Why Closing the Gap is Important
Underrepresented and disadvantaged minorities are the fastest growing part of the U.S. population and are one of our biggest assets; improving STEM education for these groups to create a robust science and engineering workforce is essential if we are to maintain scientific and economic progress (Hrabowski, 2011; Xie et al., 2015). Unfortunately, STEM fields lack a sufficient number of trained professionals, and this gap is related to insufficient opportunities for FG and AHN students (Hrabowski, 2011; Institute of Medicine, 2007).
While the challenge may seem daunting, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Over the last several decades higher education institutions have increased science participation and narrowed achievement and attainment gaps for women and many historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities (e.g., AHNs.) (Kao & Thompson, 2003; NCSES, 2021). It is also encouraging that underprivileged young people have universally high educational aspirations and most expect to go to college (Kao & Thompson, 2003).
The links between academic performance, degree attainment, career success, and disadvantages faced by these groups are well known (Coleman, 1961; Jencks et al., 1981). Reducing the academic achievement gaps is of paramount importance towards training and retaining students as poor performance in introductory STEM courses is the primary reason that students drop-out of college or switch to non-STEM majors. Reducing the academic achievement gaps is of paramount importance towards training and retaining students as poor performance in introductory STEM courses is the primary reason that students drop-out of college or switch to non-STEM majors (Theobald et al., 2020). College instructors may be ideally positioned to ameliorate future achievement gaps by undertaking appropriate measures and interventions in their classrooms. Instructors can increase AHN participation in science by recognizing, reducing, and eliminating barriers AHN students face in their undergraduate courses (Gibbs & Marsteller, 2016).