Conference

Learning by Doing: Supporting Future Underrepresented Graduate Students through Exposure to Research

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Abstract

Many barriers and hindrances prevent underrepresented and first-generation undergraduates from attending and completing graduate school. Efforts to recruit and retain these populations are essential. The ISU McNair Program prepares students for entry to graduate school in an effort to increase the attainment of doctoral degrees from disadvantaged and underrepresented populations. A key component of the McNair Program involves academic research, mirroring what may occur in graduate study, in hopes that developing skills and an understanding of how to conduct research will lead to a successful graduate career. McNair Scholars learn about the research process, through an in-class, team-based research project related to aspects of graduate school that they could encounter based on their social identities.

In this session, McNair Scholars will present their original research projects on: 1) The Imposter Phenomena, which often impacts underrepresented students, is defined as the belief one is inadequate despite prior academic or personal achievements; 2) Stereotype Threat faced by multicultural graduate student teaching assistants in STEM fields and its impact on their performance; and 3) Barriers to First-Generation Graduate Students, which include personal and environmental elements, among other factors that can influence student success.