Broadening Participation in Agricultural Sciences through a STEM Intervention Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of underrepresented minority students (URM) from several historically Black land-grant universities and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) who attended a STEM intervention program at a predominately White research-intensive university. Guided by expectancy-value motivation and self-efficacy, participants were asked various questions regarding changes in their perspectives of psychosocial and instrumental support and changes in their selfefficacy after participating in the STEM intervention program. Data were collected from participants (n = 80) who attended several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Findings provide essential insight into motivational, mentoring, and social cognitive experiences that can bolster the recruitment and retention of URM students into predominantly White institutions (PWI) STEM graduate programs.