Intersectional & Inclusive STEM Learning Environments

AUTHOR

Richard Alejandro Parra, Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center, UW Seattle

JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON ZOOM (2:40-3:10 PM) >>

ABSTRACT

Women, persons with disabilities (PWD), and BIPOC communities are underrepresented in science and engineering. A contributing factor to this problem is the anti-inclusive design of STEM education. STEM lesson plans that are intentionally created to be gender-responsive (GR), accessible (AC), and culturally responsive (CR) may help to remedy this problem. Through our Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, UW students take a winter quarter seminar in which they learn about GR teaching, universal design for learning (UDL), strength-based teaching, and funds of knowledge (FoK). They then apply these concepts to develop intersectional and inclusive STEM lesson plans. Lesson plans are made GR by applying methods from two checklists created by ASB. UDL methods applied in the lesson plans are student choice, presentation variety, and variety of engagement. Lesson plans are made CR by using FoK surveys. UW students learn about the site’s students and make the lesson plans relevant to their lived experiences. Our UW students subsequently teach the lesson plans at 7 different partner schools in rural and tribal WA communities over the UW spring break. The efficacy of the approach will be measured (Likert scale) at two levels: how confident the UW students felt in learning and applying the material and whether the program increased the secondary student’s interest in STEM. This project may provide a framework that helps individuals learn how to develop and facilitate AC, CR, and GR STEM lesson plans. If these methods are successful in increasing the interest and confidence in STEM of secondary students, they may also be successful in doing so for STEM college students. Thus, helping to ameliorate the high attrition rates we see for BIPOC, PWD, and women in STEM majors.

SUMMARY

RESEARCH QUESTION

Do culturally responsive and gender responsive STEM lesson plans and learning environments increase the interest and confidence in STEM of BIPOC youth and girls.

RESEARCH METHODS / SCHOLARLY BASIS

Likert scale post event survey.

RESULTS

82.8% said it made them more interested in STEM. 48.5% of boys were very confident in doing STEM after participation. 46.6% of girls were very confident about doing STEM after participation. Participation made them want to take more science and math classes. Participation made them more interested in studying STEM in college (70.2%). Participation made them more interested in pursuing a STEM career.

APPLICATION

Strategies for making STEM learning environments more gender responsive and culturally responsive.