STEM Decisions in Context: Identity and Meaning Making among Rural Black Undergraduate Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Rural Students Reimagined: Identity, Belonging, and Access in Higher Education

Abstract

This study explores how rural Black undergraduate students make meaning of their identities and contexts when pursuing STEM careers. Using the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory, we conducted semi-structured interviews with four participants to understand their perceptions of both positive and negative influences on their career choices. The findings suggest that some factors, like personal drive, are consistently seen as positive while other influences, such as hometown, are interpreted differently based on how students see themselves in relation to their communities, values, and goals. We suggest that student support should acknowledge these intersectional identities to be more effective, moving beyond simple asset-or-barrier categorizations. This approach is critical for designing equity-focused interventions that affirm identity and promote STEM persistence.

Authors

• Shannon Clark, University of Georgia

• Michael M. Barger, University of Georgia

• Emily Quinn Rosenzweig, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Paula P. Lemons, University of Georgia