First Advisor

Karlyn Adams-Wiggins

Term of Graduation

Winter 2024

Date of Publication

3-12-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Language

English

Subjects

identity, Latinx, mentoring, STEM, undergraduates

DOI

10.15760/etd.3730

Physical Description

1 online resource (vi, 167 pages)

Abstract

Despite Latino/a/x college student attendance rising substantially over the past decades, their graduation rates do not match the increased admission rates. In addition, Latino/a/x students are considerably under-represented in STEM. However, research suggests that when these students are encouraged by social partners to have meaningful participation and given resources such as mentoring, this eases the barriers they experience. The current study utilized interviews with 11 Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates (aged 18-29) to understand how faculty mentors influence their STEM identity development. Students shared answers about how faculty promoted and inhibited their STEM identity development through conversations about their sense of competence, sense of belonging, and experiences of participation in their environments. Undergraduate research programs were a positive source of skill obtainment, providing students the chance for close mentorship and relationship building with professionals in their fields. However, these programs were only partially responsible for a strong STEM identity. The results section concludes with students' explicit suggestions for faculty mentors to promote a better sense of competence, belonging, and participation for Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates. The conclusions drawn from this study highlight rich, in-depth recommendations for the mentors and faculty of Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates from the students, who are the experts in the issues they face as underrepresented minorities in scientific fields.

Rights

© 2024 Sandy Cerda-Lezama

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41682

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