Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics

Minoritized students tend to have lower undergraduate degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) than their White and South and East Asian counterparts. According to the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), factors related to historical co...

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Main Authors: Amira F. A. Ibrahim, Sarah E. McKellar, J. Frank Yates, Priti Shah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1465832/full
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author Amira F. A. Ibrahim
Sarah E. McKellar
J. Frank Yates
Priti Shah
author_facet Amira F. A. Ibrahim
Sarah E. McKellar
J. Frank Yates
Priti Shah
author_sort Amira F. A. Ibrahim
collection DOAJ
description Minoritized students tend to have lower undergraduate degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) than their White and South and East Asian counterparts. According to the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), factors related to historical contexts, systemic processes, and the individual interact to lead to underrepresentation in STEM. However, most of the literature on minoritized STEM students uses a deficit lens and does not consider the role of historical and systemic contexts on these students’ STEM achievement. As a product, current interventions used to increase academic achievement are limited in scope and do not consider the complex interplay between the numerous factors known to influence academic success. By using PVEST as a framework, more holistic interventions that focus on minoritized STEM students’ potential for success can be developed.
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record_format Article
series Frontiers in Education
spelling doaj-art-4d1c1a9a460447bbbe948ba76281a8202025-08-20T02:47:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-08-011010.3389/feduc.2025.14658321465832Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematicsAmira F. A. Ibrahim0Sarah E. McKellar1J. Frank Yates2Priti Shah3Department of Psychology, University of California Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA, United StatesEducational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology and Counseling, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesMinoritized students tend to have lower undergraduate degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) than their White and South and East Asian counterparts. According to the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), factors related to historical contexts, systemic processes, and the individual interact to lead to underrepresentation in STEM. However, most of the literature on minoritized STEM students uses a deficit lens and does not consider the role of historical and systemic contexts on these students’ STEM achievement. As a product, current interventions used to increase academic achievement are limited in scope and do not consider the complex interplay between the numerous factors known to influence academic success. By using PVEST as a framework, more holistic interventions that focus on minoritized STEM students’ potential for success can be developed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1465832/fullSTEMminoritized studentssupportscollaborative learningmath anxietymotivation
spellingShingle Amira F. A. Ibrahim
Sarah E. McKellar
J. Frank Yates
Priti Shah
Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
Frontiers in Education
STEM
minoritized students
supports
collaborative learning
math anxiety
motivation
title Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
title_full Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
title_fullStr Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
title_full_unstemmed Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
title_short Oh, the places you can go … if you ace calculus: helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
title_sort oh the places you can go if you ace calculus helping minoritized students succeed in undergraduate mathematics
topic STEM
minoritized students
supports
collaborative learning
math anxiety
motivation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1465832/full
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