Postcolonial Analysis of the Role of MSIs in a Large-Scale STEM Collaboration

Abstract Information: The National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Centers (STC) program supports industry and academic collaborations to promote innovative, multidisciplinary research in science and engineering (National Science Foundation, n.d.). STCs are often large in scale and require national and/or international collaborations among multiple partners in industry and academia. The STC highlighted in this presentation comprises nine predominantly white institutions and two minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and the evaluation team is at a hispanic-serving institution (HSI). These institutional differences have required the values-engaged, educative, and culturally responsive focused evaluation team to attend to power dynamics and resource allocation. We sought to investigate experiences among STC participants, with specific attention to equity. To navigate such a complex collaboration, we employed a Postcolonial theoretical lens which is “skeptical of grand narratives of progress and emancipation” (Viruru & Persky, 2019, p. 1) and explores and reconceptualizes the tangled relationship between colonizers and colonized. Understanding the inherent inequality of research collaborations, as described by postcolonial theory, we worked collectively with those with stake in the program to center the stories of those from the minority-serving institutions within the STC. Although useful, aggregate data tells one collective story that may or may not represent those least privileged within the program. The evaluators sought to use individual stories to present inclusive, comprehensive findings as we learned about the ways in which faculty and staff at the HSI viewed their own unique contributions to the STC, understood their role within the STC, and the ways in which they felt supported by STC leadership. This presentation will describe a case of applying postcolonial theory in the evaluation of an NSF STC to center the stories of those at MSIs to promote equitable experiences among all participating institutions.

Relevance Statement: This session aims to bring attention to underlying forces of colonialism that exist within partnerships and collaborations on small and large scales. As collaborations continue to be encouraged among agencies such as the National Science Foundation, it is essential that evaluators continue to approach evaluations of such programs from a culturally responsive lens. According to postcolonial theory, research partnerships and collaborations, even those created upon ideals of mutuality and reciprocity, are inherently unequal particularly for those intentionally or subconsciously “othered” by dominant entities. Within collaborations, those with the most cultural, social, and economic capital may reinforce colonial hierarchies and inadvertently encourage feelings of commoditization among those outside of dominant social, racial, and/or ethnic groups. Postcolonial theory as a critical framework can support evaluators’ understanding of how forces of colonialism infiltrate inherently unequal collaborations. Furthermore, postcolonial theory offers invaluable context to guide equity and social-justice focused evaluation methods that gather and accurately represent the stories of diverse groups. Postcolonial theory is especially important within the context of collaborations and partnerships to illuminate challenges of power dynamics, commoditization, and unequal benefits. Providing practical examples of postcolonial theory in various program evaluation stages of a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center evaluation can help evaluators consider the ways in which postcolonial theory can enhance their own practice. We will provide an overview of postcolonial theory and its support in providing a critical understanding of the multi-faceted legacy of colonialism and challenging oppressive paradigms. This work is a collaborative effort of novice evaluators and an experienced evaluator and professor of evaluation. References Viruru, R., & Persky, J. (2019). Postcolonial theory and teacher education. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.495