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Education Sciences
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STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges...
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STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges and Future Opportunities

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 8828

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kimberley Gomez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Interests: equity-centered STEM teaching and learning; STEM research-practice partnerships; STEM curricular design; K-14 organizational contexts for STEM teaching and learning; technology adoption and adaptation in K-12 contexts
Prof. Dr. Louis M. Gomez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Interests: collaborative research and development focused on high-leverage problems associated with the day-to-day work of teaching and learning in educational institutions; urban education practice; the uses of classroom technology to promote learning; and support community formation; networked-based improvement science in education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are seeking contributions to a Special Issue on STEM, as a means to, and scaffolding for, fairness and justice in K-12 schooling. The specific theme is the manner in which equity can be accomplished through STEM in schooling enterprises across the world. Equity is realized and contested differently because of history, local and national politics, and social contexts. How does STEM innovation and intervention enter this swirl of variation to meet the intellectual and social needs of those who have, far too often, been un-and-underrepresented, or programmatically unidentified or excluded in K-12 schooling? This Special Issue embraces the fact that variation is the true normative in our world.

The Special Issue, therefore, seeks global perspectives on how justice and fairness might be buttressed through STEM. As a practical matter, globally, STEM is being used as a vehicle for educational and economic improvement. STEM, therefore is occupying more of the daily agenda of schooling. What, if anything, does this use of STEM mean for justice and fairness? We invite manuscripts that explore the intersection of STEM and justice, for example, by asking “Do STEM innovations offer the opportunity to gain new insights into historical oppression of minoritized peoples, exclusion because of immigration status, and the lost rights of original peoples?” The aim of this special issue is to illuminate potential positives and challenging connections between STEM and justice. Pragmatically, we seek papers that explore the potential of STEM innovations to become a vehicle for responding to overarching issues of fairness and justice. All submissions should represent approaches in which STEM equity is at the ideological, pragmatic, and practical center.

Potential topics may include:

  • The role of social partnerships in promoting equitable opportunities in K-12 STEM teaching and learning.
  • The role of STEM in promoting diversity and inclusion.
  • The role of current STEM practices/policies in empowering or marginalizing learners to select post-secondary STEM educational pathways.
  • The role of STEM teaching and learning in making the consequences of a history of oppression more visible.
  • The innovations and designs that accelerate immigrants and newcomers into productive STEM engagement.
  • Design and implementation techniques that keep diverse perspectives, languages, and experiences in view, while allowing students to explore rigorous curricular agenda in STEM.

Prof. Dr. Kimberley Gomez
Prof. Dr. Louis M. Gomez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • STEM and justice
  • implementation in STEM
  • STEM community partnerships
  • K-12 STEM teaching and learning
  • equity in STEM innovations

