"Why Wouldn't I Be Able to Do It?" Parental Socialization and Black Girls' STEM Engagement

• In Event: "I'm That Girl": Affirming Black Girls and Families in Informal STEM Counter-Spaces

Abstract

Purpose

Black girls in formal K-12 math and science classrooms are often discouraged from showing up authentically and fully engaging with the academic material due to the negative biases held about Black girls in schools (Butler-Barnes et al., 2021; Ireland et al., 2018; Joseph et al., 2019). These experiences often shape Black girls’ identity development and can lead to Black girls disengaging with STEM altogether (Collins et al., 2020; Joseph et al., 2017). Thus, additional learning opportunities in the home and outside of school are needed so that Black girls can continue engaging in STEM exploration in spaces that are rigorous, culturally responsive, and supportive. Scholars have highlighted how Black parents employ a variety of strategies that aid in the promotion of STEM identity and engagement among their children (Cunningham, 2021; Martin, 2006; McGee & Spencer, 2015). As research continues to illuminate STEM-specific socialization processes, scholarship that explores how differential STEM socialization messaging and approaches may influence Black girls’ STEM engagement is needed.

Guided by the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (Spencer, 1995) the current investigation examined Black girls' meaning making of their general and STEM- specific educational experiences as well as the messaging they have received from parents and caregivers. Fourteen adolescent Black girls (Mage=13.43) that resided in the Southeastern region of the United States participated in semi-structured interviews on Zoom.

Perspective

Three themes emerged from the current investigation: 1) Early Exposure to Build Interest, Enjoyment and Engagement, 2) STEM Career Exploration, and 3) Identity Affirming STEM Spaces.

Early Exposure to Build Interest, Enjoyment and Engagement: Our investigation revealed that Black parents provide a variety of informal and traditional STEM learning opportunities for their daughters that were both engaging and enjoyable. In addition to providing STEM resources that girls can engage in independently, parents also participated in STEM activities with their daughters further scaffolding learning.

STEM Career Exploration: Parents of girls in this investigation acted as facilitators of STEM career exploration, introducing STEM career options to their daughters and encouraging them to pursue certain STEM careers based on their daughters’ current interests.

Identity Affirming STEM Spaces: Participants shared their experiences in informal STEM learning contexts, such as afterschool programs and summer enrichment camps. Girls were happy that their parents sought out and enrolled them in these opportunities. As participants reflected on their involvement in these spaces, they articulated the impact of these experiences, such as feeling affirmed and understanding of their belonging in STEM fields and occupations.

Discussion

Parental socialization was particularly impactful for Black girls as early STEM exposure and exploration prompted by their parents aided in girls’ confidence in STEM domains in school. Additionally, Black girls expressed that attending targeted STEM programming outside of school in which they saw others who share similar marginalized identities represented in these fields made them believe they also could persist in STEM. Future scholarship should continue to evaluate the unique needs of Black girls as we seek to broaden STEM participation among Black girls and women.

Authors

• Marketa Burnett, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Margarett McBride, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author