About this paper symposium

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Panel information
Panel 8. Education, Schooling

Paper #1
Fostering Young Children’s Belonging and Scientific Reasoning: Conversations about Science within Informal STEM Spaces
Author information	Role
Sydney Alexis Revell, Duke University, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, United States	Presenting author
Jessa Stegall, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Maria Brown, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Carly Blank, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Mercedes Muñoz, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Dena Silver, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Janvi Kavathia, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Charli Cordoves, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
LaNaiah Frieson, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Peregrine Bratschi, Museum of Life and Science, United States	Non-presenting author
Sarah Gaither, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Tamar Kushnir, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Informal learning spaces have a mission to serve as environments for children to develop scientific reasoning skills (Museum of Life and Science, n.d.). However, research shows that children face social and racial inequities surrounding their STEM identity, lowering both their motivation and belonging in science spaces (Bian et al., 2017; Lei et al., 2018; Rhodes et al., 2020). These disparities are related to the amount of science capital an individual has (or lacks), a term used to signify science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences, and resources (Archer, 2014). We designed a program to facilitate science conversations about exhibits in the museum. We hypothesized that our program would foster scientific reasoning, a sense of belonging, and increased interest in STEM, regardless of a child's background. Four- to 9-year-old children participated (N = 103, Mage = 6.51, SD = 1.60; 50 girls, 52 boys, 1 not reported; 49% identified as White, 19% as Bi- or Multi-Racial, 13% as Black or African American, 7% as Asian, 6% as Latine, 4% as Other, and 2% did not report their race). Children read a storybook with an experimenter that featured three museum exhibits. The experimenter introduced three scientific facts (e.g., “Butterflies…are covered in tiny scales”) and asked three inquiry-based questions (e.g., “What sorts of jobs do you think the ants have?”). After the story, children’s sense of belonging and identity in STEM spaces was assessed using science interest (“How much do you want to be a scientist/do science?”) and efficacy (“How good are you at being a scientist/doing science questions, rated on a 3-point scale from “not at all” to “a lot” (Lei et al, 2018). Science capital scores were calculated for each child using self-reported SES, race, gender, and museum frequency information (M = 3.97 out of 6; SD = 1.50, range = 0 - 6).Children on average had high interest and efficacy in science after reading the storybook (identity-based interest = 1.36/3, SD = 0.69; efficacy = 2.36/3, SD = 0.64; action-based interest = 1.52/3, SD = 0.67; efficacy = 1.55/3. SD = 0.61). Interest and efficacy did not vary by science capital score (all r’s ns). A subset of the conversations (4- to 9-year-old children, N = 44, Mage = 6.63, SD = 1.59; 25 girls and 19 boys; 57% identified as White,18% as Bi- or Multi-Racial, 9% as Black or African American, 9% as Asian, and 7% as Other) were coded for the presence of scientific reasoning: operationalized as children engaging with the material by asking scientific questions, providing explanations, and making personal connections with the storybook. Children from both low and high science capital backgrounds engaged in scientific reasoning a comparably equal amount (high science capital = 25.1% of utterances, low science capital = 22.4% of utterances). We found that authentically engaging with children in informal science settings leads to engagement in high-quality STEM interactions for all children. This study provides valuable information about how to engage children in informal settings without recreating STEM disparities.

