2023-2024 DEMO Course Report
Created: 30 April, 2024
About SCHOOL COURSE Course Report:
The survey data presented herein were collected in term 1 of the 2023-2024 academic year as part of a research study run by the Canadian Consortium of Science Equity Scholars (CCSES). The aims of the research study are to assess equity in post-secondary science courses and to investigate the relationship between inclusive classroom climate and students’ sense of belonging. Results of the study will be used to identify and address systemic barriers to success in postsecondary science courses.
Students were invited to respond to three surveys over the course term: 1) at the start of the term, 2) mid-term, and 3) at the end of the term. The surveys measured the following: socio-demographic variables, disciplinary belonging, social belonging, perceptions of classroom climate, self-efficacy, and intended or current program of study. Course grades were provided by the course instructor/teaching team. A bonus incentive was included in the final grade for completing the survey(s). Students did not have to consent to have their data used in the research study to receive the grade incentive.
Out of 5775 students who finished COURSE, 3300 completed at least one survey and consented to their data being used (completed at least one survey response rate: 57%). Analysis is done on participants whose ID was verified.
Note: The CCSES is continually improving the surveys. As a result, the questions presented in this report may differ from the survey questions currently in use.
1 Demographics
Out of the 3300 students that participated in at least one survey, 87% provided complete socio-demographic information.
Demographic information presented here is grouped into the following categories:
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1.1 Personal Attributes
Use the buttons below to navigate between the various personal attribute summaries.
Racial Identity
Race is a social construct created to categorize a person into a group based on perceived visual traits e.g., skin colour, facial features, hair type, etc. A person may identify with a single or multiple racial groups.
Question: What is your race / racial identity? (Select all that apply)
Response options (click to view drop down)
- Black (examples: African, Afro-Caribbean, African-Canadian descent)
- White (examples: European descent including German, Scottish, etc.)
- East Asian (examples: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese descent)
- South Asian (examples: East Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Indo-Caribbean descent)
- Southeast Asian (examples: Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Indonesian descent)
- Latino (examples: Latin American, Hispanic descent)
- Indigenous (examples: First Nations, Métis, Inuit descent)
- Middle Eastern / West Asian (examples: Arab, Persian, Egyptian, Iranian, Turkish)
- Not listed. Please specify (optional):
- I am not certain
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.1: Number of respondents grouped by race identity in ascending order. Hover over plot to view the number of responses (n) pertaining to each race identity. Note that respondents were allowed to select more than one category. *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Racialization
A racialized person is one who has experienced the process of ‘racialization’ whereby groups designated as being of a particular race experience negative or unequal treatment. This can include multiracial people who also identify as White in ethnicity, origin and/or colour.
Question: Do you identify as a racialized person?
Response options (click to view drop down)
- Yes
- No
- I am not certain
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.2: Number of respondent racialization results in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of themselves (how they feel inside). A person’s gender identity may not align with their sex assigned at birth.
Question: What is your gender identity?
Response options (click to view drop down)
- Man
- Woman
- Non-binary person
- Not listed. Please specify (optional):
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.3: Number of respondent gender identity results in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Trans Identity
Transgender (“trans”) people have a gender identity that differs from their sex (e.g., female or male) assigned at birth.
Question: Are you transgender? (meaning that your gender identity does not align with your sex assigned at birth?)
Response options (click to view drop down)
- Yes
- No
- Prefer to self-describe. Please specify (optional):
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.4: Number of respondent trans identity results in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Sexual Identity
Sexual identity reflects a person’s sexual self-concept and how they describe themselves. Sexual identity can change throughout an individual’s life, and may or may not align with sexual behaviour or actual sexual orientation.
Question: Please select the term(s) that best describe your sexual identity. Select all that apply.
Response options (click to view drop down)
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Figure 1.5: Number of respondent sexual identity results in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of the total (%). Note that respondents were allowed to select more than one category, thus, respondents could be represented in more than one bar on the plot. *Numbers suppressed includes groups with <5 respondents.
Disabilities/Chronic Health Conditions
Question: Do you experience any of the following disabilities, mental or physical-health conditions, or learning or sensory conditions that affect your everyday functioning? Select all that apply.
