How Middle School Teachers Elicit Student Identity Using a Social-Learning Environment and Its Impact on STEM Self-Efficacies

• In Event: Centering Identity and Political Dimensions in the Learning Sciences

Abstract

The goal of this project was to explore the relationship between students' self-efficacy around science and technology and the ways middle school science teachers leverage an online social learning environment to elicit student identity in their classrooms. A quantitative analysis of students’ self-efficacy found significant differences in pre- and post-survey responses. A qualitative analysis of teacher interviews supported the quantitative results by exploring differences in how teachers evoked student identity. Teachers had different approaches to eliciting student identity in their classrooms, but each approach was related to sources of student self-efficacy. This work shows multiple ways teachers can incorporate student identities (especially for underrepresented racial groups) to increase student self-efficacy in science and technology.

Authors

• Corissa Taylor Rohloff, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Elena Contreras Gullickson, University of Minnesota

• Tayler Loiselle, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities