Degree Date
12-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Dr. Barbara Wissink
Second Advisor
Dr. Acacia Nikoi
Abstract
This qualitative study examined representation of historically marginalized students in STEM instructional content at the higher education level and its impact on their learning experiences. Despite growing diversity initiatives in STEM enrollment, curricular materials often fail to reflect the identities of underrepresented students. Using critical theory and interpretivist approaches, this research investigated how representation—or its absence—shapes students' sense of belonging, academic identity formation, and persistence. Through semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students from historically marginalized backgrounds, and purposeful sampling, this study captured the lived experiences of students engaging with STEM instructional materials. Interview protocols explored how students perceive their representation in textbooks, laboratory manuals, lecture slides, and digital learning platforms, while examining the psychological and academic impacts. Data analysis followed inductive coding, allowing themes to emerge organically from participants' narratives rather than imposing predetermined frameworks. This approach honored students' voices while providing critical insights into how instructional content may reinforce or disrupt systemic inequities in STEM education. The findings provided theoretical contributions to our understanding of representation in educational contexts and offered practical recommendations for developing more inclusive STEM curricular materials that affirm diverse identities and enhance academic outcomes for all students. Key findings revealed that social contexts and institutional support shaped belonging more than instructional content, gender and intersectionality emerged as primary exclusion drivers, and a significant academic-professional disconnect left students unprepared to envision STEM careers.
Recommended Citation
Ventura, N. (2025). Content and Consequences: Impact of Representation in STEM Higher Education Instructional Content on Marginalized Students (Dissertation, Concordia University, St. Paul). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/edd/88Included in
Chemistry Commons, Computer Sciences Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Earth Sciences Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Gender Equity in Education Commons, Mathematics Commons, Physics Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Statistics and Probability Commons