Response options (click to view drop down)
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Figure 1.6: Number of respondents that identify as having a disability and/or chronic health condition(s), not having a disability and/or chronic health condition(s), and prefer to not answer, in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Figure 1.7: Number of respondents that identify as having a disability and/or chronic health condition(s), which are further grouped into disability type, displayed in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Disabilities/Chronic Health Impacts
Question 1/2: (If answered anything but ‘I don’t have a disability or ongoing medical condition’ to the previous question) Which of the following are impacted by your disabilities, mental or physical-health conditions, or learning or sensory conditions? (Select all that apply).
Response options (click to view drop down)
- How people treat me at school
- My accessibility and support need(s) at school
- How included I feel in a class
- Other impact(s). Please specify (optional):
- None of the above
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.8: Number of respondents that identify as having a disability and/or chronic health condition(s), grouped according to impact category (question 1/2), in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the number of responses (n) for each answer category. Note that respondents were allowed to select more than one category, thus, respondents could be represented in more than one bar on the plot. *Numbers suppressed includes groups with <5 respondents.
Question 2/2: (If answered anything but ‘I don’t have a disability or ongoing medical condition’ to the previous question) Which of the following are impacted by your disability, mental or physical-health conditions, or learning or sensory conditions? (Select all that apply).
Response options (click to view drop down)
- Concentrating, learning, and/or remembering
- Emotional, mental, or psychological health/well being
- Energy and fatigue
- Executive functioning (i.e., planning, focusing, prioritizing tasks, managing time, etc.)
- Hearing
- Pain
- Seeing
- Stair climbing
- Using your hands or fingers, or doing other physical activities
- Walking distances
- Other, please specify (optional):
- None of the above
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.9: Number of respondents that identify as having a disability and/or chronic health condition(s), grouped according to impact category (question 2/2), in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the number of responses (n) for each answer category. Note that respondents were allowed to select more than one category, thus, respondents could be represented in more than one bar on the plot. *Numbers suppressed includes groups with <5 respondents.
1.2 Background
Use the buttons below to navigate between the various personal background summaries.
School Years in Canada
Question: When did you first start attending school in Canada?Response options (click to view drop down)
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K-G1
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G2-G9
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G10-G12
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University
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Other
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Figure 1.10: Number of respondents grouped according to results, in ascending order. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
First-Generation University Student
Question: What is the highest level of formal education obtained by your parents/guardians?
Response options (click to view drop down)
- At least one of my parents/guardians has completed a university degree
- My parent(s)/guardian(s) have not completed a university degree, but may hold a high school diploma, college-level certificate/diploma, or an incomplete college or university degree
- I am not certain
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.11: Number of respondents grouped according to results. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Question: You indicated that at least one of your parents/guardians completed a university degree. Which of the following statements apply to you? Select all that apply
Response options (click to view drop down)
- At least one of my parents/guardians completed a university degree in a country other than Canada or the United States
- At least one of my parents/guardians completed a university degree in Canada or the United States
- I am not certain
- Prefer not to answer
Figure 1.12: Number of respondents grouped according to results. Hover over bars in the plot to view the following results for each answer category: number of responses (n), total number (N) of respondents that answered the question, and proportion of total (%). *Numbers suppressed category includes <5 respondents.
Languages in School
Question: Which languages do you know well enough to conduct a conversation about your school work? (Select all that apply).
Response options (click to view drop down)
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Number of Languages | n | percent |
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Selected one language | 916 | 27.8% |
Selected more than one language | 1,908 | 57.8% |
Prefer not to answer | 37 | 1.1% |
No response | 439 | 13.3% |
Total | 3,300 | 100.0% |
Selected One Language:
Figure 1.13: Percent of respondents that selected one language. Hover over bar categories to view the number of responses (n), the answer category, and the proportion to the total (%). Note that respondents were allowed to select more than one category, thus, respondents could be represented in more than one bar on the plot. *Numbers suppressed includes groups with <5 respondents.
Selected More Than One Language:
Languages in Childhood
Question: What is the language that you first learned at home in childhood and still understand? (Select all that apply).
