Racialized Research Experiences: Cognitive and Work-Related Skills

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• Racialized Research Experiences:Cognitive and Work-Related Skills
• Tamika N. Smith (bio) and Cindy Ann Kilgo (bio)

Several scholars have studied the effects of participation in undergraduate research, one of 10 high-impact practices identified by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). This research has explored several collegiate outcomes, including satisfaction at the institution (Bowman & Holmes, 2018), critical thinking (Kilgo et al., 2015), persistence to graduation (Kilgo & Pascarella, 2016), intercultural effectiveness (Kilgo et al., 2015), and research and presentation skills (Bhattacharyya et al., 2018; Eagan et al., 2013; Rogers et al., 2012; Webber et al., 2013), among others. The Council for Undergraduate Research (2021) defined undergraduate research as "a mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge" (para. 5). The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) defined it as currently or previously having "worked with a faculty member on a research project." We used this definition for our study.

THE ROLE OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FOR RACIALLY MINORITIZED STUDENT POPULATIONS

Undergraduate research is a way for students with minoritized racial identities to engage in a high-impact practice that increases their critical thinking, writing, and communication skills as well as their academic aspirations and retention (Bowman & Holmes, 2018). Undergraduate research challenges students to build their critical thinking skills by learning how to analyze and evaluate an issue and information from multiple lenses and develop their own reasoning based on evidence (Mahanal et al., 2022). Formal programs through the U.S. Department of Education (2023) exist to prepare students for graduate study through research experiences, such as the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, which serves first-generation students who have financial need or are members of traditionally underrepresented groups. In addition, undergraduate research experiences often increase the self-efficacy and career ambitions of racially minoritized undergraduate students (Carpi et al., 2017). These skills are critical to student success after college. In fact, AAC&U has identified intellectual and practical skills, [End Page 326] including critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, among others, as an "essential learning outcome" for students (AAC&U, n.d.).

For racially minoritized students, the role of race is a critical component influencing their experiences. Several scholars have suggested that an effective and successful undergraduate research experience is tied to positive faculty mentorship (Byars-Winston et al., 2015; O'Donnell et al., 2015). Hankerson and Williams (2023) noted that a positive mentorship experience for racially minoritized students increased their self-efficacy and overall satisfaction with their college experience and increased their social and cultural capital. Morales et al. (2017) found that faculty who value increasing diversity within their disciplines were more likely to be interested in mentoring undergraduate students and that faculty of Color and women faculty were more likely to mentor undergraduates than their colleagues. Given this literature, the goal of our study was to examine the role of participating in undergraduate research on racially minoritized students' perceived gains in cognitive and work-related skills. Further, we hoped to provide insight into how the high-impact practice of undergraduate research can be improved to meet the needs of racially minoritized students and increase knowledge on ways to help this student population gain skills that can increase their after-college success. Our study was guided by the following questions: What is the relationship between racially minoritized students' participation in undergraduate research and their perceived gains in cognitive and work-related skills? Do student–faculty interactions mediate this relationship?

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

To shape our study, we used Astin's (1991) inputs-environments-outcomes (I-E-O) college impact model informed by literature on racialized undergraduate research experiences. The I-E-O model can be used to investigate how inputs influence student outcomes and to understand the role of environments in these relationships and in influencing student outcomes. We recognize that the I-E-O Model has a positivist lens, which limits how it considers race and racism (Duran et al., 2020). To address this, we coupled I-E-O with literature on racialized undergraduate research experiences. It is vital that our framework reflects the role race plays in the student outcomes of undergraduate research because...