Elevating Black epiSTEMologies: Theories, Methodologies, and Praxis for Dismantling Racial Injustice in Postsecondary STEM Education

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Description. This session features presentations that outline various facets of a collaborative approach to designing new theories and research methodologies for assessing Blackness in postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This includes developing qualitative and quantitative datasets on Black student experiences from a race critical, strengths-based, multidimensional-multiplicative perspective. Black epiSTEMologies, a collaborative research project shared among six institutions, engages a sequential mixed methods design to create new theories, research methods, and datasets specific to Black undergraduate STEM students’ experiences. In this symposium the presentations will share insights into: 1) the mechanisms for collaboration employed to engage a large-scale, cross- disciplinary, nationwide research study of Blackness in the current sociopolitical climate; 2) a model for engaging multigenerational-multidirectional mentoring in educational research; 3) the development of mosaic ethnography as a research methodology leveraged to ascertain a nuanced perspective of Blackness; and 4) the development and application of a conceptual framework of multidimensional-multiplicative perspective Blackness. Upon completion of the presentations, this symposium will include discussion centered on the implications of the Black epiSTEMologies research project for the enhancement of racial equity policies, research, and practices in and outside of STEM education.

Sub Unit

• AERA Presidential Session

Chair

• Terrell R Morton, University of Illinois at Chicago

Papers

• Step by Step, Day by Day: Strategies for Building a National, Racial Justice Research Collaboration - Terrell R Morton, University of Illinois at Chicago; Martinique Ann Sealy, Virginia Commonwealth University; Osasohan Agbonlahor, North Carolina A&T State University; Paula Groves Price, North Carolina A&T State University

• Mentoring Relationships and Black People in STEM - Brian McGowan, American University; Nickolaus A. Ortiz, Georgia State University; Shari E. Watkins, American University; Andrea L. Tyler, Tennessee State University

• Theorizing Blackness by Centering Multidimensional-Multiplicative Perspectives of Black Knowledge in STEM - Tia C. Madkins, University of Texas at Austin; Yasmiyn Irizarry, University of Texas at Austin; Jennifer Dawn Adams, University of Calgary; Ricardo H. Lowe, University of Texas at Austin

• Constructing a Mosaic of Blackness: Methodological Considerations - Ashley N. Woodson, Black epiSTEMologies; Lul M. Baba, University of Illinois at Chicago; Kiana Foxx, Georgia State University

Discussants

• Adrienne D. Dixson, Pennsylvania State University

• Na'ilah Suad Nasir, Spencer Foundation