Broadening Participation: Assessing a Culturally Responsive Math and Coding Intervention for African American Elementary Students.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Evolving Strategies in Mathematics Education: Assessment, Intervention, and Achievement (Table 11)

Abstract

This paper details a culturally responsive intervention integrating computational thinking (CT) and mathematics for fourth to sixth grade African American students in Central California. The program, designed and implemented by educators and STEM experts, used Edison Robots and a curriculum that combined African American history with CT activities. The three-week summer institute aimed to address academic discrepancies and increase STEM engagement. Assessment methods evaluated CT learning through activities like programming robots to deliver "pizza" on a grid. Results indicated positive impacts on students' attitudes toward computing and mathematics, demonstrating the value of culturally relevant, short-term interventions in broadening STEM participation among underrepresented groups.

Authors

• Whitney E. Wall Bortz, Fresno Pacific University

• James Van Slyke, Fresno Pacific University

• Aakash Gautam, Virginia Tech

• Darrell Blanks, Fresno Pacific University

• Steve Pauls, Aims Center