Viewing STEM courses as competitive was associated with impostorship and, in turn, lower engagement and grades, especially for first-generation students¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The review reports, citing Canning et al. (2019), that perceiving STEM courses as competitive was associated with feelings of impostorship, which in turn was associated with lower engagement and grades, particularly for first-generation students. → Harris-Thomas 2026

Evidence¶

Harris-Thomas 2026¶

Harris-Thomas, B., Nicolai, K. D., Chen, X.-Y., & Areizaga Barbieri, C. (2026). Examining Black and Latine Students' Sense of Belonging within the Mathematics Classroom: A Narrative Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10181-0

q2 · i? · review · r2

Narrative review attributing this finding to Canning et al. (2019), whose sample the review notes "primarily consisted of White students." The review uses it to illustrate the harm of competitive spaces. No effect sizes printed.

"Canning et al. ( 2019) found that when students viewed STEM courses as competitive, it was associated with feelings of impostorship, which in turn was associated with lower engagement and grades. This association was particu-larly strong for first-generation students."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Socioeconomic Status — moderator: an instructional effect differs by group

Related Claims¶

• Perceived collaboration among peers positively predicts academic engagement, but competitive climates can undercut collaboration — related
• Feeling comfortable asking questions in class is the strongest classroom-climate predictor of students' behavioral academic engagement in introductory STEM courses — related
• Pre-med aspiration, excitement about learning, and competitiveness each predict higher engagement; gender, race, and most pre-college measures do not — reports the opposite