From Discovery to I dentity: Exploring w ays to Engage all youth - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

From Discovery to I dentity: Exploring w ays to Engage all youth in Science

Midwest Regional Noyce Meeting Omaha Oct. 30, 2015

BioHuman SEPA team

Julia McQuillan, Patricia Wonch Hill, Amy Spiegel, Judy Diamond

A collaboration of the

University of Nebraska State Museum Judy Diamond, Ph.D. Nebraska Center for Virology Charles Wood, Ph.D. Department of Sociology at University

• f Nebraska – Lincoln

Julia McQuillan, Ph.D.

Funded by NIH Science Partnership Award (SEPA)

More inform ation

http://www.biohuman.unl.edu

W ho am I ?

Sociology

• the study of society
• a social science involving the study of the social

lives of people, groups, and societies

• the study of our behavior as social beings,

http://www.asanet.org/about/sociology.cfm

W hy m ight S.T.E.M. teachers w ant to learn about Social Science Research?

Responses from teachers who did a summer professional development workshop that combined social science and biology research

Sum m er 2 0 1 5 Professional Developm ent

“I really liked the way we really thought about how students feel about science based on media and social pressures. Also, how you see yourself as a scientist really determines how well your going to do in science type classes.”

Sum m er 2 0 1 5 Professional Developm ent

It has made me much more cognizant of how I can positively impact student's perception of both science and how they identify with the role. Though I have learned about this before, this was more in depth and I saw more sources for this negative view. I feel this is [over-arching] should always be part of the classroom and always have intentional plans to combat it. …..made me more aware of needing to purposefully enhance

• r help develop students' science identity in the classroom.

I am now more aware of certain things that I say in the

• classroom. For instance, not being gender biased.

Sum m er 2 0 1 5 Professional Developm ent

“VERY possible for a science teacher to not learn about the process of research to become a 'scientist'. I think this is HUGE when helping students understand what it might be like and imagine it as something they might be interested in. …. ….

It is also important to understand how …. science as a study is truly conducted. Students should know about the network of worldwide research in helping to answer a question. It is a beautiful thing and a mystery to most people what it might really look like:) “

Sum m er 2 0 1 5 Professional Developm ent

“Just making kids aware of the false limitations* imposed on them will be a positive take away from this. “ *referring to false gender and race/ethnicity limitations

W ho becom es a Science kind of Person?

We assume that becoming a science kind of person is the result of social interaction (a social product) and social structures (i.e. strata…gender, race/ethnicity, social class). More “scientist in the crib” than Lawrence Summers

3 Useful Sociological Concepts

• Social Structure & Social Location
• Schema
• Identity

Social STRUCTURE

“the recurrent patterning of social life” (Sewell 2005 in

Johnson-Hanks et al 2011:2)

Stratification Gender Boys Girls Race/Ethnicity White Black/Hispanic/Asian/ Other Social Class Higher Education Lower Education Intersections ?Order for Science? White boys higher Ed White boys with lower ed White girls higher ed White girls lower ed Minority boys higher Ed Minority girls higher Ed

Schem as: structure in our brains

“schematic components of structure are the largely underdetermined, and often taken- for-granted, ways of perceiving and acting through which we make sense of the world and motivate our actions.” (Johnson-Hanks et al 2011:3)

18

I m plicit Schem as:

Even the m ost w ell-intentioned person unw illingly allow s unconscious thoughts & feelings to influence apparently objective decisions. ~ M. Banaji w w w .im plicit .harvard .edu

I m plicit Bias

“…attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. “ “These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control.”

Staats, C., & Patton, C. (2013). State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review 2013. Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/wp- content/uploads/2014/03/2014-implicit-bias.pdf

Cognitive Process

• Short-cuts/cognitive

misers -- economize information

• Social Categorization
• In-Group Preference
• Stereotyping
• Attribution Bias

SOCI AL CATEGORI ZATI ON

• Two “master status” categories:

– race – gender

I n-Group Preference

– Whom we’ve been culturally taught to consider as in-group – Socialization – Continued exposure to media

I n-Group Preference

…results in distorted perceptions and bias…leads to unconscious discrimination

Orchestra Auditions

Female musicians in the top five symphony

• rchestras in the United States were less than 5% of

all players in 1970 but are 25% today. Using data from actual auditions researchers find that having blind auditions (behind a screen) increases by 50% the probability a woman will be advanced out of certain preliminary rounds.