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 1101 KiB  
Article
Curriculum Redesign to Increase Equity and Promote Active Citizenship in Science Education
by Eleni A. Kyza and Yiannis Georgiou
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030319 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1065
Abstract
Inequities are still present in the science classroom, often related to neglecting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, insufficient attention to students’ interests, and unequal access to resources. This study examined the potential of a curriculum redesign strategy using the Socio-Scientific Inquiry-Based [...] Read more.
Inequities are still present in the science classroom, often related to neglecting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, insufficient attention to students’ interests, and unequal access to resources. This study examined the potential of a curriculum redesign strategy using the Socio-Scientific Inquiry-Based Inquiry Learning (SSIBL) pedagogical framework, for increasing students’ equitable participation in secondary school science classrooms, with a focus on girls’ equitable participation. Twelve chemistry education teachers and 294 students participated in this study. Using a mixed-methods experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group setup, students were assigned to the SSIBL group (n = 161) or to the Business-As-Usual (BAU) group (n = 133). Quantitative data from the classroom implementations of the redesigned SSIBL and BAU curricula and qualitative data from the teachers’ collaborative redesign meetings were collected and analyzed. The findings indicate that the curriculum redesign with an explicit equity-oriented focus was more effective than the BAU approach: the SSIBL curricula were more beneficial for girls, both in terms of scientific literacy and learning motivation. The findings of this study highlight the significance of the intentional design of learning environments to foster meaningful and equitable participation in students’ science learning as well as for teachers’ professional learning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges and Future Opportunities)
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18 pages, 1443 KiB  
Article
The Role of Language and Literacy Skills in Science Learning from Kindergarten to 5th Grade: Mitigating Gender, Racial/Ethnic, and Socio-Economic Disparities
by Wonkyung Jang, Kyong-Ah Kwon and Diane Horm
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090994 - 10 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1473
Abstract
Despite the acknowledged impact of early science achievement on future success, there is a noticeable gap in research focused on understanding the dynamic longitudinal patterns of children attaining science learning milestones in their early years, as well as few investigations of potential factors [...] Read more.
Despite the acknowledged impact of early science achievement on future success, there is a noticeable gap in research focused on understanding the dynamic longitudinal patterns of children attaining science learning milestones in their early years, as well as few investigations of potential factors that may mitigate gender, racial/ethnic, and socio-economic disparities. This study analyzed nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Cohort 2011 (ECLS-K: 2011), involving 18,174 children from 1328 schools across the United States, selected through a multistage probability sampling process and spanning kindergarten through 5th grade. Using survival analysis with the dependent variable as the time required to attain a specific milestone, the study revealed that boys, non-Black, non-Hispanic, and high-income children reached the science learning threshold earlier than their counterparts—girls, Black, Hispanic, and low-income children. Furthermore, the study underscored the crucial role of language and literacy skills in mitigating these disparities. The study’s implications stress the importance of targeted interventions to address early science education disparities, emphasizing professional development and integrating language and literacy with science learning. The research also enriches the global discourse on educational standards by introducing innovative methodologies to assess both the frequency and duration of science learning milestones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges and Future Opportunities)
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22 pages, 272 KiB  
Article
Designing for Critical Science Agency in a Community-Based Science Curriculum
by Symone A. Gyles
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080883 - 13 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1472
Abstract
Much of the literature that examines critical science agency (CSA) focuses on how students enact their CSA to support knowledge construction and agentic action. Few studies, however, address how science curricula can be specifically designed to support students in exercising their CSA. In [...] Read more.
Much of the literature that examines critical science agency (CSA) focuses on how students enact their CSA to support knowledge construction and agentic action. Few studies, however, address how science curricula can be specifically designed to support students in exercising their CSA. In this study, I examine features of a community-based science (CBS) curricular design that engages students in justice-oriented science learning to advance their CSA. More specifically, I analyze the design and structure of an environmental science elective course to investigate features of CBS curricular design that support students in exercising their CSA, including: (1) leveraging learning goals to create community change, (2) developing students’ toolkits, (3) cultivating spaces for advocacy and critical hope, and (4) critical and ongoing reflection. The findings suggest that science curriculum can be purposefully designed to assist students in exercising their CSA through generative learning experiences that empower them as community change agents. As we move toward more equity and justice-centered science learning, I recommend that future science curricula take community-based science approaches to design, structuring learning around students’ CSA by attending to how formal science learning can be used as an avenue to support community change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges and Future Opportunities)
17 pages, 1508 KiB  
Article
Centering Educators’ Voices in the Development of Professional Learning for Data-Rich, Place-Based Science Instruction
by Nicole Wong, Rasha Elsayed, Katy Nilsen, Leticia R. Perez and Kirsten R. Daehler
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040356 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1941
Abstract
This self-reflective case study describes our project team’s efforts to promote equity in science professional learning (PL) by centering the voices of educators in the PL design process and within the course itself. We believe that educators’ experiences, priorities, and expertise are essential [...] Read more.
This self-reflective case study describes our project team’s efforts to promote equity in science professional learning (PL) by centering the voices of educators in the PL design process and within the course itself. We believe that educators’ experiences, priorities, and expertise are essential to developing professional learning that meets the needs of teachers and their students. We have a particular interest in amplifying the voices of those in historically underrepresented communities. Toward that end, we engaged science educators who work with Indigenous students and recent immigrants as collaborators in developing PL to support data-rich, place-based Earth Science instruction. In this case study, we share and critique the practices and tools that we have employed to center educator voices, rather than those of the PL designers and researchers. Our strategies for developing more equitable science professional learning include the use of: (a) equity-focused research methods, such as asset-based needs-sensing questions and peer-to-peer interviews; (b) a humanistic stance toward data-rich science learning, which emphasizes the typically unnamed sociocultural inputs and outputs that permeate all aspects of data; (c) a participatory design process that centers educators’ voices; and (d) a model of professional learning that uses representations of educator and student experiences as objects for reflection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges and Future Opportunities)
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Review

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16 pages, 263 KiB  
Review
Of Microscopes and Meeting Places: A Literature Review Examining Barriers to Indigenous Participation in STEM
by Madeline Bollinger and Brian M. McSkimming
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020145 - 31 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1587
Abstract
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) was once not seen as a place for everyone. In fact, a powerful majority of people believed that individuals had to have predetermined characteristics that made them able to bear such vast and liberating knowledge. Centuries later, [...] Read more.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) was once not seen as a place for everyone. In fact, a powerful majority of people believed that individuals had to have predetermined characteristics that made them able to bear such vast and liberating knowledge. Centuries later, concentrated efforts are still needed to reverse the damage that the prevalence of such an ideology caused. When one considers the exclusion of individuals from a particular field, they may only see one side of the story; they may think that the only factor stopping the out-group from participating is the in-group trying to keep them out. The bigger picture tells the story of the consequences of enduring exclusion of the out-group, even well after explicit exclusionary tactics cease to exist. The awareness and study of this phenomenon in regard to several groups of historically excluded people have expanded in the modern era, helping to reduce its lasting effects. Some groups continue to participate in STEM at a much lower rate than their peers. Native Americans are a particularly interesting example of this. This review will explore some of the various reasons posed for the way and rate at which Native Americans are involved in STEM education and will attempt to determine the prevalence of each explanation and their interactions with each other. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education as a Pathway to Achieve Equity: Underlying Challenges and Future Opportunities)
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