Unlocking the gate

Undergraduate teaching assistants and gatekeeper mathematics courses in the historically black college and university setting

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34024/prometeica.2023.27.15406

Keywords:

gatekeeper mathematics courses, introductory undergraduate mathematics courses, undergraduate teaching assistants, historically black colleges and universities

Abstract

Mathematics continues to be a gatekeeper in limiting participation in the sciences especially among underserved, underrepresented, and racially minoritized students. The contribution of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to broaden the participation of racially minoritized students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States is significant. This paper reports the findings of a quasi-experimental study on the use of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) in gatekeeper mathematics courses in the context of an HBCU. UTAs were assigned to gatekeeper mathematics courses to disrupt the individualized and deficit-oriented milieu commonly associated with learning mathematics. A total of 1,188 undergraduate students of African descent completed an end-of-semester survey on the use of UTAs in gatekeeper mathematics courses. Results reveal evidence of significant and positive effects of UTA use in gatekeeper mathematics courses on student outcomes. The significant positive results are attributed to the comparative proxies of UTAs who shared similar race and ethnicity with students enrolled in gatekeeper mathematics courses. The significant results of UTA use in gatekeeper mathematics courses bode well for meaningful and practical application to HBCUs and other similar higher education settings seeking to increase STEM outcomes for students of African descent.

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Published

2023-07-26

How to Cite

Mitchell, M., J. Chikwem, U., S. Fashola, O. ., & J. Swinton, D. . (2023). Unlocking the gate: Undergraduate teaching assistants and gatekeeper mathematics courses in the historically black college and university setting. Prometeica - Journal of Philosophy and Science, (27), 813–824. https://doi.org/10.34024/prometeica.2023.27.15406

Issue

No. 27 (2023): Prometeica - nº 27 (07/2023 - 10/2023)

Section

Articles - Dossier

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Copyright (c) 2023 Monica Mitchell, Uzoma J. Chikwem, Olatokunbo S. Fashola, Derrick J. Swinton

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