Goldin, C., & Rouse, C. (1997). Orchestrating impartiality: The impact of" blind" auditions on female musicians (No. w5903). National bureau of economic research. http://public.econ.duke.edu/~hf14/teaching/povertydisc/readings/goldin-rouse99.pdf

Science Jobs

Women applicants were offered lower starting salaries, and were less likely to be hired than men applicants, this was true regardless of the gender of the Scientist (both males and females had biases against women.

Moss-Racusin, C. A., Dovidio, J. F., Brescoll, V. L., Graham, M. J., & Handelsman, J. (2012). Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(41), 16474-16479. http://www.pnas.org/content/109/41/16474.full.pdf+htm

How do you know if a youth is a “science kind of person”?

WHAT:

• Actions
• Characteristics
• indicators
• tell you “this is a science kind of person”
• Try to list some items that DO and DO NOT use

the word “science”

Why we decided to study Science Identity

Prior Research: Com ics vs. Essays

9th and 10th graders (N = 800); Randomly assigned: Comic or Essay about a virus Matter for engagement? For Knowledge? (Spiegel, et al., 2013)

Findings

• 4 levels of science identity
• Want to read more?

COMICS > ESSAYS

• The difference was

significantly higher among those with the lowest science identity

• There were no differences in

content knowledge about viruses COMICS = ESSAYS

Spiegel, A.N., McQuillan, J., Halpin, P., Matuk, C., & Diam ond, J. 2 0 1 3 . Engaging teenagers w ith science through com ics. Research in Science Education, 4 3 ( 6 ) , 2 3 0 9 -2 3 2 6 . Doi: 1 0 .1 0 0 7 / 2 1 1 1 6 5 -0 1 3 -9 3 5 8 -x.

Prior research raised new questions

• Why do some youth have higher science identities

than other youth?

• Is high science identity simply a reflection of high

discovery orientation (i.e. science propensity) or are there social processes that influence self labeling as a science kind of person?

• How important are other’s views (parents, teachers,

general others) for youth identification with science?

Science I dentity Should Matter & can change

• Youth with higher science identities

are more engaged with science and more likely to persist in STEM careers (May & Chubin, 2003; Carlone & Johson, 2007;

Chemers, et al., 2011; Spiegel, et al., 2013).

• Friendships (i.e. social networks)

play a powerful role in identity development and behaviors

(Crosnoe, 2011; Cheadle & Schwadel, 2012).

Social I dentities/ Social Structures

• Science identities might be particularly

difficult to maintain if they conflict with other more salient identities (race or gender).

• The implicit associations attached to science

kind of person (e.g. white, male), social interactions (e.g. significant others and peers treating one or labeling one as a science kind

• f person or not).

“I dentity as em bodim ent of Structure”

“Structure shapes people in profound ways….habits, hopes, and views of the self…social structure is reflected in identity” “identity…the psychological structure or system that organizes diverse schemas about the self and its relations to others”

“ego-identity, or the basic continuity of the self (Erickson, 1959); Personal identity, the characteristics and behavioral repertoires that differentiate the self form others (Cote & Levine, 2002): Social identity, the roles and self-categorizations that position the self in social space (Howard, 2000)”

Johnson-Hanks 2011:14)

Looking Glass Self

Can anyone be a science kind

• f person?

?

Draw a Scientist

Doing Science or being a Scientist?

• Who can BE a scientist?.

Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B., & Wong, B. (2010). “Doing” science versus “being” a scientist: Examining 10/11‐year‐old schoolchildren's constructions of science through the lens of

• identity. Science Education, 94(4), 617-639.

Maybe som e groups/ youth just don’t like science?

• Summers (2005)
• Leslie (2014) – Scientist in Crib
• How can we know?

– Measure “science propensity” without the word “science” to avoid the schema trigger DISCOVERY ORIENTATION

The Scientist in the Crib

All humans have – curiosity, – a capacity to learn about the world through trial and error – a tendency to develop theories about how the world works Children have sophisticated methods that can be compared with those used by scientists (Gopnik, Meltzoff, & Kuhl, 1999). Everyone is born a scientist versus Special people are born with “genius” abilities to excel in particular science fields (e.g. Phsyics) (Leslie

et al., 2015).

