Bridging the gap between undergraduate and doctoral education in STEM: A mixed methods evaluation of the NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at a highly selective private university in the northeast

Rashid, Naureen

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117565 Copy

Description

Title

Bridging the gap between undergraduate and doctoral education in STEM: A mixed methods evaluation of the NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at a highly selective private university in the northeast

Author(s)

Rashid, Naureen

Issue Date

2022-11-22

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Pak, Yoon

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Pak, Yoon

Committee Member(s)

• Hood, Denice
• Huang, David
• Kang, Hyun-Sook

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• NIH
• PREP
• Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program
• STEM
• doctorate
• higher education
• underrepresentation
• diversity
• mixed methods

Abstract

The disproportionate underrepresentation of women, African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians or Alaska Natives among STEM doctorate recipients is striking and has become a national issue. Numerous preparatory programs have emerged to promote doctoral success among underrepresented students in STEM. One such program is the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if and to what extent PREP at Institution X, a pseudonym for a highly selective private university in the Northeast, impacted its underrepresented participants’ skill and knowledge development as well as their social and academic integration into STEM doctoral programs. This evaluation focused on five cohorts of scholars, 21 individuals in total, who participated in PREP at Institution X from 2014 to 2019. While there is an abundance of research on other preparatory programs, such as the McNair Scholars Program, very little research has been conducted evaluating PREP. The few studies that evaluate PREP rely solely upon qualitative interviews. This dissertation fills a gap in the literature by integrating quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate PREP at Institution X and determine if the program met its intended goals. This evaluation was framed by Tinto’s Longitudinal Model of Doctoral Persistence (1993) and utilized a two-phase, mixed methods sequential explanatory design to address the following evaluation questions: 1. To what extent did Institution X’s PREP impact its underrepresented participants’ knowledge and skill development to prepare them for doctoral success in STEM? 2. To what extent did Institution X’s PREP impact its participants’ academic and social integration into their STEM doctoral programs? In the quantitative phase, which occurred prior to the beginning of this study, Institution X surveyed participants immediately before and after their participation in PREP to collect data on their knowledge of graduate admissions and financial aid, understanding of graduate life and expectations and post-graduate careers, and skills related to conducting and communicating research. In the qualitative phase prior to the beginning of this study, Institution X collected text data from follow-up tracking surveys, which asked participants to describe if and how PREP prepared them for doctoral studies and careers in STEM. Additionally, seven former PREP participants were interviewed during this study to further illuminate the role of PREP in participants’ preparation for and integration into their doctoral programs. The mixed methods analysis indicated that participants felt PREP had a positive impact on their doctoral journeys through (1) increased self-confidence, (2) increased clarity of graduate and career expectations and goals, (3) increased preparedness for graduate school admissions, (4) improved academic integration, and (5) improved social integration into doctoral programs. The findings from this evaluation imply that PREP incorporates impactful programmatic components and exhibits strong potential in serving as a bridge between undergraduate and doctoral studies for underrepresented students in STEM. This evaluation should be viewed within its limitations. One potential limitation is selection bias. The seven individuals who volunteered to participate in the interviews may not be representative of all former PREP participants. However, this limitation was mitigated by the fact that 13 other PREP scholars from Institution X, in addition to the seven interviewed, participated in the evaluation in other forms and therefore, added their perspectives to the analysis. Another limitation of this evaluation was the inability to validate the pre-existing quantitative pre- and post-survey questionnaire that had been created and administered by Institution X due to the small sample size. Finally, this evaluation was conducted at a single institution and had a small sample size. Therefore, there may be limited generalizability of the results to other institutions, as PREP programs may vary from institution to institution in terms of what programming and resources are offered. Additionally, students may have different experiences depending on the institution. However, the results and findings are in line with the previous literature, which highlights the positive impact of pre-doctoral STEM preparatory programs on doctoral studies, and therefore can be applicable to higher education institutions interested in diversifying the STEM doctorate population. Recommendations for professional practice for Institution X include improving the PREP programmatic experience by creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment on campus, diversifying mentorship opportunities, and offering more time for scientific writing. Future research on this topic could incorporate a larger sample of PREP participants from across multiple institutions and across more years. Given the current dearth of mixed methods approaches evaluating PREP, more studies integrating qualitative and quantitative data would be beneficial. Conducting a prospective cohort study that compares underrepresented students who participated in PREP to those who did not but otherwise share similar backgrounds and characteristics would be an interesting future study to more rigorously test whether there is an association between participation in PREP and doctoral success in STEM. Finally, further research on how many PREP participants stay engaged with the program after completion, complete their doctoral degree, and pursue careers in STEM would be of interest.

Graduation Semester

2022-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Naureen Rashid

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