Evaluation of a mathematics mentoring bridge to PhD program for low-income, graduate students, includes an implementation evaluation that uses evaluator designed surveys to monitor participants persistence and challenges through their master’s program and a process component that explores the ways in which the multi-faceted mentoring activities influence participants’ sense of belonging in the mathematics community and their progress toward getting accepted at a PhD program in mathematics. The evaluation also includes a summative component that tracks participant persistence through the first few years of their subsequent PhD program.
Evaluation results to date show that 91% of BAMM! scholars persist in their mathematics master’s programs as compared to 50% of their peers at the California State University. Also 71% of BAMM! scholars go on to pursue a PhD with a current persistence rate of 95%. Statistical analysis of data from the longitudinal survey show that BAMM! scholars have significantly higher sense of belonging scores than their peers, that they participate in more research and are more likely to express that they have positive relationships with their mentors and more opportunities to collaborate with faculty in the wider mathematics community.
Results of our progressive analysis showed that BAMM! scholars develop a robust mathematical identity and an ability to build support networks from the supportive BAMM community of like-peers into the wider mathematics community. A cognitive apprenticeship framework is being used to understand and depict the mechanisms by which BAMM! activities and support structures scaffold this development.
In brief (1) establishing a supportive tone that: (a) pays deliberate attention to and explicitly acknowledges the challenges and values of student’s diverse backgrounds for the mathematical community and (b) fostering a growth mindset discourse to mathematics learning fostered student identity development and sense of belonging in BAMM! (2) carefully sequenced benchmarks and situated activities contributed to student’s abilities to use BAMM! as a stepping-stone into a wider mathematics community in which they viewed themselves as capable mathematicians.
Deliverables to date:
- Four yearly reports have been prepared and submitted to project leaders and the funding agency.
- A conference paper describing the results of this evaluation was presented at the NSF S-STEM conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 8-10, 2024.
- In collaboration with project P.I.s a paper has been prepared and will be submitted to the International Journal of STEM Education.