The (STEM)2 Network: a multi-institution, multidisciplinary approach to transforming undergraduate STEM education

Abstract

Background: Transforming the culture of STEM higher education to be more inclusive and help more students reach STEM careers is challenging. Herein, we describe a new model for STEM higher education transformation, the Sustainable, Transformative Engagement across a Multi-Institution/Multidisciplinary STEM, (STEM)², "STEM-squared", Network. The Network embraces a pathways model, as opposed to a pipeline model, to STEM career entry. It is founded upon three strong theoretical frameworks: Communities of Transformation, systems design for organizational change, and emergent outcomes for the diffusion of innovations in STEM education. Currently composed of five institutions-three private 4-year universities and two public community colleges-the Network capitalizes on the close geographic proximity and shared student demographics to effect change across the classroom, disciplinary, institutional, and inter-institutional levels.

Results: The (STEM)² Network has increased the extent to which participants feel empowered to be change agents for STEM higher education reform and has increased collaboration across disciplines and institutions. Participants were motivated to join the Network to improve STEM education, to improve the transfer student experience, to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines and institutions, and because they respected the leadership team. Participants continue to engage in the Network because of the collaborations created, opportunities for professional growth, opportunities to improve STEM education, and a sense that the Network is functioning as intended.

Conclusion: The goal to increase the number and diversity of people entering STEM careers is predicated on transforming the STEM higher education system to embrace a pathways model to a STEM career. The (STEM)² Network is achieving this by empowering faculty to transform the system from the inside. While the systemic transformation of STEM higher education is challenging, the (STEM)² Network directly addresses those challenges by bridging disciplinary and institutional silos and leveraging the reward structure of the current system to support faculty as they work to transform this very system.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40594-020-00262-z.

Keywords: Collaborations; Inter-institutional; Interdisciplinary; Network; STEM education transformation; Transfer students.

Fig. 1

Four levels of faculty collaboration promoted by participation in the (STEM)² Network. The Network spans the classroom, disciplinary, institutional, and inter-institutional levels. It creates on-going collaborations among faculty a within a discipline at one institution, b across disciplines at one institution, c within a discipline across institutions, and d across disciplines across institutions. Only a few examples of each collaboration type are illustrated for clarity

Fig. 2

(STEM)² Network Development as a Community of Transformation. The trajectory of development followed by the four existing Communities of Transformation (adapted from Kezar & Gehrke, 2015) aligned with development, to date, of the (STEM)² Network

Fig. 3

(STEM)² Network and the four change strategies described in Henderson et al. (2010). The (STEM)² Network primarily focuses on emergent outcomes that impact the individuals and the environments and structures in which they teach. Figure modified from Henderson et al. (2010)

Fig. 4

(STEM)² Network Participants’ Awareness and Use of Guiding Documents. Percent of participants in biology (N = 7), chemistry (N = 8), and math (N = 6) who, prior to joining the (STEM)² Network, were a aware of guiding documents in each discipline and b had used guiding documents in developing a course

Fig. 5

Change in (STEM)² Network Participants’ Feelings about being Change Agents. Change in reported sense of how prepared participants felt to be a change agent for STEM education reform over 7 months in the (STEM)² Network. Left most bars are prior to joining the Network. Right most bars are after 7 months in the Network

Fig. 6

Increase in Collaborations with Colleagues. The number of times participants reported collaborating with colleagues prior to joining the Network (left bars in each Sankey diagram) and after 7 months of participating in the (STEM)² Network (right bars in each Sankey diagram) in a the same discipline at their home institution, b different disciplines at their home institution, c the same discipline at other institutions, and d different disciplines at other institutions. The numbers below the figures represent the increase in participants’ interactions from prior to joining the Network to 7 months after joining the Network. Interactions were calculated by multiplying the number of participants in each collaboration category at each time point by 0 (for never), 1 (for 1 time), 2.5 (for 2–3 times), 4.5 (for 4–5 times), and 6 (for more than 5 times)