Why Continuity of STEM-M Participation Matters: Exploring a Culture of Transformation and the Optimization of College Socialization Among Urban City High School Youth of Color

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Perspectives on STEM Classrooms: Understanding Underrepresentation and Push-Out

Abstract

This study explores the qualities and processes of an out-of-school, extramural program in STEM-Medicine that fosters an environment composed of college socialization for high school students, which we term a ‘culture of transformation.’ Drawing on theory of validation (Rendón, 1994), we argue that students with marginalized identities with respect to race, gender, and class are beneficiaries of a cultivated culture of transformation, which signals important interventions for historical forms of social inequities in STEM-M and society writ large. Using a multi-year study (2016-2019), we examined 72 interviews and conducted in-depth qualitative analysis with six cohorts of students (N=37). We found that participants leverage their engagement with 1) equitable resources, 2) relevant opportunities, 3) diverse knowledge, and 4) meaningful relationships.

Authors

• Janet Rocha, Northwestern University

• Brian Cabral, Stanford University

• Judith Landeros, The University of Texas at Austin