TROUBLESHOOTING THE PIPELINE: DEVELOPING A CRITICAL INCIDENT TAXONOMY FOR MINORITY AND NON-MINORITY STUDENT PATHWAYS INTO THE GEOSCIENCES

Within the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, the geosciences are among the least diverse in terms of racial and ethnic representation at the college and professional levels. Hispanic students, which are of interest in this study, have yet to bridge the gaping disparity with non-minority students enrolled in the geosciences. A better understanding of the early stages of the geosciences pipeline is vital in order for academic programs to provide a sustainable supply of future geoscientists. This research uses the critical incident technique (CIT) to identify specific behaviors that students report were responsible for their choice of a geosciences major.

Despite being a natural science with frequent exposure in the media, popular culture, and science fiction literature, many neutral to negative perceptions exist about careers in the geosciences. Family and peer influences also significantly contribute to students’ decisions regarding selection of the major. We identified a comprehensive set of individual and organizational behaviors which influence students’ pursuit of degrees in the geosciences from more than 1,000 critical incidents. The incidents describe specific events ranging from a visit with the local TV weather forecaster to learning about employment opportunities; from meeting academic advisors to rebelling against parental pressure. Using the CIT, events were systematically organized into a taxonomy to enable comparisons of their prevalence in minority and non-minority students. Categories which contain high numbers of incidents across both student groups include departmental advisor intervention, enjoyment of previous geoscience-related coursework, and opportunities for peer socialization. A small number of Hispanic students reported incidents where older family members or acquaintances expressed negativity towards the geosciences; this type of incident was not documented amongst the non-minority students which were interviewed. Based on a sample of over 40 students, this mixed methods approach will inform about the strategies and approaches that are useful for recruiting students in general, and minority students in particular, into a geosciences pipeline.