In this article, we describe a year-long superhero storytelling project we facilitated with youth in a midwestern middle school. In this project, students read "Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spiderman," designed superhero stories set in their community, and presented artistic representations of their stories to their families and peers. We…

Educational programs in which people are exposed to counter-stereotypical role models are often used for breaking gender stereotypes. Most gender role-model interventions focus on adolescents and emerging adults. Yet, middle childhood might be a highly effective period for changing gender stereotypes because children are still learning about…

Famous people can positively influence young people by serving as examples of how to be a good person, but very little is known about which famous people youth look up to and why they do so. We coded and analyzed open-response data from 596 adolescents (M[subscript age] = 14.09 years; 58.5% girls, 57.5% White) in the northeastern United States to…

This article examines the formations and tensions of Latinx teacher role model subject positions in spaces with relatively few Latinx teachers. To address the under theorization of space and Latinx teacher subjectivity, I insert a relational space frame to previous literature that critiques neoliberal attempts to place both the blame and solution…

Black teachers are critical resources for children and schools. In experimental data, I document large effects of Black upper-elementary teachers on the self-efficacy (0.9 SD) and classroom engagement (0.7 SD) of their Black but not non-Black students, potentially driven by role modeling. Black teachers also benefit the test scores (0.2 SD) and…

This longitudinal study assessed the career aspirations and ultimate careers of 28 academically talented American girls across three time periods: Time 1 (7th/8th grade), Time 2 (11th/12th grade), and Time 3 (current study, 21 years post-Time 1). Two decades after the initial study, these participants are all in their 30s, identify as female, and…

This paper focuses on data from a study of middle- to upper-middle class Scottish S2 ([approximately]seventh grade) students who participated in Inspiring Purpose, a school-based character development program, during the 2016 to 2017 school year. Directed by their teachers, participating youth reflected on values and future aspirations and…

Educational outcomes of female students are limited by persistent gender inequalities and the lack of non-patriarchal support structures in schools in Nepal. Role model theory suggests that female teachers provide a range of benefits for female students. We explored if the same-sex teacher as students has nexus with students' performance in…

The concept of a learner's identity in mathematics is complex and multifaceted. Based on a review of the relevant research, the authors believe most factors that influence one's mathematical identity fall within these four categories: (1) past mathematics experiences; (2) personal beliefs and efficacy; (3) future self-representation and belonging;…

The research aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to determine secondary school students' perceptions of role modeling. The survey design model, which is a quantitative research method, was used in the research. The study's sample comprised 500 students enrolled in three secondary schools in Turkey during the 2018 spring semester. Data for…

In cyber charter schools, middle-school students face many barriers to developing STEM identity. My theory of improvement was to address sense of belonging in a large virtual classroom to develop STEM identity in my students. By utilizing diverse STEM role models that reflected my students' racial or ethnic identities and an inquiry-based approach…

Background and Context: Both in- and out-of-school computer science (CS) learning opportunities are expanding, but their influences on CS career interests are unclear. Method: To investigate, we applied multinomial propensity score weighting analysis on a 2021 U.S. nationally representative sample of 4,116 5th-to-12th-grade students. Findings: The…

This mixed methods study evaluated the effectiveness and implementation quality of the "Virtual?STEM Role Model Connection," a technology enabled role model program designed to boost STEM motivation and academic achievement among underrepresented rural youth. Context and Participants.?From?2021?to?2024, the program linked middle and high…

Live video web-streaming via an electronic field trip (EFT) format can connect youth with scientists working in a variety of settings. Previous research indicated interactions with scientists can change children's perceptions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) careers. We conducted an arts-based study to examine an EFT's…

This short-term, longitudinal study examines evidence that the level of popularity among adolescents' peer role models exacerbates the emotional impact of mistreatment by peers. We recruited 469 adolescents (255 boys, 214 girls; [X-bar] age = 12.7 years) from an ethnically diverse middle school and followed these youth for a 1-year period. We…