"Obligated to Serve Our World": STEM Majors' Perspectives on Teaching STEM for Social Justice

• In Event: STEM Education Supporting Diverse Communities and Contexts

Abstract

This study explores the extent to which and how STEM majors are energized and informed about STEM teaching, particularly the possibilities of teaching STEM for a more socially and environmentally just world, with the goal of informing STEM teacher education recruitment and programming. This presentation will report on findings from a mixed methods study at a Liberal Arts institution on the west coast of the U.S., examining STEM majors’ K-college STEM experiences and their reflections on those experiences. This research informs the development of a STEM teacher education pathway entitled STEM Teaching for Justice, Community, and Leadership at the research site institution and offers broader impacts for justice-oriented STEM teacher education recruitment and programming.

Authors

• Mary Candace Raygoza, Saint Mary's College of California

• Frank Vasgerdsian, Saint Mary's College of California

• Vidya Chandrasekaran, Saint Mary's College of California