Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi
In this study we explore the relationship between faculty demographics such as gender, academic rank, and field, and the presence of Identity Safety Cues (ISCs) in undergraduate course syllabi. ISCs, such as the inclusion of instructor pronouns, inclusivity statements, and materials authored by wome...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1514339/full |
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| author | Anthony Coutts Crystal Brown Francesca Bernardi |
| author_facet | Anthony Coutts Crystal Brown Francesca Bernardi |
| author_sort | Anthony Coutts |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this study we explore the relationship between faculty demographics such as gender, academic rank, and field, and the presence of Identity Safety Cues (ISCs) in undergraduate course syllabi. ISCs, such as the inclusion of instructor pronouns, inclusivity statements, and materials authored by women and gender minority scholars, are increasingly seen as indicators of inclusive teaching practices. Drawing from an original dataset of 163 syllabi from introductory undergraduate courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a STEM-focused institution in the United States of America, we examine how these cues are used by faculty across different fields, gender, and rank. We employ a combination of descriptive and predictive statistics methods to investigate the influence of faculty demographics on syllabi design. Our findings reveal that women faculty across all disciplines are more likely to include ISCs compared to their male counterparts. Field also plays a substantial role in syllabi design, with faculty in the Humanities & Arts including ISCs much more frequently than those in STEM and the Social Sciences. The implications of these findings suggest a need for targeted faculty professional development and mentorship to promote better inclusive pedagogy in STEM education. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f11f29091f7346f8855c2dd478445efa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-f11f29091f7346f8855c2dd478445efa2025-01-28T06:41:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-01-011010.3389/feduc.2025.15143391514339Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabiAnthony Coutts0Crystal Brown1Francesca Bernardi2Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United StatesDepartment of Social Science and Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United StatesDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United StatesIn this study we explore the relationship between faculty demographics such as gender, academic rank, and field, and the presence of Identity Safety Cues (ISCs) in undergraduate course syllabi. ISCs, such as the inclusion of instructor pronouns, inclusivity statements, and materials authored by women and gender minority scholars, are increasingly seen as indicators of inclusive teaching practices. Drawing from an original dataset of 163 syllabi from introductory undergraduate courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a STEM-focused institution in the United States of America, we examine how these cues are used by faculty across different fields, gender, and rank. We employ a combination of descriptive and predictive statistics methods to investigate the influence of faculty demographics on syllabi design. Our findings reveal that women faculty across all disciplines are more likely to include ISCs compared to their male counterparts. Field also plays a substantial role in syllabi design, with faculty in the Humanities & Arts including ISCs much more frequently than those in STEM and the Social Sciences. The implications of these findings suggest a need for targeted faculty professional development and mentorship to promote better inclusive pedagogy in STEM education.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1514339/fullinclusionpedagogysyllabiidentity safety cuesfaculty demographicsSTEM education |
| spellingShingle | Anthony Coutts Crystal Brown Francesca Bernardi Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi Frontiers in Education inclusion pedagogy syllabi identity safety cues faculty demographics STEM education |
| title | Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi |
| title_full | Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi |
| title_fullStr | Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi |
| title_short | Signals of inclusion: how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate STEM syllabi |
| title_sort | signals of inclusion how faculty demographics impact the use of identity safety cues in undergraduate stem syllabi |
| topic | inclusion pedagogy syllabi identity safety cues faculty demographics STEM education |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1514339/full |
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