A Historical and Policy Perspective on Broadening Participation in STEM: Insights from National Reports (1974-2016)

Abstract

Over the last 40 years, more than 25 national reports have been published focused on broadening participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).Although scholarly literature oftentimes serves as one source of information on how to move toward parity with national demographics, national reports-produced by organizations, such as the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and committees, such as the Committee on Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE)-are an underutilized source of insights.This paper presents the results of a modified umbrella review of 29 national reports published during 1974-2016 related to broadening participation of underrepresented groups in STEM.The reports in this analysis included 134 unique recommendations, which were synthesized into five themes, broadly labeled: (1) Practices, (2) Policies, (3) Culture & Climate, (3) Information & Knowledge, and (4) Investments & Commitments.These recommendations have implications for various stakeholders interested in advancing the long-standing effort to broaden participation in STEM.Additionally, our findings provide a historical and policy perspective that is useful for informing future efforts.