ERIC Number: EJ1047233
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Long-Term Participants: A Museum Program Enhances Girls' STEM Interest, Motivation, and Persistence
Adams, Jennifer D.; Gupta, Preeti; Cotumaccio, Alix
Afterschool Matters, n20 p13-20 Fall 2014
Out-of-school time (OST) science programs, such as the Lang Science Program, play an important role in influencing the trajectory of science learning for many young people. OST programs are especially important for students from groups underrepresented in science, who, more often than not, attend schools with inadequate science education resources. Programs like Lang Science have great potential for young women of color, who often have to grapple with both race- and gender-based barriers to STEM careers. Over the last ten years, OST science programs have multiplied to increase young people's exposure to science. However, there are still not enough opportunities for "long-term engagement," which is essential to move youth from having interest in science to having the skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy to pursue careers in science. This article describes findings from exploratory research conducted to document the experiences of a small group of young women of color who participated in a museum-based OST program during their middle and high school years. The authors were particularly interested in learning how their long-term participation in the Lang Science Program mediated their developing interests and identities as people who like science, understand science, want to do science, and can persevere in STEM majors and careers.
Descriptors: After School Programs, Science Education, STEM Education, Career Development, Females, Minority Group Students, Middle School Students, High School Students, Museums, Science Interests, Student Interests, Disproportionate Representation, Barriers, African American Students, Hispanic American Students, Curriculum, White Students, Asian American Students, Qualitative Research, Focus Groups, Identification (Psychology), Group Dynamics, College Bound Students
National Institute on Out-of-School Time. Wellesley Centers for Women, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. Tel: 781-283-2547; Fax: 781-283-3657; e-mail: niost@wellesley.edu; Web site: http://www.niost.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A