Faculty curriculum development to open the gates to STEM: incorporating research experiences to the curriculum to increase student success in STEM

Abstract

As access to college has increased, the access point has shifted from getting into college to persisting in elite majors, such as STEM majors which provide access to greater economic mobility. Passing through introductory gatekeeping courses in STEM, courses with high rates of dropping, failing, withdrawing, or taking an incomplete (DFWI rates), is a crucial access point for undergraduate students. Being able to pass these courses is a high-stakes filter that has a significant influence on persistence, retention, and degree completion in college. This study examines an intervention designed to improve student success and retention in STEM by supporting curriculum re-design of gatekeeper courses through Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). CUREs offer students opportunities to engage in authentic research, which provides students with practical experience to develop collaboration, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and other competencies that help them succeed in gatekeeper courses in the early stages of the STEM pathways. We employ a post hoc , quasi-experimental design to test the impact of this curriculum re-design on college persistence, persistence in STEM, and cumulative GPA. The study was conducted at a large public research university designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The treatment variable indicated participation in a CURE designed through the CURE Training Institute, a 1-week intensive training for STEM faculty teaching introductory STEM courses, followed by a year-long Community of Practice. Outcome variables included first- and second-year college retention, first- and second-year STEM retention, and cumulative GPA at the end of the second year. To address selection bias, Propensity Score Matching was used to create comparable groups of students who did and did not participate in CUREs. Regression analyses were then conducted on both full and matched samples to estimate the relationship between CURE participation and academic outcomes. Using propensity score matching, the results show a consistent pattern in which participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences is associated with significantly higher retention in college and STEM retention. Integrating faculty curriculum development through course-based undergraduate research experiences supports students in succeeding in gateway courses without lowering academic rigor and the knowledge and mastery students need to possess.