Discovery Orientation

• Our term for science propensity
• Builds on the scientist in the crib
• Operationalizes “scientist in the crib” – without

using the term “science” in the survey questions

• Provides a way to distinguish between the label

“scientist” (a term that has implicit race/ethnicity and gender associations) and the activities that are associated with doing science

Discovery Orientation

http://themodpodgebookshelf.blogspot.com/2012/04/illustration-reveal-lila.html

After school Alliance – Key Com ponents to Science I dentity

• “I like it” –Enjoyment
• “I’m good at it” – Self Efficacy
• “It’s Important” –Relevance

Afterschool Alliance (2013) Defining STEM Outcomes in Afterschool Learning. Available at http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/stem_outcomes_2013.pdf

Self-Verification

• Self-identifying as a science kind of person, or claiming to be a

“science kind of person” occurs in interaction with others and is informed by images of scientists in popular cultures, text books, and news media (Newton and Newton, 2008).

• Science identity should depend on not only one’s own actions, but

also by how those actions are recognized and acknowledged by

• thers.
• Implicit Biases/
• Stereotype Threat
• status expectations

Questions w e explore:

• Do “Science Identities” exist in Middle Schools?
• Do science identities differ by race and gender? If so,

how?

• Does Discovery Orientation by race and gender?
• Are associations of race, gender and discovery
• rientation with Science identify mediated by

Enjoyment, Competence, Parent, Teacher, or other perceptions of one as a science kind of person?

The Context

A Title I Middle School in a Midsized Midwestern City Wave I Survey – N=441 participants 6th, 7th and 8th graders in a Science Classroom 63% Minority Students

W hat is Science?

Statements from middle-school youth:

“science is everything” “discovering untold and unseen things that the world and universe has to

• ffer”

“finding logical answers to amazing things” “Electricity and magnetism” “how to help the world” “proving yourself wrong and finding new ways to think about problems” “animals, oceans, rivers, mountains, body parts, the universe” “how the earth was created and earthquakes and asteroids”

Try a short version of the survey

Discovery Orientation (@ .59)

• 1. How much do you like taking things apart to learn

more about them?

• 2. How much do you like learning about new

discoveries?

• 3. How curious are you about the world?
• 4. How much do you like learning about how the

human body works?

• 5. How much do you like exploring nature?

Science Enjoyment/Competence

Science Enjoyment ‘I like it’ @.72

• 1. How much do you like science?
• 2. How boring are science classes for you?
• 2. How much would you like to join a new after

school science club? Science Self-Efficacy ‘I’m good at it’ @ .77

• 1. How good are you at science?
• 2. How well do you usually do in science classes?
• 3. What grades do you usually get in science

classes?

Relevance/ Appraisal

Science Relevance “It’s Important” @ .72

• 1. How often do you use science to solve daily problems?
• 2. How much does science help you make decisions that affect

your body?

• 3. How much, if at all, does science help people?
• 4. How much, if any, do you think studying science will

help you in the future? Science Reflected Appraisal @.78

• 1. How much do you teachers make you feel like you are good at

science?

• 2. How much do you parents tell you that you are good at science?

Generalized Other

How much do other people think you are a science kind

• f person?

Science Self-Label

How much do you think you are a science kind of person?

Descriptive Statistics by Race/ Gender

Correlations among Science Identity Dimensions, Midwest Middle School Youth, N = 441

Table 1. Bivariate Correlation Matrix (N=441) Science Identity Discovery Orientation Science Competence Science Relevance Science Enjoyment Science Verification Discovery Orientation .47*** Science Competence .44*** .29*** Science Relevance .54*** .40*** .32*** Science Enjoyment .64*** .55*** .44*** .46*** Science Verification .41*** .30*** .47*** .30*** .45*** Generalized Other .45*** .29*** .29*** .27*** .32*** .35***

W hat can you do?

I deas for over com ing biases

https://www.ted.com/talks/verna_myers_how_to_overcome_our_biases_walk_boldly_toward_them?lang uage=en

Tools for developing student ( and Teacher) science I dentity

Teachers As AGENTS OF I DENTI TY FORMATI ON

Harrell-Levy, M. K., & Kerpelman, J. L. (2010). Identity process and transformative pedagogy: Teachers as agents of identity formation. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 10(2), 76- 91.

Teachers can serve as ‘identity agents’ by shaping the environment and experiences of students through Transformative Pedagogy, i.e. teaching that fosters collaborative learning*

Transform ative Pedagogy

• Transmission style = Teacher

talks, Student Listens - memorization

• Transaction style = Teachers

are facilitators and students are responsible for active

• participation. Students can ask

questions, and use problem- solving techniques. Collaborative learning is likely, but it requires student initiative and it risks removing authority from the teacher.