Paper #2
Leveraging Participatory Science Activities and Awe to Foster Science Identity and Belonging
Author information	Role
Kelly Lynn S. Mulvey, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, Department of Psychology, United States	Presenting author
Ashley Deutsch, North Carolina State University, United States	Non-presenting author
Caren Cooper, North Carolina State University, United States	Non-presenting author
Adam Hartstone-Rose, North Carolina State University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Eclipses are rare and magnificent occurrences, and experiencing an eclipse has been linked to use of awe-related words in social media posts (Goldy et al., 2022). Experiences of awe have been linked to increases in science interest (McPhetres, 2019), learning (Cuzzolino, 2021) and thinking (Gottlieb et al., 2018). There is a persistent need for a society engaged with science to fill the growing demand for STEM workers (Lazio & Ford, 2019) and one potential way to address this need is through fostering science identity, belonging and feelings of awe. Further, in this study, we centered on participatory science approaches, which involve engaging the diverse, local public in collecting authentic scientific data (Lin Hunter et al., 2023). The aim of these studies was to examine how engaging in participatory science projects around a total solar eclipse can foster both feelings of awe, as well as increases in science identity and belonging. We expected that participants who observed and collected data on the path of totality would report more awe than those who observed and collected data, but only saw a partial eclipse. We expected that participants would report increases in science identity and belonging following the eclipse, and that these increases might be driven by awe. Participants (N = 350, Ages: 8 – 80 years of age) included 243 males and 102 females, with 67% White/European Americans, 7.6% Latino/Hispanic, 6.6% Asian/Asian American, 2.9% Black/African American, 6.3% Multiracial, and the remainder indicating other races or preferring not to indicate their race. Participants completed retrospective pre-test and post-test measures of Science Identity, (1-5 scale; Skinner et al., 2017), Belonging (1-10 scale; Mulvey et al., 2022), and Awe (1-7 scale; Yaden et al., 2019). Participants reported significant increases in science belonging (Mpre = 7.72, Mpost = 8.20, F(1, 293)=15.134, p<.001, Eta =.049) and identity (Mpre = 4.01, Mpost = 4.11, F(1, 290)=10.802, p<.001, Eta =.036) in a retrospective pre-post test survey. Female participants (B = -.428, p = .008) and participants who observed the total eclipse reported experiencing more awe than did male participants and those who only observed a partial eclipse (B = .433, p = .014). Moreover, changes in identity and belonging were associated with experiences of awe, see Table 1. Finally, with age, participants reported lower increases in science belonging, see Table 1. Findings suggest that engaging in participatory science research during an eclipse was associated with an increase in science identity and belonging, regardless of if they observed a partial or total eclipse. Further, participants who observed a total eclipse reported greater awe than those who experienced a partial eclipse and reports of awe were associated with increases in identity and belonging. Moreover, while growth in science identity was not associated with age, growth in science belonging was lower with age, suggesting that belonging may be more malleable earlier in development. The findings will be discussed in relation to leveraging participatory science and experiences of awe to foster science identity and belonging.

Paper #3
Brilliance in STEM: Early Associations and Their Impact on STEM Motivation
Author information	Role
Lin Bian, Ph.D., University of Chicago, Department of Psychology, United States	Presenting author
Molly Tallberg, University of Chicago, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Common rhetoric suggests that women are generally underrepresented in the STEM domain, yet in reality the gender gap is more pronounced in some STEM fields (e.g., computer science) than others (e.g., biology). A potential contributor to this variation is the extent to which the field is believed to require brilliance for success (Leslie, Cimpian et al., 2015). The present work took a developmental approach to investigate early associations between academic fields and brilliance, and the consequences of these beliefs on children’s motivation. In Study 1, five- to ten-year-olds (N = 144) heard a story about a “really smart” person, and guessed if the person worked in each of four fields: computer science, biology, psychology and music composition. With age, children became significantly more likely to believe the “really smart” person was a computer scientist (B = 0.36, p = .007), but less likely to think this person was a biologist (B = -0.18, p = .090), psychologist (B = -0.21, p = .049), or music composer (B = -0.50, p = .002; Figure 1 left). Children differentiated between computer science and biology in terms of their associations with brilliance at age 6.4. Study 2 replicated these findings (N = 144) with a richer set of measures, focusing on the two STEM fields—biology and computer science. Task 1 was a replication of the story measure used in Study 1. Task 2 asked participants to evaluate statements reflecting beliefs about each field from an alien character (e.g., “To work in computer science, you have to be really, really smart”). In Task 3, participants selected a word among three options that they thought would be most important to do well in each field. Responses to these three tasks were standardized and averaged to create a composite score for each field. Replicating Study 1, children with age reported a greater association of brilliance with computer science (B = 0.11, p < .001), but not biology (B = 0.02, p = .48; Figure 1 right). Study 3 examined how brilliance beliefs influence children’s motivation. We introduced children (N = 64) ages 7-8 to two novel STEM fields: Sarnology and Tulvology. Each field was paired with messages emphasizing either brilliance or friendliness is a prerequisite for success. Children answered 3 questions about each field assessing their motivation. Responses were averaged to create two separate motivation scores for each child, one for each field. We found that girls were significantly less motivated to pursue a field described as requiring brilliance (M = 4.47, SD = 1.31) than friendliness (M = 4.94, SD = 1.06), t(31) = -2.5, p = .018, while boys showed no difference in motivation between the two fields (Friendliness: M = 4.92, SD = 1.00; Brilliance: M = 4.89, SD = 1.21), t(31) = -0.11, p = .91 (Figure 2). Overall, children develop distinct associations between brilliance and STEM fields from a young age, which may be a mechanism perpetuating women’s underrepresentation in certain disciplines such as computer science.

