Can Children’s Educational Television Meet the Call for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy? A Dyadic Interview Study

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 4:20 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Technology Use for Inclusion and Equity (Table 28)

Abstract

Extensive research has demonstrated that educational media can support children in STEM learning, yet there is little research on how best to meet the challenge of creating educational STEM media that effectively engages children of all races and ethnicities and positively impacts their learning. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to investigate caregivers’ and children’s perceptions, understanding, and recognition of the culture and inclusion cues embedded into a new children’s educational television show designed to teach computational thinking in a culturally responsive way. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 parent-child dyads (56% boys; Mage=4.67, SD=0.80; 83% mothers; Mage=39.4, SD=5.8) and conducted a thematic analysis using interview transcripts. Findings can aid the development of effective culturally responsive STEM TV.

Authors

• Fashina Alade, Michigan State University

• Breniel Lemley, Northwestern University

• Tara Jean Mesyn, Michigan State University

• Claudia Sofia Aparicio, Michigan State University