A workshop to showcase the diversity of scientists to middle school students.
Adv Physiol Educ
; 48(2): 186-192, 2024 Jun 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38234295
ABSTRACT
Identity matters in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because it can affect an individual's long-term sense of belonging, which may in turn affect their persistence in STEMM. Early K-12 science classes often teach students about the foundational discoveries of the field, which have been predominately made, or at least published, by White men. This homogeneity can leave underrepresented individuals in STEMM feeling isolated, and underrepresented K-12 students may feel as though they cannot enter STEMM fields. This study aimed to examine these feelings of inclusivity in STEMM through an interactive workshop that asked middle schoolers to identify scientists from images of individuals with various racial and gender identities. We found that a plurality of students had a positive experience discussing diversity in science and recognizing underrepresented individuals as scientists.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We observed positive sentiments from middle school students following a workshop that showcased diversity in science. This workshop uniquely encourages students to recognize that physiologists and scientists today are much more diverse than textbooks typically demonstrate and can be adapted for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Science
Type of study:
Qualitative_research
Limits:
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Adv Physiol Educ
Journal subject:
EDUCACAO
/
FISIOLOGIA
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States