Commentary Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
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Drawing a New Scientist: Why I Come Out to My Chemistry Class Stephanie N. Knezz*
J. Chem. Educ. Downloaded from pubs.acs.org by 5.189.204.76 on 04/25/19. For personal use only.
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States ABSTRACT: Encouraging the persistence of underrepresented populations in STEM begins in gateway science courses like general chemistry. In these courses, success often depends on students’ ability to affirm their identity and sense of belonging in the science classroom. General chemistry suffers from an unfortunate lack of diverse role models; however, the instructor can use personal identity to help remedy this problem. Actively affirming identity in the classroom allows students from all backgrounds to feel like they belong in science. Additionally, by sharing information about oneself, the instructor is in a unique position to share power in the classroom, empowering students to develop their own voices as scientists. KEYWORDS: First-Year Undergraduate/General, History/Philosophy, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Ethics, Minorities in Chemistry, Women in Chemistry
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the perception of science as exclusive, preventing many students from feeling like part of the community. The impact of belonging, particularly at the early stages of an introductory course, can affect how students perceive their experience in science and, ultimately, their persistence in STEM fields.3−5 Over the past 25 years, the demographic makeup of chemistry departments has diversified slightly, but progress remains slow. Between the years of 1987 and 2008, Ph.D.s granted to women increased by 14%, and Ph.D.s granted to underrepresented minority groups increased slightly but remained quite small (on the order of 5% of all chemistry Ph.D.s).6 While degree numbers are increasing, representation in the STEM workforce is not following as quickly, particularly for tenure-track faculty members at large research universities.7 Efforts to improve advancement among these groups are promising8 but not utilized broadly, and the climate remains unwelcoming as a result.9
o matter how many times I teach my course, I always get nervous on the first day of class. When I enter the lecture hall of full of 100+ students, I know they are sizing me up and trying to figure out how they can strategize through the next 10 weeks. For me, this is a unique opportunity to form an impression on predominantly first-semester college students. In that moment, they are starting to decide what it means to be in college, to be in a chemistry course, and what academic science is overall. As I click through my introductory PowerPoint slides, I include the typical things: location of the syllabus, point totals, and laboratory safety information. It seems that every time, however, I spend a disproportionate amount of time anticipating one slide. It does not have any complex concepts or pedagogical intricacies. The heading simply reads: About Me. The slide takes less than 2 minutes of my lecture and contains mostly innocuous information: preferred pronouns, my undergraduate and graduate institutions, and some intimations about my hobbies and values. When an image of a cute rainbow flag appears, it is met with surprise and chatter. I bring it up offhandedly, trying not to emphasize it any more than other salient aspects of my identity. No matter how cavalier my explanation, however, I know that I will always have a hard time hiding my fear and anxiety about coming out to my class.
