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Education Sciences
Special Issues
Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems
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Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 3850

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anne-Marie Nunez

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Guest Editor
Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Interests: inclusive science and STEMM; organizational change; hispanic-serving institutions
Dr. Erin Doran

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Guest Editor
Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Interests: community colleges; hispanic-serving institutions; teaching and learning
Prof. Dr. Felisha Herrera Villarreal

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Guest Editor
Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
Interests: community colleges; STEM pathways; minority-serving institutions/hispanic-serving institutions; student mobility; system-wide change; interrogation of contextual factors—institutional (structure, process, and policy), geographic, demographic, political, and economic contexts
Dr. Azuri L. Gonzalez

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Guest Editor
Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Interests: graduate pathways in STEM; multi-institutional postsecondary networks; theory to practice; research intensive hispanic serving institutions
Dr. Edwin J. Perez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Interests: creating equitable and inclusive STEMM environments; organizational change in higher education; computing education at hispanic-serving institutions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Remedying and repairing historically enduring disparities for minoritized students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) fields will require higher education institutions to move toward systemic approaches that aim to fix institutions and institutional cultures that do not serve students. There are compelling new developments in emergent research on organizational and systemic approaches that can advance equitable STEMM outcomes. This Special Issue invites, therefore, research on those approaches that can generate more effective strategies to transform STEMM education to become more inclusive for all students. The aim is to provide key lessons on how to transform the science education enterprise in order for all students to be successful in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) fields. While recognizing the importance of diagnosing what is wrong in the enterprise, the Special Issue is more focused on highlighting what works to transform organizations and systems, enabling them to become more effective at serving all students.

We recognize that, in emphasizing a systemic approach, there are many layers and methods involved in constructing and implementing efforts to advance STEMM opportunities. Accordingly, we invite authors who employ multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, including those from different social science and the STEMM fields themselves, as well as collaborators across these fields, to submit manuscripts to this Special Issue. Manuscripts that examine systemic factors at different levels – whether at the broader societal level, the university or college level, or down to the department, program, or individual level – are welcome. Moreover, manuscripts that take a systemic approach by examining how the relationships across two or more of these levels shape STEMM opportunities will be of great interest. We also invite authors to explore the roles of different stakeholders in shaping a more inclusive STEMM enterprise, including faculty, administrators, staff, students, industry professionals, non-profits, public agencies, and governmental and private-sector funders. We are particularly interested in manuscripts that address the potential to advance systemic STEMM transformations in understudied institution types—such minority-serving institutions and community colleges. Manuscripts situated in global, international, and comparative perspectives are also welcome. We encourage authors to consider the multiple and intersecting social identities of those engaged in efforts to condition the potential to expand STEMM opportunities for all students. Fundamentally, we believe that lessons can be learned from many different approaches and we are most interested in manuscripts that generate novel insights and solutions to address the pressing needs to serve and prepare current and future demographic populations to thrive in STEMM fields.

Papers may be submitted from now until 10 February 2026 as papers will be published on an ongoing basis. Please contact any of the editors with questions or ideas for submission.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Anne-Marie Nunez
Dr. Erin Doran
Prof. Dr. Felisha Herrera Villarreal
Dr. Azuri L. Gonzalez
Dr. Edwin J. Perez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine
  • interdisciplinary
  • systemic approach
  • organizational change
  • transformation
  • higher education
  • minority-serving institutions and community colleges

