The Significance of HBCUs to the Production of STEM Graduates - Answering the Call

Oct 15, 2026

Examines how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) address national shortages in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) preparation and staffing. Reviews evidence that many U.S. students fail to reach strong STEM proficiency, with contributing issues in course rigor and student performance tied to insufficient numbers of qualified, in-field math and science teachers. Discusses literature on reforms, integrative STEM pedagogy, funded programs, and mentorship and industry partnerships that help broaden participation and strengthen the pipeline of future STEM professionals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Review of the Literature

STEM need and participation challenges

Teacher qualifications and student outcomes

Reforms, integrative approaches, and funded initiatives

Corporate, professional, and mentorship efforts

The Significance of HBCUs to the Production of STEM Graduates: Answering the Call By EmielW. Owens, Andrea J. Shelton, Collette M. Bloom, & J. Kenyatta Cavil Emiel W. Owens is a professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations of the College of Education, Andrea J. Shelton is a professor in the Department of Health Sciences of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Collette M. Bloom is a professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations of the College of Education, and J. Kenyatta Cavil is a professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology of the College of Education, all at Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are areas designated as STEM disciplines. Thereis national and international attention being given to these fields as they are the foundation for partnershipsand alliances in the global economy. Education beyond high school is necessary to achieve desired levels of competency and efficiency in STEM fields. Despite the demonstrated need, there is a shortage of individuals trained in these areas, especially women and ethnic minorities (BHEF, 2006) . Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have contributed meaningfully to addressing the void of qualified STEM educatorsand researchers (Allen, 2002) . It has been noted that a majority of students in the United States do not reach adequate levels of proficiency in STEM courses (Kuenzi, 2008) . A number of contributing factors have been identified. A large percentage of students do not enroll in rigorous science and math- ematics courses in middle and high school (ACT, 2006) . As a result, many who graduate from high school have relatively low science and/or mathematics ability and may not continue in these fields at post-secondary levels (BHEF, 2006) . In addition to course selections, poor student performance has been attributed to an inadequate supply of qualified STEM teachers (Barnett, 2004;Vandevoort, 2004) . Math and science teachers may not always have the credentials to teach in those fields, impacting student achievement (Boyd, Grossman, Lankford, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2006). Statistics compiled on out-of-field teaching demonstrate a disparity. Although middle and high school teachers may have a state teaching certification and a baccalaureate degree, those teaching math and science courses may not have earned a major or minor in those specific academic areas (Boyd, Goldhaber, Hamilton, & Wyckoff, 2007; Cochran-Smith, 2004;Kuenzi, 2008) . Review of the Literature The academic preparation of teachers has implications for the curriculum of STEM education. The infrastructure and pedagogy of conventional STEM education has been under review, as too many students lose interest in STEM subjects at an early age, with fewer students pursing advanced degrees (Decker, 2004; Kane, Rockoff, & Staiger, 2006) . Evidence of effective practices and activities in STEM education is inconclusive (U. S. Department of Education, 2007) . The lack of interaction between disciplines has been implicated as a contributing factor to this shortcoming (Paterson, 2007) . Educational reforms have been charged with attracting more students and teachers to the STEM fields (Barnett, 2004; BHEF, 2006) . The presentation of content for STEM classes as unique to each subject, in sequence or concurrently, is being challenged. Integrative approaches have been suggested atthe post-secondary level to combine instruction in two or more of the STEM subject areas and/or between/among a STEM subject and one or more other academic subjects (Sanders, 2009) . STEM educators are working together across disciplines in pairs or teams is one approach being implemented (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2009) . It has been recognized that elementary grades may offer a unique opportunity for the introduction of integrative approaches to STEM education that m

FAQs

Why are HBCUs important for producing STEM graduates?

The text links HBCUs to addressing gaps in qualified STEM educators and researchers, responding to broader shortages in STEM-trained individuals—especially among women and ethnic minorities.

What factors contribute to students not reaching proficiency in STEM courses?

The document highlights insufficient enrollment in rigorous middle and high school science and math courses, leading many graduates to have relatively low science and/or mathematics ability at post-secondary levels.

How does teacher qualification affect STEM outcomes?

Poor performance is attributed in part to an inadequate supply of qualified STEM teachers; math and science instructors may lack majors or minors in the specific academic areas they teach.

Oct 15, 2026

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