Response options (click to view drop down)
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Number of Languages | n | percent |
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Selected one language | 2,122 | 64.3% |
Selected more than one language | 700 | 21.2% |
Prefer not to answer | 36 | 1.1% |
No response | 442 | 13.4% |
Total | 3,300 | 100.0% |
Selected One Language:
Figure 1.14: Percent of respondents that selected one language. Hover over bar categories to view the number of responses (n), the answer category, and the proportion of the total (%). Note that respondents were allowed to select more than one category, thus, respondents could be represented in more than one bar on the plot. *Numbers suppressed includes groups with <5 respondents.
Selected More Than One Language:
2 Tools
Use the buttons below to navigate between the ‘About’ and tool-specific summaries.
About Each Tool
Three tools are included in the following section: sense of belonging, perceptions of inclusive classroom climate, and self-efficacy. Sense of belonging is further separated into social and disciplinary - additional information found in the subsequent sections.
Students were asked to respond to specific questions related to each tool at different points in the term (Fig 2.1). Questions related to disciplinary belonging were conducted at the start and end of term (surveys 1 and 3), social belonging near the middle of the term (survey 2), self-efficacy at the start and end of term (surveys 1 and 3), and classroom climate near the middle of the term (survey 2). All question answer categories were on a 7-point Likert scale (from 1:Strongly disagree to 7:Strongly agree). Several items were reverse scored and all Likert scale scores were averaged for each tool to attain the final results.
Out of 3300 students that participated in at least one survey, 42% completed all tool-related questions.
Please find further description of each tool by navigating through the buttons.
Figure 2.1: Respondent Likert scale (1-7) score distribution grouped according to tool and when survey type was administered (i.e., pre = start of term - survey 1, mid = mid-term - survey 2, post = end of term - survey 3). Each violin displayed represents the distribution of corresponding data, including the maximum and the minimum, a black dot representing the mean, and a black line segment representing the 95% confidence interval of the mean. Finally, the number of respondents is included below each violin.
Sense of Belonging
The sense of belonging tool includes two categories: social and disciplinary.
Both categories include specific statements, of which students were asked to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with each statement. As communicated within the survey, there are no right or wrong answers to these questions.
Social Belonging
We define a sense of social belonging to mean that a student fits in and feels accepted within their particular classroom. For the purposes of these questions, and specificity to this report, the Chemistry community includes people who are pursuing a degree or working in the field of Chemistry.
Approximately 81% of the students completed all social belonging survey questions.
Question: Please indicate your level of agreement on each of the following statements about your experience in the lecture component of this term.
See plot for statements
Figure 2.2: Social belonging likert scale (1-7) response distribution. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
Disciplinary Belonging
We define a sense of disciplinary belonging to mean that a student fits in and feels accepted within their particular disciplinary community. For the purposes of these questions, and specificity to this report, the Chemistry community includes people who are pursuing a degree or working in the field of Chemistry.
Approximately 57% of the students completed all disciplinary belonging survey questions.
Question: Indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.
See plot for statements
Figure 2.3: Disciplinary belonging likert scale (1-7) response distribution according to survey type (i.e., students were surveyed at the start of the term (survey 1) and near the end of the term (survey 3)). A recording of responses from both surveys is defined under each survey type displayed on the left-hand side of the plots. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
Classroom Climate
This tool is intended to assess students’ perception of the instructor-created classroom climate in terms of care (the extent to which instructors explicitly or implicitly offer support to all students, acknowledging diversity in prior knowledge, personal identities and cultures, and life circumstance), connections (the extent to which instructors explicitly or implicitly foster engagement from all students and develop connections with students), and learning orientation (the extent to which instructors explicitly or implicitly foster intellectual growth through course policies, instructional approaches, and assessment). For the purpose of data analysis and visualization, Classroom Climate questions were further aggregated into the following four themes: care, centering learning/individualized learning, feedback/growth, and approachability.
Approximately 73% of the students completed all classroom climate survey questions.
Question: Please indicate your level of agreement on each of the following statements about your experience in the lecture portion of this term. There are no right or wrong answers for these questions.
See plots for statements
Care
Figure 2.4: Course climate likert scale (1-7) response distribution for theme Care. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
Centering Learning/Individualized Learning
Figure 2.5: Course climate likert scale (1-7) response distribution for theme Centering Learning/Individualized Learning. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
Feedback/Growth
Figure 2.6: Course climate likert scale (1-7) response distribution for theme Feedback/Growth. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
Approachability
Figure 2.7: Course climate likert scale (1-7) response distribution for theme Approachability. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one’s capabilities to succeed in given task. This tool measures a student’s belief in their ability to learn and perform well in the course. These items were adapted from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich, 1990).
Approximately 57% of the students completed all self-efficacy survey questions.
Question: Indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your Chemistry course.
See plot for statements
Figure 2.8: Self-efficacy likert scale (1-7) response distribution according to survey type (i.e., students were surveyed at the start of the term (survey 1) and near the end of the term (survey 3)). A recording of responses from both surveys is defined under each survey type displayed on the left-hand side of the plots. Each question is displayed on the plot and the percentage of responses is found in the corresponding bar graph found to the right.
3 Grades
Grades were submitted by the course instructor and assigned to one of the following categories for the purposes of this report:
- Non-exam - Homework, labs, tutorials, pre-class reading quizzes and assignments, as well as content-focused participation grades. Used primarily for learning.
- Term Exam - Generally, a quiz or test intended to assess students’ disciplinary knowledge (summative assessment), even if there is an aspect that is focused on feedback and learning (formative assessment).
- Weighted Exam - The Weighted Exam variable is constructed from the term exam and final exam grades, using the weightings indicated in the syllabus. This permits us to evaluate the equity across all course exams, and create scores for students who may have had an exam dropped for illness or another reason.
- Final Exam - Generally, a cumulative, summative assessment intended to assess students’ disciplinary knowledge. Across the CCSES, these include an in-person or take-home exam or individual project/paper. Non-cumulative exams weighted similarly to other term exams are categorized as term exams.
- Other - Non-content focused participation grades, such as surveys, wellness activities, etc.
- Course Grade - Without the bonus added for participating in this or other research studies.
Figure 3.1: Percent distribution of student grades according to each grade type outlined in the drop down above. Each violin displayed represents the distribution of corresponding data, including the maximum and the minimum, a black dot representing the mean, and a black line segment representing the 95% confidence interval of the mean. Finally, the number of respondents is included below each violin.
3.1 Grades Disaggregated by Demographics
Use the buttons below to navigate between the disaggregated grades summaries.
Gender Identity
Figure 3.2: Grade (%) distribution according to respondent gender identity results and corresponding answer categories (see section 1.1 for more information on survey question). Each subplot is grouped according to grade type and the category of gender identity response. Note that only groups with 5 students or more are shown. Each violin displayed represents the distribution of corresponding data, including the maximum and the minimum, a black dot representing the mean, and a black line segment representing the 95% confidence interval of the mean. Finally, the number of respondents is included below each violin.
School Years in Canada
Figure 3.3: Grade (%) distribution of respondent results regarding the first year they started school in Canada (see section 1.2 for more information on survey question) grouped according to grade type (i.e., course grade, final exam grade, weighted exam grade, non-exam grade, and other grade) and the category of the response. Note that only groups with 5 students or more are shown. Each violin displayed represents the distribution of corresponding data, including the maximum and the minimum, a black dot representing the mean, and a black line segment representing the 95% confidence interval of the mean. Finally, the number of respondents is included below each violin.
Created by: Alexis Bahl
Visit our website: https://scienceequityscholars.ca/
This work is supported by:
1.3 Life Outside of School
Student life outside of school is broken down into the following four activity groups:
Question: Approximately how many hours per week do you typically spend on [Activity] in this term?
Response options (click to view drop down)
Figure 1.15: Number of hours spent on activities, where activity is grouped and answer options are displayed on the x-axis. Each bar displayed in the plot includes a numeric value representing the percent distribution between each activity category. Numbers suppressed includes groups with <5 respondents. If an activity is not shown its because it was not selected. For purposes of further confidentiality, prefer not to answer is always placed under numbers suppressed when at least one additional answer category is required for suppression.