through a focus on two contemporary areas of critical education in Canada: raising white racial consciousness and truth and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. First, whiteness is damage-producing – it orients anti-racist education towards white students and their needs, there by harming the well-being and constraining the education of non-white students. Second, whiteness gravitates towards what Unangax scholar Eve Tuck calls “damage-centred approaches,” which objectify non-white suffering, pathologising Indigenous peoples whilst obfuscating the ongoing reproduction of racism and colonialism. As such, white educators must remain assiduously vigilant about a key tension regarding whiteness and damage: that our pedagogical focus on racial and colonial oppression can simultaneously raise critical consciousness and divert attention away from more fundamental interrogations of whiteness, agency, and relationality within a systemically racist social order. The article closes with some considerations for educators in terms of addressing complicity in their institutions.