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Gender disparities in science are well documented. An analysis of 1,224 recommendation letters from 54 countries for geoscience postdoctoral fellowships reveals that women are half as likely to receive an excellent letter as men. Gender disparities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including the geosciences, are well documented and widely discussed 1 , 2 . In the geosciences, despite receiving 40% of doctoral degrees, women hold less than 10% of full professorial positions 3 . A significant leak in the pipeline occurs during postdoctoral years 4 , so biases embedded in postdoctoral processes, such as biases in recommendation letters, may be deterrents to careers in geoscience for women. Here we present an analysis of an international data set of 1,224 recommendation letters, submitted by recommenders from 54 countries, for postdoctoral fellowships in the geosciences over the period 2007–2012. We examine the relationship between applicant gender and two outcomes of interest: letter length and letter tone. Our results reveal that female applicants are only half as likely to receive excellent letters versus good letters compared to male applicants. We also find no evidence that male and female recommenders differ in their likelihood to write stronger letters for male applicants over female applicants. Our analysis also reveals significant regional differences in letter length, with letters from the Americas being significantly longer than any other region, whereas letter tone appears to be distributed equivalently across all world regions. These results suggest that women are significantly less likely to receive excellent recommendation letters than their male counterparts at a critical juncture in their career.

Background Flipped Classroom is a model that’s quickly gaining recognition as a novel teaching approach among health science curricula. The purpose of this study was four-fold and aimed to compare Flipped Classroom effectiveness ratings with: 1) student socio-demographic characteristics, 2) student final grades, 3) student overall course satisfaction, and 4) course pre-Flipped Classroom effectiveness ratings. Methods The participants in the study consisted of 67 Masters-level graduate students in an introductory epidemiology class. Data was collected from students who completed surveys during three time points (beginning, middle and end) in each term. The Flipped Classroom was employed for the academic year 2012–2013 (two terms) using both pre-class activities and in-class activities. Results Among the 67 Masters-level graduate students, 80% found the Flipped Classroom model to be either somewhat effective or very effective (M = 4.1/5.0). International students rated the Flipped Classroom to be significantly more effective when compared to North American students (X 2  = 11.35, p < 0.05). Students’ perceived effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom had no significant association to their academic performance in the course as measured by their final grades ( r s  = 0.70). However, students who found the Flipped Classroom to be effective were also more likely to be satisfied with their course experience. Additionally, it was found that the SEEQ variable scores for students enrolled in the Flipped Classroom were significantly higher than the ones for students enrolled prior to the implementation of the Flipped Classroom (p = 0.003). Conclusions Overall, the format of the Flipped Classroom provided more opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking, independently facilitate their own learning, and more effectively interact with and learn from their peers. Additionally, the instructor was given more flexibility to cover a wider range and depth of material, provide in-class applied learning opportunities based on problem-solving activities and offer timely feedback/guidance to students. Yet in our study, this teaching style had its fair share of challenges, which were largely dependent on the use and management of technology. Despite these challenges, the Flipped Classroom proved to be a novel and effective teaching approach at the graduate level setting.

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) have been shown to facilitate students' pursuit of graduate studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including geoscience. Less is known about why or how UREs have a lasting impact on participants, particularly through graduate school and into careers. Furthermore, few studies have captured the views and experiences of former URE participants no longer in STEM. The present study used purposive sampling and semistructured interviews to explore the long-term academic and career impacts of a summer-long geoscience URE (4 to 7 years post-URE; M = 5.4) on 10 former participants: 4 in STEM graduate school, 4 in STEM careers, and 2 in non-STEM careers. During interviews, participants described key long-term URE impacts within three interrelated domains: research/science, graduate school, and careers. These came about through a combination of significant relationships (e.g., mentors) and heightened self-awareness (e.g., clarity of career aspirations), which participants developed during the URE. Often, participants spoke of seemingly proximal URE outcomes that retained or gained significance over time. For example, the URE offered immersive experiences (e.g., in laboratory science) and opportunities for professional development (e.g., programing) that gave participants insight and skills related to their future endeavors. Drawing on these emergent themes, we discuss the importance of examining long-term URE impacts towards a deeper understanding of their benefits and toward the design of more effective URE programs.