I deas for com m unication

• Make science engaging (enjoyable)

for all students

• Identify and label when students engage in

scientific behavior (asking questions, experimenting, collaborating)

• Provide images of a broad spectrum of social

categories

• Make the importance of science explicit
• Make science relevant to the lives of youth
• Claim yourself as a science kind of person

Continuing to find creative stories and im ages to convey science findings….

2.0 2.6 2.1 2.4

2.3 2.6 2.4 2.1 2.2 1.8 1.9 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.2 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0

Science Math Engineering Reading

I like...

Girls 6 Boys 6 Girls 7 Boys 7 Girls 8 Boys 8

More Less

2.7 2.9 2.7 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.4 2.3 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.7 3.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 Science Math Engineering

I'm good at...

Girls 6 Boys 6 Girls 7 Boys 7 Girls 8 Boys 8

More Less

3.2 3.5 3.1 3.4 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.1 3.4 3.4 3.4 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 Science Math

How much, if at all, will studying _____ help you in the future?

Girls 6 Boys 6 Girls 7 Boys 7 Girls 8 Boys 8

A Lot A little

2.69 2.85 2.92 2.64 2.91 2.85 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much fun do you think a scientist has at work?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

2.36 2.52 2.33 2.28 2.36 2.22 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much time do you think a scientist has for friends, family, and hobbies?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

2.36 2.54 2.56 2.37 2.17 2.28 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much do your parents or guardians like science?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

• .26
• .24
• .18

.29 .09

• .05
• 2.00
• 1.00

.00 1.00 2.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

Do you think boys or girls are better at science?

Boys Girls

Girls are a lot better at science

Boys are a lot better at science

3.53 3.62 3.74 3.70 3.67 3.78 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How important is it for you to do your best at school?

Boys Girls Very Important

Not at All Important

3.05 2.86 2.70 3.01 2.19 2.48 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much do you like math?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

3.05 3.02 2.81 3.04 2.52 2.61 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How good are you at math?

Boys Girls

Excellent Poor

3.39 3.38 3.43 3.46 3.35 3.40 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much, if at all, will studying math help you in the future?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

3.23 3.52 3.43 3.28 3.31 3.43 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How important is math as a tool for science?

Boys Girls

Very Important Not at All Important

3.31 3.52 3.61 3.00 2.69 2.94 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

I like engineering.

Boys Girls

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

3.12 3.29 3.39 3.07 2.58 2.82 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

I am good at engineering projects.

Boys Girls

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

3.69 3.77 3.87 3.69 3.37 3.60 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

The work of engineers is important in everyday life.

Boys Girls

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

2.38 2.50 2.39 2.68 2.78 2.67 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much do you enjoy reading?

Boys Girls

A Lot Not At All

1.74 2.21 1.97 1.80 1.83 1.67 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much have you been encouraged to become a scientist?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

1.69 1.77 1.78 1.78 1.69 1.82 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade

How much have you been discouraged from becoming a scientist?

Boys Girls

A Lot None

How to com bat I m plicit Bias

Accountability

Having a sense of accountability, that is, “the implicit or explicit expectation that one may be called on to justify one’s beliefs, feelings, and actions to others,” can decrease the influence of bias (T. K. Green & Kalev, 2008; Kang, et al., 2012; Lerner & Tetlock, 1999, p. 255; Reskin, 2000, 2005).

How to com bat I m plicit Bias

Taking the perspective of others

has shown promise as a debiasing strategy, because considering contrasting viewpoints and recognizing multiple perspectives can reduce automatic biases (Benforado & Hanson, 2008; Galinsky & Moskowitz, 2000; Todd, Bodenhausen, Richeson, & Galinsky, 2011).

How to com bat I m plicit Bias

Transparent Deliberative processing Engaging in deliberative processing can help counter implicit biases, particularly during situations in which decision-makers may face time constraints or a weighty cognitive load (Beattie, et al., 2013; D. J. Burgess, 2010; Kang, et al., 2012; Richards-Yellen, 2013).

AAUW Report – “W hy So few w om en in Stem ?”

• Expose Girls to Female Role Models
• Teach Teachers about Stereotype Threat
• A Growth Mindset Benefits Girls and Underachievers
• Set Clear Performance Standards – Help students

recognize career Relevant Skills

• Raise awareness about bias against women in
• STEM fields.
• Create clear criteria for success.
• Take a test to learn about your unconscious bias.
• Take steps to address your biases.

