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Research & Teaching

Examining Self-Efficacy, Science Identity, and Sense of Belonging Within a Cohort-Based STEM Program

Journal of College Science Teaching—Fall 2023 (Volume 52, Issue 7)

By Ayesha S. Boyce, Cherie Avent, Adeyemo Adetogun, Christopher Hall, Lynn Sametz, P. Lee Phillips, Amelia Kane, Jeffrey Patton, Kimberly Petersen, and Malcolm Schug

Since 2010, the National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded Science, Technology, and Math Preparation Scholarships (STAMPS) project has provided financial and community support for undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in STEM majors. In this article, the authors explore the impact of STAMPS on how cohorts support students’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and science identity. A mixed-methods design approach enabled the collection of multiple types of data that could be used to examine participants’ experiences. Key findings suggest that participation in the STAMPS program has increased students’ self-efficacy, science identity, and sense of belonging. Students reported feeling a bolstered self-efficacy primarily due to interactions with other students, faculty, and scientists during class, field trips, and presentations. Peer and faculty mentors and STAMPS events were most frequently cited as being responsible for impacting science identity. UNCG-specific and STAMPS events assisted in the formation of students’ sense of belonging.

Research STEM Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies

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