Student Trajectories of Fitting in Within Predominantly African American STEM After-School Clubs at High-Poverty Rural Schools

• In Event: 54.081 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: 54.081-4 - Teachers and Teaching: Understanding the Social and Cultural Context

Abstract

Prior research suggests that adaptive motivation patterns can be anticipated in social environments that address adolescents’ psychological needs, such as their need to belong. Yet few studies are available to speak to the question of how soon adolescents should come to feel a sense of belonging within these social environments. To address this concern in a practically relevant manner, we established teacher-led STEM afterschool clubs in high-poverty rural middle schools, and we examined student trajectories of belonging in a predominantly African American sample. Results demonstrate that perceptions of fitting in within STEM afterschool clubs change over time, but that these trajectories of fitting in differ considerably by gender. Students’ reflections on their club experiences are used to contextualize these findings.

Authors

• DeLeon Lavron Gray, North Carolina State University

• David Christopher Achin, North Carolina State University

• Cameron DeLeon Denson, North Carolina State University

• Immanuel James Williams, Rutgers University - New Brunswick/Piscataway

• Jason Robert Wornoff, North Carolina State University