Dr. Mays Imad, Professor of Life & Physical Science, Pima Community College 

How Stress Affects Metacognition

Education is a cornerstone of society. Strong educational institutions foster the development of skills citizens need to innovate and produce tangible results, bolstering economies and sustaining progress. Physical innovation and economic progress are not traditionally the focal purpose of education. They are instead a fortunate byproduct of a system that has long been more concerned with students as holistic individuals and engaged citizens. Do STEM students care about self-transformation and acquiring contemplative skills or, is their focus to become workforce competitive? We asked students what they want from their education. We surveyed students enrolled in first- or second-year college STEM courses. The purpose of the survey was to investigate what matters to the students. Results revealed three overarching themes: Sense of Belonging to a Community, Sense of Empowerment, and Meaning-Centered Education. The common denominator for the three themes is relationships.   

In this presentation, participants deliberated on the importance of cultivating healthy and meaningful relationships with and among STEM students, in particular, students who come from an underrepresented background. Participants explored evidence-informed strategies to investigate and align what students expect from their education with faculty perception and to transform the classroom into a learning sanctuary where all students can explore life. Participants also examined characteristics of a holistically educated STEM student.