Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Fostering Student-Instructor Communication in STEM Classrooms

Posted by anne.grey

Presenters: Amanda Antell, Elianna Gnoffo, and Edith Harris-Hernandez.

Summary

In this presentation, PCC students and instructors discuss how stronger communication can help create more welcoming and supportive STEM classrooms. Drawing from personal experiences, the panel examines barriers that can make STEM education more difficult to access, including limited representation, stereotypes, math anxiety, disability-related barriers, socioeconomic challenges, course availability, transportation, and teaching approaches that may not work equally well for every learner.

A central theme of the session is the importance of listening to students and believing them when they describe what helps or limits their learning. Presenters encourage instructors to have open conversations about student needs, disabilities, learning preferences, and classroom experiences. Small changes such as offering alternative ways to demonstrate understanding, providing flexible office hours, explaining concepts in multiple ways, and checking in with students can help build confidence and make it easier for students to ask for help.

The panel also emphasizes that there is no single way to learn STEM successfully. Some students benefit from collaborative study groups, while others learn better independently. Some need more time, different examples, alternative assignments, or greater flexibility in how they participate. Faculty are encouraged to focus on student strengths, recognize different learning approaches, and avoid assumptions about a student’s ability based on disability, identity, background, or previous academic experiences.

The session also looks beyond individual classrooms to broader access issues, including the availability of STEM courses across PCC campuses. Participants discuss how course location, transportation, scheduling, and other structural factors can affect whether students are able to continue in a STEM sequence. The presentation closes by encouraging ongoing communication between students and instructors through feedback, discussion groups, and other opportunities to improve STEM learning environments together.

Slides: Fostering Student-Instructor Communication in STEM Classrooms

Presentation Outcomes

• Recognize common barriers that can affect student participation and success in STEM, including stereotypes, math anxiety, disability, socioeconomic factors, representation, course location, and access to resources.
• Use open and respectful communication to better understand students’ needs, learning preferences, challenges, and experiences in STEM classrooms.
• Respond with empathy when students disclose disabilities or identify learning barriers, without requiring instructors to fully understand a diagnosis before providing appropriate support.
• Offer flexible learning options when appropriate, including alternative assignments, different ways of demonstrating understanding, varied instructional approaches, and opportunities for individual or collaborative work.
• Help students build confidence by emphasizing growth, recognizing strengths, and reinforcing that becoming comfortable with STEM concepts takes time and practice.
• Consider how course scheduling, campus location, transportation, and availability can create additional barriers for students pursuing STEM pathways.
• Create ongoing opportunities for student feedback through office hours, check-ins, discussion groups, and other forms of student-instructor communication.

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