Beyond Belonging: A Mixed Methods Interrogation of Belonging and Latina Futures in STEM.

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT031 (Saturday)

Abstract

Prescribing a one-size-fits-all definition of belonging erases its historical function as an assimilationist tool in U.S. schooling. This dissertation challenges dominant belonging frameworks by examining how Latinas in STEM experience and construct belonging in ways that resist historical legacies of exclusion. Using parallel convergent mixed methods, I bridge 1) quantitative analysis of HSLS:09 restricted data to identify national belonging trends among Latinas in relation to academic outcomes, with 2) Latina STEM doctoral students pláticas to theorize belonging with those who have “made it.” Grounded in critical feminist pedagogies, I offer a belonging framework that challenges dominant narratives. My findings inform STEM education policies and faculty mentorship practices, ultimately supporting more equitable pathways for women of color students.

Author

• Stephanie E. Hertel, University of California - Santa Cruz