STEM Identity and Development: A Language and Ecology Systems Case Study Analysis

• In Event: STEM Identity and Development: A Language and Ecology Systems Case Study Analysis

Abstract

This study shows how Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (ES) can expand notions of STEM identity from knowledge, skills and ability to identify non-traditional students with an affinity and potential to persist in STEM. This may be a key in designing diverse, inclusive university-industry programs to build a diverse STEM-skilled workforce. Specifically, this instrumental, intrinsic case study examines language and social interactions of participants in a summer internship Naval workforce development engineering design program (NWP) to conceptualize STEM identity and development. A content analysis was applied to ES to interpret interactions between, micro, meso, exo, macro layers of systems and settings. The pilot data analysis of Intern J revealed language and social contexts can provide broad views of participants’ ES and development.

Author

• Noreen Balos, University of California - Santa Barbara