Adapting Collaboration: Examining Adolescent Communication in Unstructured STEM Learning Environments

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Pathways to Purpose: Examining Youth Engagment in Informal Education Environments

Abstract

This study explores how adolescent students adapt their collaboration behaviors from a structured STEM-focused informal learning environment to a more unstructured, self-directed project. The study focuses on a pilot program where students participated in minimal scaffolded collaboration, creating a documentary video over an 8-week period. Using Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) to examine the students’ discourse, the study reveals how students employed social tools such as Playful Banter to manage frustration, seek and give help, and build group cohesion. The analysis highlights the evolving dynamics of student communication and collaboration in informal settings, demonstrating how adolescents balance social behaviors and task progression. These findings have important implications for designing future informal STEM programs that foster autonomy and effective group collaboration.

Authors

• Danielle Pascual Espino, Pepperdine University

• Julia Savoca Gibson, American University

• Nastassia N. Jones, Southern University - Baton Rouge

• Anna Wilson, Southern University - Baton Rouge

• Seung B. Lee, Pepperdine University

• Eric R. Hamilton, Pepperdine University