Exploring the Science Attitudes of Urban Diverse Gifted Middle School Students

Abstract

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is a central focus in science education, research, economics and politics. With this increased focus on STEM, it is important to know urban gifted students' perceptions and attitudes toward science. Overall, these 6th and 8th grade gifted students reported a lack of interest in science. This is troubling, if we want to see more diversity in the science professions. One group, minority girls, did provide a bright spot in their responses which had not been commonly reported in the research literature. They liked science the most and were positive about science, which was encouraging. To develop a diverse STEM workforce, it is imperative to provide the quality of education and means to support all students interested in pursuing these fields, including urban diverse gifted students.

Developing a STEM Identity Among Young Women: A Social Identity Perspective

“…The difference in attitudes toward STEM was found among high-achieving young women and men as well. Among a group of 50 urban middle school students designated as gifted, the male students reported greater positive attitudes toward science than their minority and White female peers (Jeanpierre & Hallett-Njuguna, 2014).…”

“…There is growing attention and research on men of color at the postsecondary levels, but in our search process, we noted that there were too few studies dedicated to this population to conduct an adequate review. In the few studies that attempted to include these students, such as one on urban gifted middle school students, the number of racial-ethnic minority boys was too small to be included as a separate comparison group (Jeanpierre & Hallett-Njuguna, 2014). This lack of research means scholars and educators lack information and understanding that can be used to better the situation for male students of color who are marginalized and underrepresented in STEM.…”