“Why not?”: How STEM identity development promotes Black transfer and transition.

Policy makers have argued that increasing the number of highly skilled STEM professionals is critical to the economic stability and growth of the US. In addition, a desire to resolve the historically low representation of racial/ethnic-minority students in STEM has been a critical aspect of the discussion. Using science identity theory (Carlone & Johnson, 2007), this study explores how the tenets of science identity help Black students develop a science identity and transition from the community college to a four-year institution. Based in the results of this qualitative study, the development of science identity promoted the desire to major in a STEM degree and facilitated the transfer and transition to the university for Black students.