ERIC Number: EJ1034049
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Dec
Pages: 37
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4308
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Desiring a Career in STEM-Related Fields: How Middle School Girls Articulate and Negotiate Identities-in-Practice in Science
Tan, Edna; Calabrese Barton, Angela; Kang, Hosun; O'Neill, Tara
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, v50 n10 p1143-1179 Dec 2013
The underrepresentation of non-White students and girls in STEM fields is an ongoing problem that is well documented. In K-12 science education, girls, and especially non-White girls, often do not identify with science regardless of test scores. In this study, we examine the narrated and embodied identities-in-practice of non-White, middle school girls who articulate future career goals in STEM-related fields. For these girls who desire an STEM-related career, we examine the relationships between their narrated and embodied identities-in-practice. Drawing on interview and ethnographic data in both school and after school science contexts, we examine how STEM-career minded middle school girls articulate and negotiate a path for themselves through their narratives and actions. We present four types of relationships between girls' narrated and embodied identities-in-practice, each with a representative case study: (1) partial overlaps, (2) significant overlaps, (3) contrasting, and (4) transformative. The implications of these relationships with regard to both hurdles and support structures that are needed to equip and empower girls in pursuit of their STEM trajectories are discussed.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Minority Groups, Females, Gender Differences, Disproportionate Representation, Middle School Students, Career Awareness, Correlation, Identification (Psychology), Interviews, Ethnography, Science Education, Barriers, Occupational Aspiration
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://www.wiley.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: HRD 0936692
Author Affiliations: N/A