In postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, equity issues regarding race and gender receive attention. On this attention, it is suggested to view from the sociopolitical perspective—mathematics is political, mathematics education is political, and equity is defined with the critical dimension of identity and power. Using the central tenets of the sociopolitical perspective and intersectionality, Black and Latina Women's counter-stories provide insights into systemic issues, but quantitative approaches remain challenges. On the other hand, it is discussed that active learning in STEM education is potentially equitable but not inherently. Thus, what mechanisms of active learning determine equity or inequity is essential. So, this study argues that social network analysis (SNA)—a quantitative approach to mapping social structures- is promising. Thus, this study utilized SNA to examine equity and zoom in on women of color's experiences considering social networks in an active learning classroom in undergraduate mathematics education. By adopting the two perspectives "social capital" and "identity" to interpret social networks, which are consistent with the sociopolitical perspective, this study investigates (1) the structures of social networks of students and how race and gender relate to the social networks, (2) the experiences of women of color, and (3) the relationships between social networks and the experiences of women of color experiences, in an inquiry-oriented linear algebra (IOLA) class. This study is a single case study of one IOLA classroom in a public Southeastern university. The primary data sources are (1) student nominations in required discussion board assignments to map classroom-wide social networks and (2) journals and individual interviews of women of color. SNA was used to visualize directed networks and to calculate measurements to find the relationships between student nominations and race and gender. Journals and interviews were analyzed through initial and axial coding. Then, the networks of women of color were tracked back and related to themes of journals and interviews. The results show that the social network has a statistically identical number of nominations between non-White and White students and men and women and a strong tendency of the same racial and gender groups to nominate each other. Also, the group of most influential students determined by centrality includes women of color disproportionally compared to the entire classroom representation. Additionally, the findings of journals and interviews by women of color describe socially affirmed experiences with female classmates in the IOLA setting class and uncomfortable experiences with men in STEM classes. The experiences related to race/ethnicity and general IOLA settings vary depending on the participants. This study implies the potential equitability of the IOLA class with intentional intervention to provide supportive and inclusive active learning experiences. Furthermore, potential additional labor for women of color and the interpretation of simultaneous solidarity and segregation that the IOLA setting classroom possesses are discussed. Lastly, this study suggests future research and practices of more active adoption of intersectionality and further investigation of equitable active STEM learning mechanisms.
