CAREER: Fostering Early STEM Exploration with Gifted and High Ability Black Girls and Their Elementary Teachers through Culturally Relevant Experiential Learning Activities

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

There is limited scholarship on the experiences of gifted Black girls in STEM Education. Black girls are underrepresented by almost 40% in gifted programs, and under-referred for advanced course work, such as STEM-focused Advanced Placement and other courses. This proposed CAREER project fills a theoretical gap related to the intersections of race, gender, class, and cognitive ability in gifted, urban, and teacher education. The researcher will develop and study co-learning, community-engaged educational programs that center STEM education pipelines and pathways for gifted Black girls. The central aim of this proposed project is to bring about an actionable theory of change at the elementary level to foster a sense of belonging in STEM, early STEM exploration and development, and nurturing a STEM identity, through critical and culturally relevant experiential learning. The project will also develop curricular materials for gifted Black girls and their families (See Me in STEM) as well as professional development materials for teachers (Teachers as Talent Catalysts) as part of the educational integration plan. This CAREER award is funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) which seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. The researcher will provide 20 elementary teachers with professional learning based on relevant literature and the expressed needs of gifted Black girls in STEM using community and familial input. Teacher participants will be immersed in culturally relevant experiential STEM teaching processes to enhance their pedagogy. A mixed-methods research design will inform the development and implementation of two components of the project, the teacher development program, Teachers as Talent Catalysts, and the curriculum developed for use with 40 Black girls identified as gifted and their families, See Me in STEM. The intended research outcomes include: (1) increased understanding of the experiences of elementary-aged gifted Black girls with respect to STEM identity via experiential learning; (2) development of a theory that centers the voices, historical legacies, and interests of gifted Black girls, their community interests, and families as partners; (3) a co-developed model for partnership development that supports a shared vision for talent identification and development in elementary STEM for gifted Black girls; and (4) increased understanding of how the co-learning model and collaborative approach informs the STEM talent identification and development of gifted Black girls. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.