AnthroAlert: An Anthropology Podcast
Education
## AnthroAlert
## Episode 26: STEM
Originally aired 15 December 2017 on bullsradio.org
Dr. Rebecca Campbell is our guest this week.
![](https://78.media.tumblr.com/1c927d3aef6a8a7c9311b8688c7f4dbf/tumblr_inline_p0woz2CXuT1uk28fm_540.jpg)
Dr. Campbell is part of a team of researchers at the University of Connecticut and the University of South Florida, with affiliates elsewhere, working on a project exploring how social capital and cultural models impact the retention and degree attainment of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM undergraduate programs. The research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and is led by the PI, Dr. Gladis Kersaint, who is the Dean in the Neag School of Education at UConn. The research team includes an interdisciplinary team of researchers including anthropologists, sociologists, methodologists, educators, and engineers who are using their collective expertise to address the research questions being examined. Other members of the team include Dr. Chrystal Smith and myself who moved to UConn with Dr. Kersaint and the remainder of the USF team that includes Dr. George MacDonald and Mr. Reginald Lee at the Center for Research, Evaluation, Assessment, and Measurement and the College of Education here at USF; Dr. John Skvoretz, Distinguished University Professor of Sociology; Dr. Kingsley Reeves, Assistant Professor of Industrial & Management Systems Engineering and Dr. Hes Wao formerly of USF Health.
This mixed-methods research is guided by the collective and interdisciplinary expertise of the research team and utilizes approaches from each of the disciplinary areas. For example, we use cognitive anthropology theory to think about cultural models, and anthropological research methods, such as Think Alouds and Freelisting, which help us increase reliability and validity of our survey and interview methods. Ego Network Analysis stems from Sociology, and we use it to understand social capital by looking at the people or influencers who helped our survey respondents get into and succeed in engineering. From education, we incorporate linear logistic test model (LLTM) to provide conceptual knowledge states (CKS) estimates; basically that means we designed survey items to measure concepts important in our research. These include Academic Preparation, Persistence & Success, Resources, Departmental Support, Relationships & Support, Limitations, and Fit.
There were nearly 2,200 students in our first survey, and we have followed them from their freshmen year of engineering until now, which is their fourth year as students. We’ve conducted the first set of interviews with a subsample of 55 women and underrepresented engineering students. There are 10 colleges of engineering that cater to different types of student populations in our four-year longitudinal study. Our important outcome variables are: 1) the decision to pursue engineering undergraduate degrees and 2) retention to the fourth year of the degree program. We are in the process of analyzing data and deploying our fourth survey and second set of interviews. We’ve presented our interim findings at conferences, to the National Science Foundation, to our participating universities, and through journal articles under review.
Findings include those listed in our 2016 Annual Report, which will be discussed during Friday’s
radio show.
Listen Live Friday at 3 PM EST https://tunein.com/radio/Bulls-Radio-897-s230635/
## Podcast link
## Video link
## Album art photo credit:
Oliver Thompson
https://flic.kr/p/9zVPYB
CC License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
## Intro music credit:
Awel by stefsax
http://ccmixter.org/files/stefsax/7785
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/
Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba
http://ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
There's A Better WAY ! by Loveshadow
http://ccmixter.org/files/Loveshadow/34402
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
"Jungle Tracking" by pingnews
http://ccmixter.org/files/pingnews/13481
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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