“Choosing What’s Important to Me!”: Impacts of the Co-Design Process on Fifth-Grade Girl’s Science Interests

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Becoming Scientists: Pathways of Identity, Interest, and Belonging

Abstract

Despite recent progress in diversifying the sciences, Women—especially Women of Color— remain underrepresented, with disparities emerging long before higher education (NCSES, 2023; Taylor & Arbeit, 2024). Research shows girls’ science interest and identity often decline during adolescence, shaped by societal stereotypes and limited recognition as “science persons” (Hill et al., 2011; Carlone et al., 2011; Vincent-Ruz & Shun, 2018). This dissertation examines how co-design, an inclusive, student-centered intervention where learners collaborate to shape their educational experiences (Dollinger & D’Angelo, 2020; Ladson-Billings, 2009), can support science identity development in fifth-grade girls. Drawing on science identity development and ecological systems theories (Spencer, 1995; Carlone & Johnson, 2007), this study explores how co-design fosters agency, engagement, and recognition, disrupting gendered and racialized barriers in science pathways.

Author

• Jasmyne Yeldell, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill