Outcomes and Implications of an Antiracist Faculty Development Series Designed to Promote Liberatory Race-Conscious Education in STEM

Adoption of antiracist education contributes to the success of minoritized college students. This quantitative study analyzes pretest–posttest responses from two cohorts of STEM faculty enrolled in a novel and intensive NIH-funded 12-week antiracist-oriented faculty development series designed to increase race consciousness and intentions to adopt antiracist education strategies. Two theories—the antiracist educator’s journey and the theory of planned behavior—guided the design of the faculty development series and research design for this study. Both theories offer insights into the phenomenology and social psychology of how STEM faculty acquire race consciousness, form antiracist identities, and develop intentions to carry out antiracist education work. Results reveal that a combination of individualized online modules and synchronous online group discussions positively influenced STEM faculty’s antiracist-historical knowledge, sense of antiracist mentoring self-efficacy, and intentions to incorporate antiracist practices in their relationships with minoritized STEM students. Discussed are the implications for higher education institutions and for inquiry into this emerging area of faculty development research.