I m plicit bias

Understand it, know we all have it, AND combat against it by . . .

1.Accountability – Harvard Business School example 2.Transparent Deliberative Processing – Use a rubric for grading

• 3. Taking on the Role of Others – Consider de-

identifying assignments before you grade

Develop Your Science I dentity

“[Kids] don't remember what you try to teach

• them. They remember what you are.”

― Jim Henson

Developing Teacher Science I dentity

• Luehmann, A. L. (2007). Identity development as a lens to

science teacher preparation. Science Education, 91(5), 822- 839.

• “Reconcile a reform-based image of school instruction with their

personal prior beliefs about the subject matter. “ (p 823) “People approach learning situations with core identities in place that need to align with the new identity being considered. Often beginning science teachers have experiences, beliefs, knowledge, and identities related to science and science learning that are very different from, even contradictory to, those being advocated in reform.” (p. 828) Teachers have often not learned science in a reform-based way, through authentic science experiences, or inquiry and project based learning.

Developing Teacher Science I dentity

• Luehmann, A. L. (2007). Identity development as a lens to

science teacher preparation. Science Education, 91(5), 822-839.

• “Position teachers within a larger political and cultural

community of practice.“ (p 823) “Trying on a new identity within a community of practice

(especially when it is counter to the norm) involves assuming risks. This, in turn, highlights the need to provide safe and supportive contexts in which beginning teachers are introduced to reform-basedPractices.” (p. 828) Identity change happens through interaction with others and through self-verification.

Developing Teacher Science I dentity

• Luehmann, A. L. (2007). Identity development as a lens to

science teacher preparation. Science Education, 91(5), 822-839.

• Manage the emotional dimensions of “personal development.”

“Bell (1998) characterizes a science teacher’s need for personal development as “being aware and accepting of the need for professional growth; attending to the feelings and concerns of behaving differently in the classroom and changing their ideas of what it means to be a teacher

• f science; and managing the feelings associated with changing” (p.

685). Nieto’s (2005) review of the literature revealed other affective qualities for successful and satisfying professional teaching of diverse students: a sense of love for and solidarity with students, courage to challenge norms, and a passion for social justice. (e.g., Carter, 1993),” (p. 828)

Som e Recom m endations . .

• 1. Provide opportunities to practice reform-based

instructional strategies in a low-stakes and thus, “safe” environment like After School or Science Fair/Museum Settings

• 2. Extensive opportunities to receive feedback and

recognition as a reform-based practitioner from university personnel and peers by:

• collaborative post-teaching briefings
• Personal Journals
• Blogs

Teachers As AGENTS OF I DENTI TY FORMATI ON

Harrell-Levy, M. K., & Kerpelman, J. L. (2010). Identity process and transformative pedagogy: Teachers as agents of identity formation. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 10(2), 76- 91.

Daily interactions drive identity development, between teacher and adolescents, and among

• adolescents. Positive Feedback is IMPORTANT!

“Adolescents typically are open to many possibilities for who they might become and often are trying out different ways of defining themselves.”

Teachers As AGENTS OF I DENTI TY FORMATI ON

Harrell-Levy, M. K., & Kerpelman, J. L. (2010). Identity process and transformative pedagogy: Teachers as agents of identity formation. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 10(2), 76- 91.

Teachers control the learning environment, in “Transformative classrooms” the teacher actively creates a community among the students that will promote critical self- evaluation, and positive identity reinforcement in the classroom community. (p. 79)

Transform ative Pedagogy

• Transformative style = mutual learning between educator

and student “Learning in a transformative teaching class is facilitated by collaborative relations between teacher and students with particular emphasis on the students’ role in constructing knowledge, the personal relationship that is formed between the teacher and students (which can be and is often aided by small class sizes) and the community formed between members of the class. This style of instruction provides the teacher with the opportunity to engage students in complex learning that can lead to changes in identity. Specifically, the teacher helps students to critically examine how they think about information and encourages them to constructively challenge one another’s perspectives.” (p. 80)

Teachers As AGENTS OF I DENTI TY FORMATI ON

Harrell-Levy, M. K., & Kerpelman, J. L. (2010). Identity process and transformative pedagogy: Teachers as agents of identity formation. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 10(2), 76-91.

Teachers control the learning environment, in “Transformative classrooms” the teacher actively creates a community among the students that will promote critical self-evaluation, and positive identity reinforcement in the classroom community. (p. 79)