The Construct of Researcher Identity for Secondary School Students

• In Event: Identity as an Outcome and Unfolding Process in Science Education

Abstract

Only six percent of 24 year olds have completed degrees in a STEM discipline. The percentages are even lower for underrepresented youth. Educators have started to develop curricula that incorporate identity in an effort to increase the number of students entering and persisting in STEM education. However, educators need valid tools to determine students’ attitudes. To address this need, we developed a survey that measures secondary students’ identity in research. 863 students were administered the survey, and Rasch scaling was used to analyze the data. Because research has found that the identity-development process is the primary mechanism by which underrepresented students choose an occupation, educators need to incorporate curricula containing identity-related parts and have valid tools for assessing students.

Authors

• Linda Morell, University of California - Berkeley

• Shruti Bathia, University of California - Berkeley

• Ben Koo, University of California - San Francisco

• Mark R. Wilson, University of California - Berkeley

• Perman Gochyyev, University of California, Berkeley

• Rebecca Smith, University of California - San Francisco