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INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE Showing examples of successful scientists who do not conform to the “traditional” image is a common starting point for instructors looking to make their pedagogy more inclusive. Showing tangible examples of real scientists who look different from the historical default is helpful, but I believe it is insufficient, particularly in introductory chemistry where diverse examples simply do not authentically relate to the material. In addition to communicating the more modern, diverse nature of the field, we need to invite students to integrate their own, personal identities into the scientific community. In this way, we invite them to discover the process that ties each of us (scientists) to our scientific grandfathers for
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DRAW A SCIENTIST In 1983, following the seminal work of Margaret Mead and Rhoda Metraux,1 David Chambers developed the “Draw a Scientist Test”.2 Using this tool, the scientific community learned that the general population’s impression of scientists was overwhelmingly male and white. Subsequently, a great deal of research has been done to ascertain the best way to combat this perception. The image represents the demographic disparity that endures in scientific fields today. It illustrates © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
Received: October 15, 2018 Revised: March 25, 2019
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00846 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
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more inclusive perspective of gender needs to be considered in each discussion of gender equity in STEM. Trans chemists continue to voice that their issues remain unheard in industry and academia, and a more nuanced understanding of gender across the field is the first step.20 Further, visibility of queer scientists should be magnified to combat the perception that all scientists ascribe to traditional gender norms. While it is true that LGBTQ students are less likely to be retained in STEM fields,21,22 and this demographic certainly should be targeted, I do not believe the impact of my coming out in class is limited to LGBTQ-identified students. The tie between classroom practices and the makeup of the field may seem tenuous, but a large body of work indicates that teaching practices have an even greater effect on student selfperceptions than background characteristics like SAT scores. These self-perceptions go on to influence intentions to persist in a particular STEM program.23 As such, teaching practices that require self-reflection and affirmation are important to any STEM course to promote positive impacts on student motivation and performance. Further, a strong sense of scientific identity during graduate school has shown to be especially impactful for students from under-represented minority groups.24 Long-term, the students who successfully integrate their scientific work into their identity are better able to persist in the field and pursue professional positions in STEM. Ideally, this development can begin prior to graduate work. While departmental initiatives are crucial to representation in the STEM workforce, classroom interventions can provide a strong foundation from which students of all backgrounds can progress and grow as scientists. Studies show that leveraging diverse identities in the classroom impacts each student on a personal level and promotes a learning community to the benefit of student learning overall.25
whom the laws, equations, and units are named. If everyone feels like they can bring something unique to the learning process, we can foster a sense of community that can be very powerful. In his recent publication, “Transforming the Classroom at Traditionally White Institutions to make Black Lives Matter”, Frank Tuitt describes several strategies for instructors at traditionally white institutions to cultivate inclusive excellence.10 One strategy involves what he describes as the cultivation of identity-affirming and socially just learning environments. This requires that instructors acknowledge all axes of identityincluding race, gender, sexuality, and educational background. Tuitt articulates that “faculty must realize that they are in the identity development business in that the pedagogical decisions we make inform how students think about their instructors, themselves and their overall sense of belonging in our classrooms.”11 While many well-meaning scientists argue that chemistry content is strictly objective, conveniently apolitical, and immune to cultural implications, strong arguments exist against falling into this trap in education.12 Progress in science is largely the direct result of the change-makers in the field, historically male and white. Drawing attention to this fact and the way that scientific progress can be shaped by the group of individuals making decisions can empower and motivate students.13 Individuals who are drawn to careers that make an impact on the world can suddenly see their potential in a STEM field, and if the need for a more diverse set of decisionmakers is identified, underrepresented students can see where they can make a difference. The idea of “culturally relevant pedagogy” (CRP), originally proposed by Ladson-Billings,14 calls for the explicit identification of diverse student experiences for use in the classroom. For an instructor to be considered culturally responsive, she must acknowledge the impact of students’ backgrounds on how they perceive course content.15 Humanities and social sciences have been quick to adopt these practices, but STEM fields lag behind. It is tempting to divert to the standard practice of “leaving your identity at the door” and focusing on the “pure” science being described in the course. While spending class time to focus on self-reflection leaves less time for content, it allows students to be more fully engaged with the content they do encounter. By bringing lived experience to the fore, we allow students to construct knowledge from a more personal place.16 When we explicitly invite each student to bring identity into the learning processto develop it using a diverse array of approaches and perspectivesno one feels like they missed a step along the way. Empowered by scientific identity, a fresh community of innovative thinkers can confidently emerge.
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WHAT DOES COMING OUT ACCOMPLISH? After gathering a substantial collection of reasons to share my identity with my students, I expected to feel confident and selfassured. However, I was still doubtful. As much as it feels validating and powerful, it also feels uncomfortable and scary. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the two ends are connected, not at odds. In his work on inclusive excellence, Tuitt also describes the importance of “courageous transparency.”10 Because sexual identity is not readily visible, the process of coming out affords a uniquely powerful moment to actively assert one’s identity in a definitive way. One of the reasons this particular axis of identity is uncomfortable to talk about is because it is so easy to hide. By drawing attention to a personal, easily concealed aspect of my identity, I intend to send a clear message, “This is who I am and I care.” My vulnerability also serves as an opportunity to share power in the classroom. When the humanity of an instructor is revealed, some element of power is relinquished and distributed to the students. The impact of sharing this power is tenable. The classroom, admittedly limited by its size and structure, began to feel much more collaborative. Students came by my office more readily, and I felt I had more authentic relationships with them. This evidence is all anecdotal and perhaps biased by my hopeful expectations, but I maintain that when you become vulnerable to your students, you share power that they can use to develop as learners. Further, the
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CLASSROOM IMPACT ON THE STATE OF THE FIELD The challenges that LGBTQ students face in science are subtle and often overlooked.17−19 Because significant efforts are underway to improve the visibility of women in scientific fields, equity progress often ends up unintentionally reinforcing the gender binary. As a result, students with gender identities that do not align with the binary feel especially left out. A student in this position neither feels comfortable with the majority cismale image of a scientist nor with the cis-female image used to encourage and empower the minority. This does not mean that visibility of cis-women in STEM is inherently harmful, but a B
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00846 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
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(14) Ladson-Billings, G. Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal 1995, 32 (3), 465− 491. (15) Villegas, A. M.; Lucas, T. Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers: Rethinking the Curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education 2002, 53 (1), 20−32. (16) Killpack, T. L.; Melón, L. C. Toward Inclusive STEM Classrooms: What Personal Role Do Faculty Play? CBE - Life Sciences Education 2016, 15 (3), es3. (17) Freeman, J. LGBTQ scientists are still left out. Nature 2018, 559, 27−28. (18) Wang, L. COMING OUT IN THE CHEMICAL SCIENCES. Chem. Eng. News 2011, 89 (21), 41−44. (19) Bannochie, C. J. Alphabet Soup and the ACS: The History of LGBT Inclusion. In Diversity in the Scientific Community Vol. 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017; Vol. 1256, pp 179−187. (20) Wang, L. A place at the bench. C&EN Global Enterprise 2016, 94 (41), 18−20. (21) Hughes, B. E. Coming out in STEM: Factors affecting retention of sexual minority STEM students. Science Advances 2018, 4 (3), eaao6373. (22) Cech, E.; Pham, M. Queer in STEM Organizations: Workplace Disadvantages for LGBT Employees in STEM Related Federal Agencies. Social Sciences 2017, 6 (1), 12. (23) Colbeck, C.; Cabrera, A.; Terenzini, P. Learning professional confidence: Linking teaching practices, students, self-perceptions, and gender. Rev. High. Educ. 2001, 24 (2), 173−191. (24) Kim, K. S.; Rackus, D. G.; Mabury, S. A.; Morra, B.; Dicks, A. P. The Chemistry Teaching Fellowship Program: Developing Curricula and Graduate Student Professionalism. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94 (4), 439−444. (25) Goethe, E. V.; Colina, C. M. Taking Advantage of Diversity within the Classroom. J. Chem. Educ. 2018, 95 (2), 189−192.
energy expended constantly hiding something so important about yourself can be used much more productively. Finally, the process of sharing a piece of my identity with my students has made me a better teacher. I can model for my students how to make science personal. It opens the floor to anecdotes about my first experiences in the undergraduate laboratory, experiences in graduate school, mistakes I’ve made, and how I’ve grown. Although I no longer do research in a laboratory, I still view myself as a scientist, and this deeply informs my approach to the world. When I reflect on how my personal path has impacted my development as a scientist AND how my identity as a scientist affects other aspects of my life, I can show students how they can do the same. In this way, I hope to make the field more approachable and create a new picture of what a scientist can look like.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected]. ORCID
Stephanie N. Knezz: 0000-0001-9445-2953 Notes
The author declares no competing financial interest.
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REFERENCES
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00846 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
