Cultural Values in Data Visualization: Insights from Young Professionals in Environmental STEM Careers

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Community-Centered and Relational Approaches in Environmental Science and Engineering Education

Abstract

Objectives
Culture has been shown to influence how individuals perceive and pursue different careers, as the values and communities that people grow up with can affect what types of work are seen as desirable or even possible (Schein, 1984; Mau, 2000; Yao & McWha-Hermann, 2025). Through interviews with environmental STEM professionals of color, this study will uncover insights into how cultural influences may have shaped their STEM education trajectories and career pathways in the environmental field. In this study, cultural values are defined as 1) racial or ethnic cultural backgrounds/practices and 2) participant-defined communities that they were a part of that may be separate from their ethnic background. This study will specifically examine:
In what ways do cultural values and community affiliations influence how early-career environmental professionals of color interpret, use, and communicate environmental data?
What STEM learning experiences did environmental professionals of color encounter across their educational trajectories that reflected or engaged with their cultural backgrounds?

Theoretical framework
Culturally sustaining pedagogies (Paris, 2021) inform the investigation of how environmental STEM professionals of color draw on cultural values and community knowledge in their interpretation and communication of environmental data.

Methods
The interview protocol will be developed using a narrative inquiry approach, a qualitative method that emphasizes participants’ lived experiences, personal stories, and meaning-making processes as central to understanding how individuals engage with and apply data in real-world contexts (Bell, 2002). This approach allows for a deeper exploration of how environmental science professionals of color develop and use data literacy skills within their careers, while also illuminating the cultural and community contexts that shape these experiences.

Data sources
This study will employ snowball sampling to recruit a minimum of 20 environmental STEM professionals who identify as people of color and are considered young adults, defined as individuals between the ages of 21 and 35. This age range is to ensure that participants have the most recent experience and relevant skillsets in the field, which will be the most beneficial to incorporate into 21st-century educational practices. Interviews will be between 45-60 minutes and will be conducted, recorded, and transcribed using Zoom.

Warrants for arguments
Data will be collected throughout the remainder of the 2025 year. By centering the lived experiences and insights of professionals who have successfully navigated environmental STEM pathways, this retrospective lens surfaces culturally sustaining approaches to data literacy that may not yet be captured in the academic literature. These insights serve as a bridge between educational and real-world career applications, helping to inform more culturally responsive and relevant learning experiences for students.

Significance
This study expands the scope of inquiry for culturally sustaining pedagogies and environmental science education beyond the classroom by gathering narrative accounts from early-career environmental STEM professionals of color. Instead of implementing a new lesson plan or testing a specific intervention, this study seeks to uncover the cultural values and experiences that shape how these professionals interpret, use, and communicate environmental data in their careers.

Authors

• Victoria Nguyen, University of California - Irvine

• Guadalupe Rosas, University of California - Irvine