Meghan Berger
Xavier University of Louisiana, Division of Education and Counseling, Graduate Student
The first year of college encompasses one of the most challenging transitions a student may face during their college career and/or lifetime. For minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), the transitioning... more
The first year of college encompasses one of the most challenging transitions a student may face during their college career and/or lifetime. For minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), the transitioning experience may yield many stressors that lead to diminished college experiences. In the first year, STEM students not only explore their sense of belonging within their fields of study but how they fit within their environment. The psychological effects of fitting into an environment unlike their usual, may expose and establish diminished sense of worth and self-efficacy [1] One of which, Stereotype Threat Vulnerability (STV), exposure to being perceived and/or treated as a stereotype, which self-fulfills as the stereotype, may diminish student’s academic abilities (Robertson & Chaney, 2015). This quantitative study examined the presence of STV at a Historically Black University of approximately 179 students (n=13 freshman STEM students). Demographics...
