Krystal Nunes

Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biology

Dr. Krystal Nunes (she/her) is a discipline-based education researcher with expertise in resilience-centred education. Her research aims to reimagine undergraduate science classrooms and assessments to allow students to productively engage with failure as part of their learning process. She was the recipient of a 2022 and 2024 CELT Learning and Teaching Grant, held a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Explore grant, and currently holds a SSHRC Insight Development grant to investigate how identities of professors and teaching assistants influence students' sense of belonging and engagement.

Fostering resilient students: Developing evidence-based interventions to combat fear of failure and support equitable help-seeking in undergraduate science courses

Our project aims to advance scholarly understanding of postsecondary STEM student experiences, with an emphasis on equity-seeking groups that are underrepresented in science. We will develop evidence-based pedagogical interventions to foster resilient undergraduate students and support more equitable help-seeking. While failure is a critical part of scientific discovery — as it leads to refined hypotheses, improved methods, and innovation — opportunities for students to reflect and learn from failure are not commonly embedded in postsecondary training. Further, first-generation students, those of lower socio-economic status, or those who identify as women, Black, Indigenous, or people of colour (BIPOC) are less likely to reach out to professors when facing challenges. Similarly, due to lack of representation. 2SLGBTQIA+ students and those with disabilities are less likely to feel a sense of belonging in STEM programs, which may impact resilience and well-being.

This project will implement guided reflections on the role of failure in learning and science in first and second-year STEM classes, paired with weekly instructor and scientist examples of past failures. Using survey questions grounded in Resilience Theory, the study will assess changes in students’ perspectives on failure and the role of educator (professor and TA) identity and mindset on students' willingness to seek support. In parallel, students will be engaged as partners to redesign help-seeking strategies as informed by student suggestions. Outcomes will inform action on inequities in fear of failure and help-seeking, with resources disseminated as Open Education Resources (OERs) for use across disciplines.