Paper #4
Empowering STEM Identities: Exploring Mother-Daughter Dynamics Through Culturally Responsive Mentorship and Counterspaces
Author information	Role
Whitney Nicole McCoy, Ph.D., Duke University, Center for Child and Family Policy, United States	Presenting author
Reagan Razon, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Shaundra B. Daily, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Alia Carter, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Sandra Roach, Duke University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Black girls in STEM education often face structural barriers that hinder their access to opportunities, influencing their participation, sense of belonging, and long-term engagement in STEM fields (Burnett et al., 2023). These challenges continue into adulthood, shaping their professional trajectories and self-perceptions in STEM. While much research has examined the individual factors contributing to the underrepresentation of Black girls in STEM, this study shifts the focus to the influence of Black mothers on their daughters' developing STEM identities. This research highlights The InventHers Institute, a program created by the first author, which employs a multi-layered mentoring model designed to support mother-daughter dyads in cultivating STEM identities. The program focuses on fostering culturally relevant, equity-driven STEM learning experiences. The participants engage in hands-on engineering activities guided by equity ethic (McGee & Bentley, 2017) and STEM counterspaces (King & Pringle, 2019), which offer empowering environments for Black girls to explore their STEM potential. By emphasizing the importance of STEM counterspaces (Ong et al., 2018) in nurturing positive STEM identities, the program provides dynamic mentorship opportunities for undergraduate students and faculty members. Through these interactions, mothers and daughters are exposed to diverse STEM pathways and ongoing mentorship, creating a robust support system. The theoretical framework of this study is grounded in Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005), which emphasizes the wealth of knowledge and resources that marginalized groups bring to academic spaces. Focus groups (Author, 2024) were conducted with the mother-daughter dyads to explore the participants' STEM identities, perceptions of STEM, and experiences with the program. A comprehensive codebook was developed to analyze the data, with codes such as "breaking the cycle," "confidence," and "safety" emerging as dominant themes. Preliminary findings reveal that The InventHers Institute has had a profound impact on both the mothers and daughters involved. Mothers reported increased confidence in their STEM capabilities and expressed a strong desire to break the cycle of exclusion in STEM fields for their daughters. One mother stated, “This program helped me realize that as a Black woman, I am powerful, I am strong, and I can excel in STEM, and it helped my daughter see the same in herself." The daughters also expressed a greater sense of belonging in STEM, attributing their growth to the culturally responsive and supportive environment of the program. One participant emphasized the importance of representation, saying, “Seeing faces that look like mine in STEM makes me feel like I belong." Additionally, the study underscores the transformative role of resistant and navigational capital in challenging structural barriers. As one mother reflected, "I want my daughter to know that it’s okay to create and innovate, no matter what others may say." By creating STEM counterspaces and fostering multi-layered mentorship, The InventHers Institute significantly enhances the STEM identities, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy of Black girls and their mothers. This study provides valuable insights into the importance of family dynamics and culturally responsive programs in shaping STEM trajectories for Black girls. Future research should continue exploring these dynamics and their long-term effects on STEM engagement.

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