Making at Home: Interest-Driven Practices and Supportive Relationships in Minoritized Homes

Abstract

The maker movement advocates hands-on making with emerging technologies because of its value for promoting innovative and personally meaningful transdisciplinary learning. Educational research has focused on settings that primarily serve youth from dominant groups, yet we know surprisingly little about making among minoritized youth and the kinds of resources that support their making. This study sought to better understand the extent to which maker practices are present in the lives of minoritized youth and the network of resources that support their engagement. In this study, we analyzed survey responses of 52 youth from an urban, under-resourced community in Chicago and conducted an inductive thematic analysis of 20 interviews through a model of connected learning. Findings showed these youth participated in a diverse range of interest-driven, low-tech maker activities in their own homes more often than in school, after school programs, or through online resources and communities (i.e., YouTube, Internet, social media). Many youths displayed different levels of participation with intergenerational support, as parents and extended family members supported youth in their hands-on making. This work opens up pathways for fostering connected learning opportunities within minoritized communities by building on existing learning experiences within home settings and supportive relationships.

Intergenerational Learning and Its Impact on the Improvement of Educational Processes

“…On the other hand, Marina explains that "education can no longer be limited to the transmission of knowledge but must focus on the development of skills and competencies for learning to learn" [7] (p. 54). In this way, autonomous learning and the ability to adapt to changes that occur in society are fostered.…”

Science on Youtube: Successful Edutubers

“…The literature shows us that this platform is chosen by educators as a preferred learning tool (Srinivasacharlu, 2020), pointing to it as an opportunity for innovation (Anchundia, 2020) and using it within class implementations, or as complements to this (Tella et al, 2020), having a positive assessment of its use by teachers (García-Martín & Cantón-Mayo). In addition, it is possible to verify frequent use of YouTube videos by teachers to obtain academic purposes (Anchundia, 2020) or to improve students' desire to learn (Ozudogru, 2020), even those belonging to social minorities or low-income places (Peppler et al, 2020).…”

Untitled

“…Es por ello que la identidad de las personas se construye a partir de las decisiones que estas toman en función de las experiencias vividas, siendo preciso considerar los diferentes ambientes en los que el individuo se encuentra inmerso (Carrera et al, 2015). Por esta razón, los agentes y contextos en los que la persona interactúa de forma significativa cobran una especial relevancia para su desarrollo integral y holístico (Peppler et al, 2020). Entre los principales agentes podemos incluir a la familia, la escuela, el grupo de pares y los medios de comunicación (Collet, 2020).…”