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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15 pages, 209 KB  
Article
“They Open Doors, It Is Our Job to Walk Through”: Opportunity-Centered Institutional Logics as Perceived by Students
by Sarah Hug, Stephanie Arnett and Mark McKay
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16060867 - 31 May 2026
Viewed by 103
Abstract
Science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) disciplines often have academic cultures shaped by institutional logics that privilege prestige and competition. In contrast, some STEMM departments are taking up “opportunity-centered institutional logics” or student-centered organizational frameworks that emphasize inclusion, expansive opportunity, and student [...] Read more.
Science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) disciplines often have academic cultures shaped by institutional logics that privilege prestige and competition. In contrast, some STEMM departments are taking up “opportunity-centered institutional logics” or student-centered organizational frameworks that emphasize inclusion, expansive opportunity, and student success over prestige and elitism. Building upon Núñez’s framework, this qualitative study examines how undergraduate students perceive themes of inclusivity, talent development, and culturally responsive educational practices in a computer science department at a minority-serving urban research university in the northeastern United States. The study asks: (a) How do students perceive opportunity logics in their CS learning environment? (b) What departmental structures and norms align with opportunity-centered logics values and goals? Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 25 undergraduate students participating in a federally funded scholarship program. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using iterative thematic coding focused on opportunity-centered themes. Findings indicate that students experienced their department as highly supportive and opportunity-oriented through inclusive communication practices, visible and accessible academic support systems, strong peer and faculty relationships, normalization of help-seeking and struggle, and intentional efforts to connect students to research, internships, career development, and institutional resources. By centering student perspectives, this study extends the conceptualization of institutional logics to the interactional level by demonstrating how opportunity-centered values are enacted through everyday departmental practices and relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems)
24 pages, 325 KB  
Article
Race-Focused Research as a Space for Identity and Belonging: Black Graduate Students’ Experiences in an All-Black Research Team
by Lul M. Baba, Jennifer D. Adams and Terrell R. Morton
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16060866 - 30 May 2026
Viewed by 337
Abstract
This paper reveals a culture of opportunity for graduate STEM education as it delves into the experiences of Black-identifying graduate students who are members of a multi-institutional, national research project. Specifically, this study explores how their engagement in race-focused research with an all-Black [...] Read more.
This paper reveals a culture of opportunity for graduate STEM education as it delves into the experiences of Black-identifying graduate students who are members of a multi-institutional, national research project. Specifically, this study explores how their engagement in race-focused research with an all-Black team impacts their perceptions of Black identity, sense of belonging, community, and agency to continue this research endeavor. In-depth one-on-one interviews were collected from four graduate students. Data analysis used Cross’s (1994) Nigrescence Theory, particularly the Stages of Black Identity Development. Results indicate that Black graduate students’ engagement in this space positively impacts their perceptions of racial identity, sense of community, and agency. This space proved beneficial in providing resources, especially language, to navigate discourse around their Black and other identities without feeling isolated or othered. Results also indicate a shared appreciation for being in the community with and receiving mentorship from Black women faculty, facilitating space for support and career advancement. Implications for transforming graduate STEM education to better support Black students are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems)
27 pages, 321 KB  
Article
Facilitating Faculty Career Clarity: The Role of a Graduate STEM Intervention Program
by Brian A. Burt, Mark Moralez, Yuriko Sato, Borna Riazi and Joy Emmanuel
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16060836 - 27 May 2026
Viewed by 195
Abstract
The pervasive underrepresentation of racially minoritized students in STEM fields and the workforce remains a concern to the scientific community. At the graduate level, underrepresented students have reported difficulties with advising, negative research group experiences, along with challenges in determining their long-term career [...] Read more.
The pervasive underrepresentation of racially minoritized students in STEM fields and the workforce remains a concern to the scientific community. At the graduate level, underrepresented students have reported difficulties with advising, negative research group experiences, along with challenges in determining their long-term career interests. STEM intervention programs (SIPs) aid in students’ abilities to be academically successful in graduate school, expose students to career opportunities, and provide them with skills to help them be competitive and successful in those professional roles. This study centers the experiences of 25 racially and ethnically underrepresented graduate students, all of whom participated in a graduate STEM intervention program, to better understand how they gained more clarity about their post-graduate career plans, namely the professoriate. The new information presented in this study offers insights into STEM intervention programs and graduate programs to better support minoritized graduate students in the development of their faculty career clarity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems)
17 pages, 266 KB  
Article
Exploring How STEM Graduate Students Conceptualize Levers of Change and Solutions to Enhance Departmental Racial Climate
by Sarah L. Rodriguez, Walter C. Lee and Rosemary J. Perez
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16050809 - 21 May 2026
Viewed by 552
