Using Personal Relevance to Increase Underrepresented Students' Interest in STEM

• In Event: 64.050 - Full STEAM Ahead: Equitable Practices for Math and Science Educators

Abstract

Despite America becoming diverse, racial disparities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields persist. Further, teachers’ adherence to Common Core State Standards leave little opportunity to make learning material representative of student lives. To address this, we sought to increase middle school students’ interest and engagement in STEM by making characteristics of the engineering design process personally relevant. Through employing Critical Race Design, a design-based implementation research model, we facilitated development of personally-relevant engineering design challenges (EDCs) that incorporated students’ lived experiences. By iteratively designing our blended model that encouraged students to interact with STEM professionals and solve EDCs the STEM professionals helped create, we fostered student engagement in engineering and intent to pursue STEM careers.

Authors

• Adrian Wayne Bruce, Howard University

• Deena Khalil, Howard University