Posted on 09/28/2022 5:33:33 AM PDT by devane617
A new paper in PNAS Nexus, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that minority students who earn low grades in introductory science, technology, engineering, and math classes are less likely to earn degrees in these subjects than similar white students.
There is a persistent disparity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education outcomes in the United States. In 2018, women earned 58% of bachelor's degrees, but only 36% of STEM bachelor's degrees. In 2017, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous people comprised 30% of the U.S. population, and 34% of STEM-intending incoming college students, yet they earned only 18% of actual undergraduate STEM degrees. This has implications for the diversity of STEM professions as well as for the range of research and innovation in such fields.
Students interested in such subjects typically take introductory courses like calculus or general chemistry during their first semester. Colleges may offer such courses in part with the goal of sending a message to students who receive low grades that they should pursue other fields of study. Previous research has established an association between low performance in these courses and a decreased probability of obtaining a STEM degree. However, this association may not be neutral regarding gender and race. Being assigned a low grade in introductory STEM courses might have a greater negative impact on women and racial/ethnic minorities.
Researchers examined records from 109,070 students from six large, public, research-intensive universities between 2005 and 2012, to assess whether low grades in these introductory courses disproportionately impact underrepresented minority students. The investigators studied the records of student performance in introductory courses in physical sciences, life sciences, mathematical and computational sciences, and engineering to discern the likelihood of students earning degrees in these subjects.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Actually once I got my act together, thanks to the local community college, I found the upper classes generally easier than the lower.
Something I’ll never forget. First semester sophomore year. The first test in the “gateway” course to an EE degree. Semiconductor physics. It was hard. When the papers came back I received a 54. Thoughts of what other career options did I have, maybe I couldn’t cut this. Now everything was graded on a curve and the professor proceeds to announce class average was 17. Instantly I’m transported to nirvana. Many around me never finished the semester. Clearly by design.
“Oh - I didn’t have to take the MCATS. Can’t you see I’m black? Don’t worry - I’ll do my best.”
Basically this just demonstrates the strengths of the various races in my opinion. It’s why basketball and football teams are mostly black even though nobody would say that they are racially prejudiced against whites or asians.
Fact is, the races are literally different beyond just skin color and they actually bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table.
Same with the sexes.
Those that earn degrees in STEM will never reflect the ethnic makeup of US society in the same way that professional basketball and football will never reflect the US ethnic makeup.
Especially with the T of STEM (that's Tech to those of you in Rio Linda). I'm hardly the only programmer who was reading books and learning how to program my home computer before I was old enough to drive. And little things like the trig pre-requisite wasn't going to keep me from taking my first CS courses. By the way, I was able to skip the early math pre-requisite courses by scoring high on the math placement test and take CS courses in my first quarter. That was before I was enlightened to know how raaaayyyyyyssssssiiiiisssssst math is. Most of my peers tell the same story. Of course, with my younger peers it wasn't reading IT books at an early age; they read web sites.
Yep.
I always thought ORGANIC CHEMISTRY was the DESTROYER of DREAMS.
Is thing the most idiotic thing I’ll read today? This early?
What’s more, if these students earn lower than a C in even one introductory STEM course, the disparities persist......
There is a world of difference in getting a D and an F. Many people just barely miss a C, but feel like they fundamentally know the material and would do much better a 2nd time.
On the other hand, There are people who get grades that are way below even the typical 65% threshold for F. Often these students have effectively given up by the time the semester is over—many times to the point where they stop attending class altogether. The typical reason they don’t drop the course is that they would be below the number of credits needed for full time status and the associated financial aid. I suspect many of the White (and no doubt Asian) males who try again fall into the D category. Those who are solidly below the F threshold typically take the hint
Despite the implication in the article, in many cases, the introductory courses are much easier than the upper level courses they will eventually encounter. So if you can’t hack those, your chances at the latter are slim and none. You are actually doing them a favor by weeding them out.
“The Bell Curve is a pesky thing.”
^^
This.
L
That way they don’t have to blame themselves for their lack. It’s somebody else’s fault! The consistent claim of commies everywhere.
Boo freaking hoo.
My father grew up poor. He had Asbergers (undiagnosed but obvious to us, his children, later in his life). After the Korean War, which he volunteered for to get away from an abusive father and where he suffered a permanent injury, he worked full time during the day and put himself through college at night. He still managed to graduate summa cum laude with a degree in civil engineering.
So, despite a learning disability, a permanent physical injury, a challenging financial situation and living on his own, he prevailed.
White privilege? No. A Mensa level IQ (an organization he would later join), an unflappable work ethic, and a desire to succeed propelled him.
If students are scared off by a basics course, STEM isn’t the field for them.
There are plenty of diversity and inclusion corporate jobs.
Those require a college degree most 8th graders could get.
“Being assigned a low grade”
They also don’t tell you how MANY women are in the programs.
Maybe only 36% of participants are women! That means - 100% of the women that participate are graduating!
Good God.
I am a woman. I had lots of difficulty with “introductory” classes. Had repeats in a better school. Got past that, graduated from high-rated engineering school with 3.4 GPA.
We had some women in that school’s program; not many, but there were a few besides me. In work, there were more women than at school. Still not overwhelming, but definitely there.
There are probably more now, but likely not much more.
I don’t care. Are we supposed to force women (or any group) into certain areas all for the name of “equity”?
Keep Politics out of Science and Math, please.
I can verify, 30 years ago, it was probably a racist Indian or yellow person.
When doctors have caved to allowing sex changes and calling people by “proper pronouns”, you KNOW that horse is out of the barn.
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