Abstract
Faculty members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are typically expected to pursue grant funding and publish to support their research or teaching agendas. Providing effective professional development programs on grant preparation and management and on research publications is crucial. This study shares the design and implementation of such a program for Native STEM faculty (NAF-STEM) from two tribal colleges and one public, non-tribal, Ph.D. granting institution during a 3-year period. The overall development and implementation of the program is centered on the six R’s Indigenous framework – Respect, Relationship, Representation, Relevance, Responsibility, and Reciprocity. The role of NAF-STEM and their interactions with the program, as members of the community formed by their participation, impacted the program. Their practices and the program co-emerged over time, each providing structure and meaning for the other. Through such reciprocity, NAF-STEM and the program research team continually refined the program through their mutual engagement. They took on the shared responsibility of the program while they participated in and shaped its practices. The process and results of formative and summative assessment and the impact of COVID-19 on the program are reported. Results of the program offer lessons on the implementation of six R’s framework in professional development at institutions of higher education.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 734290 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Volume | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 11 2022 |
Funding
The primary sponsor for the Willow Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP): A Model to Advance Native American Faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (NAF-STEM) is the National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), Division of Human Resource Development (HRD). This is an AGEP-T: Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate – Transformation grant under these HRD grant numbers: #1723248 – University of Montana (UM), #1723006 – Salish Kootenai College (SKC), and #1723196 – Sitting Bull College (SBC). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The need for a culturally responsive and effective professional development (PD) program to support Native American Faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (NAF-STEM) was identified through research into the experiences of Native American students in the field of natural resources and the critical contributions of Native American faculty to the success of Native American students (e.g., Aragon, 2002; Tippeconnic Fox, 2008; Gervais et al., 2016; Page-Reeves et al., 2018). A team assembled to create, implement, and study a model to support the career satisfaction and success of NAF-STEM, and to advance knowledge about issues impacting their career progression in STEM fields. Two Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and one predominantly white institution (PWI) with Native American and non-Native team members, formed the Willow Alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Salish Kootenai College | 1723196 |
| 1723248 | |
| 1723006 |
Keywords
- culturally responsive
- indigenous research methodologies
- institution of higher education
- professional development (PD)
- tribal college and university