What's Happening?
Eunjin “Jin” Seo, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Texas State University, has received a $943,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. This five-year grant will fund her 'Growing Together' project, which aims to investigate how daily conversations
among students regarding grades, mistakes, effort, and ability influence their motivation to continue in STEM fields. Dr. Seo's research is based on the premise that students' beliefs about their abilities are significantly shaped by their interactions with classmates. The study will involve students completing daily diaries about their peer experiences and researchers capturing small-group conversations in selected STEM classes. The insights gained will be used to develop and test activities designed to foster a more growth-supportive peer culture, encouraging students to view struggle as a normal part of learning and promoting help-seeking and mutual support.
Why It's Important?
This research is crucial for addressing the national demand for STEM professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 807,700 new STEM jobs by 2035, a growth rate more than double that of other occupations. In Texas, computer and mathematical occupations are among the most in-demand high-wage fields, with nearly 100,000 jobs projected by 2032. By understanding and improving peer culture in STEM, Dr. Seo's project could help retain more students, particularly first-generation students who may be navigating an unfamiliar college environment. The findings could provide educators, families, and policymakers with new strategies to support students' persistence in STEM, ultimately contributing to a stronger future workforce and addressing critical skill gaps in the economy.
What's Next?
Over the next five years, Dr. Seo, through TXST’s Student Engagement and Opportunity Lab, will collaborate with faculty advisors, STEM instructors, and student research assistants to conduct the study. The team will analyze data from student diaries and recorded conversations to identify key patterns in peer interactions. Subsequently, they will design and implement interventions—activities aimed at cultivating a more positive and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable with challenges and seek assistance. The project's ultimate goal is to test the effectiveness of these activities in shifting student perceptions and motivations. The findings are expected to inform best practices for fostering a resilient and inclusive STEM learning environment, potentially leading to broader adoption of these strategies in educational institutions nationwide.
Beyond the Headlines
The study delves into the subtle yet powerful influence of social dynamics on individual academic trajectories. Beyond the immediate goal of increasing STEM retention, it highlights the ethical dimension of creating inclusive educational spaces where all students, regardless of their initial self-perception, feel they belong and can succeed. The research challenges the notion of innate ability, emphasizing instead the role of environment and peer support in shaping a growth mindset. This shift in perspective could have long-term cultural implications, moving away from a competitive, individualistic approach to learning towards one that values collaboration and collective growth. The project's success could redefine how educational institutions approach student support, recognizing peer culture as a vital, often overlooked, component of academic success and personal development.
