ERIC Number: EJ1451573
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 44
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1050-8406
EISSN: EISSN-1532-7809
"I Can Be the Weird STEM Kid Who Is Also Gay": Queer Rightful Presence in STEM Making
Colby Tofel-Grehl; Andrea M. Hawkman; David Frank Feldon; Mario I. Suárez; Beth M. MacDonald; Kristin Searle
Journal of the Learning Sciences, v33 n4-5 p799-842 2024
Background: STEM participation is often associated with the disenfranchisement of historically marginalized individuals. Disrupting these standing injustices to establish "rightful presence" with equitable opportunity, access, and cultural standing to shape and pursue STEM endeavors in ways that are inclusive of individuals' identities is a critical objective. However, research to understand and facilitate STEM experiences of queer youth what are also navigating their own relationships with gender- and heteronormativity is limited. Making--employing STEM to design artifacts in an informal learning environment--can disrupt conventional approaches to STEM activity in ways that support inclusive STEM engagement through crafting and personalized design. Method: This social design experiment examines the ways in which the design of maker activities and spaces can support queer rightful presence within STEM spaces. Findings: We found that maker communities can frame and collectively engage issues of identity formulation that are both dynamic and fluid in nature as part of bolstering STEM affinity. As participants' multifaceted identities unfolded through making projects that deliberately invited identity into design, they established rightful presence for intertwined queer and STEM identities. Contribution: This study extends the rightful presence framework to engage fluid, queer identities and illustrates making rightful presence practices that deliberately engage multifaceted identities.
Descriptors: STEM Education, LGBTQ People, Access to Education, Learning Activities, Educational Environment, Shared Resources and Services, Self Concept, Interpersonal Relationship, Social Bias, Summer Programs, Day Camp Programs, Preadolescents, Adolescents, Rural Areas
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Utah
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A