Who Is Allowed to Be Seen as a Scientist? Reimagining Representation and Educator Identity Through STEAM Picture Books

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 11:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Young Children's Engagement in Culturally Relevant and Sustaining STEM

Abstract

This study explores how pre-service early childhood educators engage with STEAM-oriented picture books that feature diverse racial and gender identities. Grounded in “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” (Bishop, 1990) and guided by an Equity-Oriented STEM Literacy framework (Jackson et al., 2021), this research considers how five participants in an early childhood teacher education program in the U.S. South select, analyze, and teach with STEAM-oriented texts across coursework and clinical placements. Initial findings highlight the varied ways participants interpreted equity and the complexities of fostering inclusive STEAM pedagogy in the current environment. This work addresses the intersection of multicultural literature and early STEAM education, offering implications for teacher education programs committed to equity in a rapidly shifting political landscape.

Author

• Anne Valauri, Georgia Southern University