Background Although the flipped classroom model has been widely adopted in medical education, reports on its use in graduate-level public health programs are limited. This study describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a flipped classroom redesign of an introductory epidemiology course and compares it to a traditional model. Methods One hundred fifty Masters-level students enrolled in an introductory epidemiology course with a traditional format (in-person lecture and discussion section, at-home assignment; 2015, N  = 72) and a flipped classroom format (at-home lecture, in-person discussion section and assignment; 2016, N  = 78). Using mixed methods, we compared student characteristics, examination scores, and end-of-course evaluations of the 2016 flipped classroom format and the 2015 traditional format. Data on the flipped classroom format, including pre- and post-course surveys, open-ended questions, self-reports of section leader teaching practices, and classroom observations, were evaluated. Results There were no statistically significant differences in examination scores or students’ assessment of the course between 2015 (traditional) and 2016 (flipped). In 2016, 57.1% (36) of respondents to the end-of-course evaluation found watching video lectures at home to have a positive impact on their time management. Open-ended survey responses indicated a number of strengths of the flipped classroom approach, including the freedom to watch pre-recorded lectures at any time and the ability of section leaders to clarify targeted concepts. Suggestions for improvement focused on ways to increase regular interaction with lecturers. Conclusions There was no significant difference in students’ performance on quantitative assessments comparing the traditional format to the flipped classroom format. The flipped format did allow for greater flexibility and applied learning opportunities at home and during discussion sections.

We present a methodological example of an initial use of critical quantitative analysis (CritQuant) in international education research focused on international students to explore differences in social-emotional experiences intersectionally. Drawing on a sample of 558 international students attending 14 colleges and universities in the United States, we examined students' belonging, social support, academic stress and confidence, COVID-19 related stress, and social integration by students' gender, graduate level, and region of origin as well as by combinations of gender, graduate level, and region of origin. Key findings include that graduate and undergraduate female students as well as graduate male students reported better social-emotional experiences compared with undergraduate male students and that students' region of origin accounted for a range of differences in student outcomes. Findings are discussed in relation to the current literature and with respect to opportunities in the field of international student engagement and global student mobility.

Background Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS) refer to the psychological, physical, and behavioral symptoms that appear during the luteal phase of menstruation, impacting the day-to-day activities of females. Methods This study employed institutional-based cross-sectional research methods. Data were gathered from all female participants at the Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, and only 285 female participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire to assess demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle habits, and menstrual health-related factors, as well as to measure premenstrual symptoms. A standard tool, the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), was used for this purpose. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to measure the psychological distress. Factors associated with PMS were analyzed using Multiple Binary Logistic Regression. Result Among the 285 participants, 40% reported experiencing Premenstrual Symptoms. The most common physical symptoms were joint or muscle pain (56.49%), breast tenderness (45.26%), abdominal pain (44.91%), acne flare-ups (40.35%), and fatigue (35.09%). The factors such as age at menarche, participants with dysmenorrhea, participants who consume menstrual delaying medicine and participants having mild, moderate and severe stress were found to be significant at a 5% level of significance with the Premenstrual Symptoms. Conclusion The factors associated with Premenstrual Symptoms are stress, menstrual delaying medicine, dysmenorrhea, and the age at menarche of participants. The result indicates the necessity of women’s health programs, psychological support, and access to counseling in academic environments.

The OceanField project is an integrated field-work and classroom-based course offered to first year Master students in Marine Geosciences (at the European Institute for Marine Studies IUEM − University of Brest), creating a synergy between (1) geology field class, (2) photogrammetric data acquisition and (3) data processing to produce digital terrain models, enabling the immersive experience to be extended in a digital working environment once back in class. In this way, the students experiment different approaches for observing and analysing the structure, geometry and nature of a past oceanic domain in the Alps, and gain an understanding of how it works (from its birth to its disappearance). At the same time, participating in the acquisition and processing of photogrammetric data, students acquire new technical skills. By not only being immersed in the virtual environment, but also contributing to its creation, students are involved in the various stages of the data lifecycle. As a result, they become more aware of multiscale data quality and of the opportunities offered by virtual environment accuracy.