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how STEM graduate students conceptualized problems that undergird a negative departmental racial climate and explore which policies and practices these students recognized as potential levers for change. Using a generic qualitative inquiry (GQI) approach, [...] Read more.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how STEM graduate students conceptualized problems that undergird a negative departmental racial climate and explore which policies and practices these students recognized as potential levers for change. Using a generic qualitative inquiry (GQI) approach, we conducted eight focus group meetings and one interview with graduate STEM students (n = 34) at two predominantly white institutions in the United States. Our findings suggest that STEM graduate students identified interpersonal interactions with faculty as a primary driver of negative departmental climate, highlighting a culture of discrimination and lack of accountability. Although students suggested institutionalizing DEI labor and making structural change, they often sought to first improve care for fellow graduate students, feeling ill-equipped to facilitate organizational change. Few research studies address the conceptualization of departmental racial climate from the student perspective and examine their proposed solutions. Using racialized organizations as a guiding theory, this study calls on scholars and practitioners to think more critically about efforts to improve departmental racial climate and address issues of entrenched whiteness. This study suggests that STEM practitioners examine their current departmental processes to enhance racial climate and involve STEM graduate students in valuable ways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems)
19 pages, 562 KB  
Article
Confidence Through Community: Promoting Student Self-Efficacy Through Peer Support Networks to Engage and Retain STEM Students
by Maria Luz Espino, Clark R. Coffman and Corinna A. Most
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 762; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16050762 - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 267
Abstract
Self-efficacy—one’s belief in their ability to take the actions necessary to succeed—is a critical determinant of student success and retention, particularly during the transitional first two years of undergraduate study. Learning communities that incorporate peer mentors have been identified as promising structures for [...] Read more.
Self-efficacy—one’s belief in their ability to take the actions necessary to succeed—is a critical determinant of student success and retention, particularly during the transitional first two years of undergraduate study. Learning communities that incorporate peer mentors have been identified as promising structures for fostering self-efficacy, yet the mechanisms by which intentional peer mentoring within structured career development contexts shapes students’ self-efficacy beliefs remain underexplored. This study examined the following research questions: (1) How does participation in a career-focused Learning community course shape first- and second-year STEM students’ sense of self-efficacy regarding academic and career decision-making? (2) In what ways do peer mentors and peer support networks within the learning community contribute to students’ self-efficacy development? (3) How do students describe feeling empowered—or not—to pursue their career goals as a result of this experience? Using a mixed-methods design that combined pre- and post-course surveys, semi-structured focus groups, and phenomenological one-on-one interviews, we investigated the self-efficacy development of first- and second-year STEM students (N = 53) enrolled in a semester-long learning community course at a large, predominantly White public institution in the Midwest. Of these, 25 students completed both the pre- and post-course Career Self-Efficacy surveys and were included in matched statistical analyses. Three major findings emerged: (1) the learning community class environment created a space where self-efficacy was prioritized and developed; (2) peer support groups and peer mentors positively impacted students’ self-efficacy; and (3) students felt empowered by the experience in pursuing their chosen career goals. These findings have practical implications for the design of learning communities in STEM, highlighting the value of intentional peer mentoring structures and career-focused activities as tools for promoting student confidence, retention, and long-term academic success. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems)
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25 pages, 919 KB  
Article
Exploring How Holistic Teaching and Institutional Support Relate to Community College STEM Students’ Momentum and Self-Efficacy in Career-Relevant Competencies
by Xiwei Zhu, Xueli Wang and Aikebaier Nadila
Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020317 - 15 Feb 2026
Viewed by 989
Abstract
This study investigates how holistic teaching practices and institutional support at community colleges shape science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students’ momentum and self-efficacy in career-relevant competencies. Using survey data from three community colleges, we apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess these [...] Read more.
This study investigates how holistic teaching practices and institutional support at community colleges shape science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students’ momentum and self-efficacy in career-relevant competencies. Using survey data from three community colleges, we apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess these relationships while accounting for institutional variation using multi-group analysis. Our findings demonstrate that holistic teaching practices are positively associated with students’ curricular, cognitive, and meta-cognitive momentum, indicating that integrated, supportive classroom instruction contributes to sustained engagement and self-regulated learning in STEM pathways. Holistic teaching practices also show a marginal positive relationship with career readiness self-efficacy and professional and interpersonal self-efficacy, with cognitive and meta-cognitive momentum mediating these associations. In contrast, institutional support is not related to students’ momentum but is positively associated with professional and interpersonal self-efficacy, which may point to its role in shaping broader skill development independent of short-term academic engagement. These findings suggest that holistic teaching practices and institutional support differentially contribute to students’ academic momentum and career-related self-efficacy, which highlights the importance of coordinated efforts across classroom and institutional levels within the broader STEM ecosystem in fostering both short-term engagement and long-term professional competencies among diverse community college STEM learners. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Creating Cultures and Structures of Opportunity in STEMM Ecosystems)
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