Amplifying Black Student Voices to Inform [STEM] Education Curriculum

• In Event: The Wretched of the Earth? Interrogating Eurocentrism and Reimagining the STEM Futures of Black Learners

Abstract

Purpose
Student interest in science education begins to wane around adolescence (Staus et al., 2020), with this age group largely being represented in middle and high school. Understanding that underrepresented students are less likely to pursue careers in STEM, the loss of interest in sciences can be more pronounced in Black student populations. In this study, we present a counternarrative to describe the elementary, middle, and high school science education journey of four Black secondary students. We discuss what we can infer from these collective stories to inform future STEM curricula.
Theoretical framework
Critical race theory (CRT) serves as a theoretical framework and analytical tool for interrupting racism and the persistent marginalization of Black students in education (Ladson-Billings, 2009). Recognition of Black students’ perceptions, suggestions, and experiences is key to comprehending how they resist, persist, and even thrive in the current education systems. Serving as a tenet to CRT, counter-stories are utilized to center the experiences of marginalized groups (Berry & Cook, 2018).

Methods/Data Sources
We conducted semi-structured interviews fall of 2019 when participants were attending a middle school and in the summer of 2022 when participants were high schoolers. The first round of interviews was recorded in person on an audio-recording device and transcribed with a transcription tool called Descript. Final interviews were conducted via Zoom with transcripts downloaded once interviews concluded. Questions involved students’ experiences with science in elementary, middle, and high school, and what suggestions they had for science teaching and learning over the years. Each transcript was coded using a CRT lens, centering their Black identities, and three themes were identified and reconciled among the authors. Using critical race narrative analysis (Decuir & Dixon, 2004) we utilized participants’ responses to develop a counternarrative for all four students.

Findings
Theme One: “The invisibility of Diverse Scientists” is defined by incidences where students described how they envisioned scientists, at times, showcasing the lack of representation in STEM fields. Theme Two, “Protecting the After-life of Science Lessons: The Decline of Student Interest and Engagement,” was defined by incidences where participants talked about their previous [positive] science engagement in their elementary classes and the gradual disinterest that shaped their current view of science education as high schoolers. Theme Three: “The Disconnect Between Science and Students’ Career Aspirations and Interests” was defined as incidences where students described their career aspirations but either did not see the connection or relevance of science to attain these goals. While our findings highlight some challenges and the subtle ways practices of exclusion contribute to the performance of Black secondary students in science, opportunities to enhance student experiences in science can be inferred, and how education researchers can support these enhancements.

Scholarly significance of the study
By grounding our research in the voices of Black students, we challenge researchers to continue to view students as advocates of their own education, situating their thoughts as valid. These findings can continue to inform Black education while empowering Black students to envision themselves as experts and contributors to scientific knowledge.

Authors

• Rose Pringle, University of Florida

• Takeshia Pierre, Tufts University