Incorporating the Social, Cultural, and Emotional Dimensions of Student Learning to Develop STEM-identities in Computer Science

• In Event: Promoting Equitable Learning and Career Pathways in STEM Through Positive Youth Development

Abstract

The development of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Computer Science (CS) identities and career interests among students from historically marginalized groups has become a significant area of research and a major pedagogical focus in education in recent years (ACT, 2017; CDE, 2014; Williams, 2014). Interestingly, STEM education efforts have often not included the foundational social, emotional (Allen and Noam, 2023) and cultural (Brown, 2019; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995) dimensions of learning that cut across subject areas, grade levels, and education spaces both in scholarship and in practice (Osher et al., 2021). As educators strive to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century workforce, we must understand the role of teachers in helping students develop their STEM/CS identities as an extension of their ability to strengthen social and emotional competencies simultaneously. Doing so can help students navigate work in diverse teams, solve complex problems, and persevere through failures (Wagner, 2014).
Through qualitative inquiry of a 9th-grade computer science (CS) classroom, this paper examines how teachers' pedagogical approaches can help prioritize the social and emotional dimensions of student learning to foster STEM identity and development. Findings from an ethnographic study of the delivery of the Exploring Computer Science curriculum in a high school setting of majority of students of color, and low-income youth identify five high-leverage instructional strategies. These strategies include 1) teacher mindsets towards specific subject areas like computer science; 2) creating conditions for affirming students culturally; 3) intentionally prioritizing student autonomy for social and emotional development; 4) co-constructing knowledge to increase student engagement; and 5) helping students create their own STEM identity by exposing them to STEM professionals of similar racial and cultural characteristics as students. Collectively, these practices offer critical windows into how educators can act as intermediaries in helping students see themselves in the CS field and STEM/CS career pathways. Findings from this study can inform strategies for teacher education and policy efforts seeking to close learning gaps for historically marginalized groups and to improve racial and gender diversity in opportunities for growing STEM fields.
Results. Our research findings highlight the critical pedagogical and instructional approaches Our findings also illustrate how educators can support the development of their students' computational thinking skills (Yadav et al., 2016; Yadav et al., 2017). Teacher pedagogical mindsets, especially towards subjects like mathematics and computer science, drive instructional practices. Affirming learning environments promoted by ECS teachers contributes to increased levels of student engagement with computer science curricula. Student autonomy enabled by teachers can foster social and emotional development. Co-construction of knowledge supports student engagement. Student STEM identities can be enhanced with access to STEM practitioners and industry professionals of similar racial and cultural backgrounds.
Conclusions. Teachers play a pivotal role in the growth, development, and well-being of their students. How they support and engage students relies largely on their core pedagogical beliefs. Within the context of STEM education, these beliefs can translate into high-quality instructional strategies and methods that support their students' SED, contributing to greater engagement and even academic achievement.

Author

• Stanley L. Johnson, University of California - Los Angeles