A Mathematics Teacher Educator’s Experiences in an After-School Girls Club

• In Event: Creating Equitable Informal Mathematics/STEM Learning Environments: Addressing Racial Injustice and Underrepresentation

Abstract

Historically, research has documented girls tend to not see themselves as doers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Given that visuospatial thinking (Owens, 2020) is malleable (Heckman, 2006; Sinclair et al., 2016; Uttal et al., 2013) and conducive to STEM careers (Chen & Mix, 2013; Gathercole & Pickering, 2000; Grissmer et al., 2013; Newcombe, 2010; Wai et al., 2009), we aimed to create spaces for a group of elementary Girls of Color (GoC) to see themselves as doers of STEM disciplines by engaging them in activities that would enhance their visuospatial thinking.

Owens’ (2020) work inspired us to use activities with contexts familiar to GoC. One such experience is traveling from their homes to the school. We asked them to draw a map (Cohrssen & Pearn, 2021) representing what they saw from home to school. Such activity was insightful as GoC were excited to draw their maps and share their traveling stories with us. At the same time, the maps allowed us to inquire into the GoC’s visuospatial thinking (Owens, 2020). The findings of our investigation are documented elsewhere (Author, 2023). In this proposal, we aim to discuss our experiences working with GoC. We will discuss two topics: how to engage with GoC in a semi-school environment and avoid oppressing them; and what are the characteristics of the activities that engage learners cognitively and emotionally.

I am a mathematics teacher educator of color who is committed to offering spaces to allow learners and teachers to build from their experiences. Working with GoC was new to me, but I knew I needed to be intentional in my actions and ways of interacting with them. I operated under the idea that historically, GoC would not have spaces to be themselves in school environments (Gutiérrez, 2018). I was oppressed during my school year. Although our meetings were outside the school schedule, we were still in the school and with a teacher, which brought affordances and constraints to our interactions with GoC. As one of the facilitators of the activities, when I perceived chaos, I avoided imposing my “given” authority. I also individually celebrated and paid attention to GoC’s conversations and ideas. I wanted them to know I listened to their ideas and cared for them.

Regarding the activity of drawing a map from their homes to the school. The activity resulted engaging because it asked GoC to share a bit about their lives. Given the GoC’s intentional efforts to represent their life experiences in a drawing, we obtained beautiful and meaningful data to evaluate their visuospatial thinking. I wonder: 1) what other activities could have similar results; 2) how can we make spaces in schools for similar activities? And 3), what would have to happen to teach in schools using similar activities and pedagogical approaches?

Author

• Elizabeth Suazo-Flores, University of North Dakota