The CSB/SJU Department of Chemistry has developed an extensive tutoring program for all foundational courses in the curriculum.  Student access to tutoring is well known to contribute to academic and attitudinal gains, including improved grades and attitudes about self and field of study.  Previous studies on the benefits for the tutors emphasize academic gains, but less is understood about the additional changes occurring in students who tutor, particularly for under-represented students.  There is some evidence that tutoring enables stronger feelings of self-efficacy and identity in the field.  Continued involvement in tutoring is expected to increase feelings of engagement and belonging to the major and department, which have been linked to self-efficacy and identity as a scientist.  An increase in self-efficacy and identity as a scientist can be particularly important for the retention of under-represented groups in STEM. <br/> <br/>In an effort to explore the impacts of tutoring beyond academic gains, the current study seeks to explore the development of achievement emotions and their impact on achievement, self-efficacy, and identity as a scientist, among tutors and non-tutors in chemistry.  We have explored how these changes occur in tutors and compare with a control group of students in an introductory chemistry class who are not involved in tutoring. The ultimate goal in these studies is to evaluate how effective tutoring activities are in supporting students and increasing retention particularly for minoritized student groups.  The results from these studies will be presented. <br/>

Employing minoritized students as tutors to increase retention in STEM

254th National Meeting (2017)

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