Title

Understanding differences in underrepresented minorities and first-generation student perceptions in the introductory biology classroom

Authors

Jacob Jantzer, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's UniversityFollow
Thomas W. Kirkman, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's UniversityFollow
Katherine L. Furniss, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2021

Disciplines

Biology | Higher Education | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Science and Mathematics Education

Abstract

We used quantitative methods to better understand the perceptions of students in an introductory biology course (Biology 101) at a small, liberal arts college (SLAC) that is also a primarily white institution (PWI). In pre/post surveys, we asked students questions related to their attitudes and beliefs about their professor, classmates, and Biology 101. We were especially interested in the responses and outcomes of underrepresented minorities (URM) and first-generation (FG) students. Our findings suggest URM and FG students have a decreased sense of belonging and increased perceptions of exclusion and differential treatment due to race. These findings can explain, in part, the disparity in Biology 101 grade and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) attrition.

Copyright Statement

Copyright © 2021 Jantzer et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.

Recommended Citation

Jantzer J, Kirkman T, Furniss KL. 2021. Understanding differences in underrepresented minorities and first-generation student perceptions in the introductory biology classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 22:e00176-21. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00176-21