In response to calls for reformed teaching practices in college STEM labs and courses, and to support graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in their general teaching responsibilities, other STEM disciplines have recently increased their focus on GTA training and preparation. However, current practices in GTA training in the geosciences and geoscience faculty values regarding GTA teaching preparation have not been documented. In this study, survey results are used to compile the roles of GTAs in geoscience departments as well as the types and extent of training in which they participate with respect to teaching professional development (PD). Responses indicate that most GTA training depends on the instructor supervising the course (57%), with more formal GTA training coming from university or departmental requirements. Survey results suggest that some barriers to implementing GTA training are similar to those found for faculty teaching PD, including time and funding, along with unsupportive departmental culture. Responses also indicate that although faculty generally rate teaching PD as important for their GTAs, those values do not correlate strongly with the amount of training their department currently provides.

Background The involvement of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with lived experience of health and mental health conditions as partners in research is increasing given the prominence of participatory approaches to research, including patient-oriented research (POR). Much of the relevant research is conducted by graduate students. While guiding AYA engagement frameworks and models exist, the processes of partnering with AYAs in patient-oriented graduate-level research projects have not been well established. Co-developed tools and practices are required to support strengths-based, developmentally appropriate AYA-graduate student partnerships. Objectives The objectives of this commentary are: (1) to share the processes of partnership between a graduate student and five Young Adult Research Partners (YARP), (2) to describe the co-design and implementation of the Strengths, Skills, and Goals Matrix (SSGM), a tool for facilitating strengths-based AYA engagement in research, and (3) to outline considerations for applying this tool across a variety of research contexts with patient partners. Main body Within the YARP-graduate student partnership, the SSGM offered extensive benefits, including tangible skill development, peer mentorship, and rapport building among all members. This tool offers strategies for strengths-based engagement practices which emphasize AYAs’ preferences and goals throughout POR projects. Practical recommendations and considerations for applying the SSGM within graduate-level research and beyond are described, including the importance of connecting AYAs’ current (and desired) skills to specific tasks within the research project and resulting outputs. Conclusions The SSGM has possible relevance in a variety of settings given its broadly applicable structure. Future research could explore the adaptation, application, and evaluation of the SSGM across research contexts to determine its feasibility and ease of implementation. Patient or public contribution This article was conceived of and co-authored by five young adult research partners. The YARP co-designed the SSGM presented in this article, the figures, and substantially contributed to the preparation of the article. Plain English summary The involvement of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with lived experience of health and mental health conditions as partners in research is becoming more common in student research projects. Though guidelines for engaging AYAs as partners in research exist, the steps for developing meaningful AYA-student partnerships are not clearly defined. These partnerships require tools and practices that are co-developed by AYAs and students to be successful. In this commentary, we share the details of a partnership between a graduate student and five AYA research partners. Next, we describe how we developed the Strengths, Skills, and Goals Matrix (SSGM), a tool for supporting AYA engagement in research which emphasizes the capabilities and goals of each AYA partner. Finally, we outline suggestions for patient partners and research teams interested in using this tool in different settings. Within our research partnership, the SSGM helped all members build relationships, develop skills, and share their skills with one another. The SSGM focuses on the strengths of each person and allows patient partners to determine their own goals for engaging in research. Future research should explore how the SSGM works for different types of research teams or projects.

Scientific collaboration has been studied by researchers for decades. Several approaches have been adopted to address the question of how collaboration has evolved in terms of publication output, numbers of coauthors, and multidisciplinary trends. One particular type of collaboration that has received very little attention concerns advisor and advisee relationships. In this paper, we examine this relationship for the researchers who are involved in the area of Exact and Earth Sciences in Brazil and its eight subareas. These pairs are registered in the Lattes Platform that manages the individual curricula vitae of Brazilian researchers. The individual features of these academic researchers and their coauthoring relationships were investigated. We have found evidence that there exists positive correlation between time of advisor-advisee relationship with the advisee's productivity. Additionally, there has been a gradual decline in advisor-advisee coauthoring over a number of years as measured by the Kulczynski index, which could be interpreted as decline of the dependence.