Advancing Culturally Responsive STEM Education: An Evidence-Based Framework for Latinx Student Success Through Monarch Butterfly Migration

• In Event: STEM Education and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: Envisioning New Horizons in Teacher Preparation for Student Liberation

Abstract

Objectives
This study addresses the persistent underrepresentation of Latinx students in STEM fields by developing and demonstrating a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum framework for culturally responsive STEM instruction and teacher preparation. Our objectives are to: (1) synthesize research on effective STEM interventions for Latinx students through qualitative meta-synthesis, (2) develop a theoretically grounded curriculum framework called Latinx-Affirming STEM (La-STEM), and (3) demonstrate practical implementation through a detailed curriculum centered on monarch butterfly migration through South Texas.

Theoretical Framework
This work is grounded in three complementary theoretical frameworks. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017) maintains students' cultural practices while providing STEM access, moving beyond inclusion to actively preserve cultural lifeways. Rightful Presence (Calabrese Barton & Tan, 2020) centers students' political struggles and lived experiences as legitimate STEM education components, transforming power dynamics. Akker's (2007) curriculum design framework provides systematic structure through ten interconnected elements, ensuring coherence between cultural responsiveness and academic rigor.

Methods, Techniques, or Modes of Inquiry
We employed a two-phase methodology combining qualitative meta-synthesis and design-based research. Phase 1 applied Sandelowski and Barroso's (2007) meta-synthesis methodology to analyze 23 peer-reviewed studies focusing on effective STEM interventions for Latinx students, extracted from our previous systematic literature review. Using van den Akker's ten curriculum components as the analytical framework, we conducted three-stage coding (open, axial, and selective) to identify successful intervention characteristics. Phase 2 integrated these findings through design-based research to develop the practical Monarch butterfly migration curriculum, demonstrating how meta-synthesis insights translate into culturally responsive classroom implementation.

Data Sources, Evidence, Objects, or Materials
Data sources included 23 peer-reviewed articles on successful STEM interventions for Latinx students, previously identified through systematic literature review. Additional materials included the monarch butterfly migration phenomenon as an anchor for curriculum development, selected for its cultural significance to Latinx communities through connections to Día de los Muertos traditions and its rich potential for three-dimensional STEM learning aligned with NGSS.

Results and/or Substantiated Conclusions
The meta-synthesis revealed key characteristics of successful STEM interventions across van den Akker's ten curricular elements (e.g., Rationale, Aims and Objectives, Content), leading to the comprehensive La-STEM framework. Critical themes included identity-affirming practices, place-based learning, bilingual resources, collaborative research experiences, and community engagement. The monarch migration curriculum demonstrates practical implementation, showing how cultural phenomena can serve as powerful contexts for rigorous STEM learning while honoring students' heritage and knowledge systems.

Scientific or Scholarly Significance
This work addresses McComas and Burgin's (2020) critique of intuition-based STEM teaching by providing an evidence-based alternative grounded in systematic research synthesis. The La-STEM framework offers educators, curriculum developers, teacher-preparation programs, and policymakers’ concrete strategies for creating culturally responsive STEM experiences that can help address equity and representation issues. By demonstrating how the monarch migration phenomenon naturally integrates scientific content with cultural connections, this research provides a replicable model for developing culturally sustaining STEM curricula. The framework's systematic approach ensures that educators can leverage the full potential of culturally significant phenomena, potentially transforming how STEM education is delivered to Latinx students across diverse educational contexts.

Authors

• Maryam Saberi, University of Shiraz

• Noushin Nouri, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley