A Portraiture Approach to Identifying and Supporting the Equitable Construction of Secondary Student STEM Identities

• In Event: Reimagining Equity in Science Education

Abstract

The learning cultures students experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classrooms establish and sustain conditions for students to develop conceptions about who can do STEM and who belongs in STEM communities. This study investigates how student’s construction of positive identities in STEM high school learning environments might further inform research into supporting STEM educators in creating equitable learning cultures. Portraiture methodology is used to explore what students understand as their STEM identity and the forces, factors and conditions that contribute to forming, maintaining, and also challenging what they think it means to be a STEM person. Portraits can support STEM educators in learning to identify, recognize and support a diversity of STEM identities.

Authors

• Elizabeth Saville, University of British Columbia Okanagan

• Sabre Lynn Cherkowski, University of British Columbia