Early informal STEM experiences and STEM identity: The importance of talking science

Dou, Remy; Hazari, Zahra; Dabney, Katherine P.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.

doi:10.1002/sce.21499

Cited by 188 publications

(214 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Specific to STEM, parental involvement and interaction are thought to have important influences on students' science engagement and identification with science. Talking with friends and family about science and exposure to science media in childhood have been shown to predict STEM identity in college (Dou et al, 2019). The influence of family support in the success of women and students of color in STEM should be further investigated, to assess strategies that could strengthen familial advocacy for youth aspiring to enter STEM fields.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Media images often depict men and women in traditional gender roles, which can negatively impact the STEM career choices women make (Olsson and Martiny 2018;Bian, Leslie, & Cimpian, 2017). Dou, Hazari, Dabney, Sonnert, and Sadler (2019) found that talking with friends and family about science and consuming science media in childhood were predictive of STEM identity in college. The types of media that students are being exposed to are rapidly changing, and the current generation of students spends a great deal of time interacting with media platforms and gaining exposure to social media influencers (Pew Research Center, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets

Kricorian¹,

Seu²,

López³

et al. 2020

IJ STEM Ed

159

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Background: Women and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The goal of this pilot study is to better understand the beliefs and experiences of underrepresented US students pursuing STEM. Our focus was to gain insights into their mentorship experiences and preferences regarding having mentors who are gender and ethnicity matched. Environmental and psychological factors associated with participants' decision to pursue STEM, such as family influences, academic mindsets, and attitudes towards STEM, were also studied. Methods: We developed a survey tool based on published literature and established instruments, including measures of STEM belonging, science identity, and growth mindset, as well as measures assessing students' views on their STEM participation. We surveyed members of a STEM-focused non-profit who were in college, graduate school, or were recent graduates.Results: Forty-eight adults currently pursuing STEM responded to the survey. The majority (71%) were female and nearly all (96%) identified as an ethnic minority. Most reported knowing someone of their same gender (68%) or ethnicity (66%) with a STEM career who served as a role model. The majority (54%) stated that meeting a STEM professional of their own gender and ethnicity would be effective encouragement to pursue STEM. A similar percentage (56%) believed that media exposure to gender-and ethnicity-matched STEM professionals would be effective encouragement. Most (73%) demonstrated a growth mindset and had strong family support to pursue STEM (68%). Only two-thirds (66%) felt they belonged in STEM careers, and 30% agreed that people in their STEM classes are a lot like them. Conclusion: This study contributes additional information on the views and experiences of diverse students actively pursuing STEM. Most participants indicated the importance of meeting and being mentored in STEM by those of their same gender and ethnicity, either in person or through media. Future educational efforts to increase STEM diversity should consider students' mentorship preferences and facilitate interactions with matched-background mentors accordingly, with consideration given to the use of media. Educators should focus on inclusive learning by highlighting the accomplishments of diverse STEM professionals, to help strengthen feelings of STEM belonging.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets

Kricorian¹,

Seu²,

López³

et al. 2020

IJ STEM Ed

159

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Science identity means to think of oneself as related to science (Brickhouse, Lowery, & Schultz, ) or as the kind of person who does science (Gee, ). It has been shown to be a precursor of STEM engagement and persistence (Basu, ; Brotman & Moore, ; Carlone & Johnson, ; Dou et al, ; Hazari, Sadler & Sonnert, ; Hazari, Sonnert, Sadler, & Shanahan, ; Graham, Frederick, Byars‐Winston, Hunter, & Handelsman, ; Lee, ; Morgan, Isaac, & Sansone, ; Porfeli, Lee, & Vondracek, ; Regan, DeWitt, Henriksen, Dillon & Ryder, ; Tytler, ). To encourage the formation of science identity among girls, many scholars and practitioners have suggested to assign same‐gender science teachers to students so that the teachers can serve as gender role models (Day & Allen, ; Fox, ; Nixon & Robinson, ; Ost, ; Pascarella & Terenzini, ; Pascarella & Terenzini, ; Robst, Keil, & Russo, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of factors have been identified as contributing to a male‐dominant culture in the STEM professions, which in turn poses stereotype threats to women (Hazari et al, ). Background factors include gender differences in parental support (Alexander, Johnson, & Kelley, ; Crowley, Callanan, Tenenbaum, & Allen, ), teacher support (Patall et al, ), and prior enjoyable science experiences (Dou, Hazari, Dabney, Sonnert, & Sadler, ; Jones et al, ; Maltese & Tai, ; Moller, Stearns, Southworth, & Potochnick, ; Riegle‐Crumb, Moore, & Ramos‐Wada, ). Social factors include a discriminatory (Griffith, ; Hall & Sandler, ; Solnick, ), segregated (Archer, Dewitt, & Osborne, ; Charles & Bradley, ; Morton & Parsons, ; Sikora & Pokropek, ), and harassing study or work space (Clancy, Nelson, Rutherford, & Hinde, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of first high school science teacher's gender and gender matching on students' science identity in college

2019

Self Cite

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To encourage the formation of science identity among girls, many scholars and practitioners have suggested to assign samegender science teachers to students so that the teachers can serve as gender role models. However, direct evidence of any long-term effect of gender-matching is scarce. In a nationally representative survey of college students from the United States, we investigated if gender-matching between students and their first high school science teachers was associated with students' stronger identity in those science subjects in college.In physics, we found no gender-matching effect. In chemistry, there was a gender-matching effect only for women students. In biology, there were gender-matching effects for students of both genders. In addition, we found that students in general had a lower science identity if they reported a negative influence of opposite gender domination (IOGD) on their career choices.However, for female students who were at the negative end of the IOGD scale, female biology teachers raised the level of biology identity to the grand average. Our findings suggested that the gender role model effect was strongest when the gender role models resonated with the overall disciplinary gender representation at the school or societal levels.

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“…For example, Hazari et al () found that students' physics classroom experience predicted their physics identity, which, in turn, predicted their intention to choose a career in physics. Similarly, Goff, Mulvey, Irvin, and Hartstone‐Rose () found that young people who reported participation in informal programs prior to college also reported higher academic aspirations and greater interest and engagement with STEM (see also Dou, Hazari, Dabney, Sonnert, & Sadler, ). Supporting the development of science identities has the potential to afford equal access to science (Pattison et al, ; Williams et al, ).…”

Section: Background and Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 95%

Science identity trajectories throughout school visits to a science museum

Shaby

Vedder‐Weiss

2019

J Res Sci Teach

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Research has repeatedly demonstrated how informal learning environments afford science‐identity development by fostering a broader array of interactions and recognizing more varied participation modes and roles, as compared to the classroom. Thus, science teachers are encouraged to take students to field trips in informal environments, including science museums. However, the question of whether and how informal environments indeed support science identities also in a schooling context (i.e., in field trips) has not yet been explored. This case study addresses this question by analyzing identity trajectories of three students throughout six school visits to an Israeli science museum. We observed and recorded these students in the museum over the course of 3 years (fourth to sixth grade). We also visited their school and interviewed them after each visit. Drawing on a sociocultural interactional approach to identity, we analyzed 18 hr of video and audio recordings, tracking the participation of the three students across time and contexts, comparing between the students, points in time and settings, including structured (museum lab), semi‐structured (riddle‐solving activities in exhibition halls), and unstructured settings (free exploration). We employed linguistic ethnographic methods and microanalysis to examine the ways in which the students participated and their positioning by self and others. While we found differences between settings within the museum, overall, the findings show that the museum reproduced the school's interaction, positioning, and roles. The “(non)science person” in school was also the “(non)science person” in the museum, and thus, the museum visits did not appear to shift identity trajectories. These findings challenge the premise that informal environments support the development of science identities also in a schooling context and call for a more critical view of such fieldtrips in terms of their pedagogical and physical design, facilitation approach, and consideration of peers' social interaction.

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Early informal STEM experiences and STEM identity: The importance of talking science

Cited by 188 publications

References 54 publications

Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets

Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets

The effect of first high school science teacher's gender and gender matching on students' science identity in college

Science identity trajectories throughout school visits to a science museum

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