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IntroductionIt is critical for STEM students to be able to discuss science with diverse audiences, yet many STEM students do not receive adequate training in these skills. When students have the skills to communicate about science, they may feel a resulting sense of empowerment as a scientist as well as help members of society understand science. MethodsIn this study, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a workshop that gave students understanding of and practice in applying Inclusive Science Communication. We assessed the workshop via a mixed-methods approach. ResultsWe quantified student affective measures that are associated with STEM persistence, such as science self-efficacy and science identity, showing that the workshop increased these measures both for students of marginalized identities and for students who do not hold these identities. We also assessed student open-ended responses for themes related to the Theory of Planned Behavior, Community Cultural Wealth, and White Supremacy Culture, finding that forms of cultural capital empowered students to perform science communication behaviors while power imbalances, fear of conflict, and perfectionism presented barriers to these behaviors. DiscussionThis study highlights the importance of providing explicit training and practice in Inclusive Science Communication for undergraduate STEM students. Our results also suggest that students need the opportunity for reflexivity – that is, the practice of reflecting upon their identities and motivations – in order to develop in their identity and confidence as scientists and science communicators.
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STEM Identities: A Communication Theory of Identity Approach
Education and psychology research has established STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) identities as an important factor in explaining student persistence in STEM fields. Few studies in social psychology of language or communication have investigated STEM identities, despite the fundamentally communicative nature of identity. Identity talk produced in semi-structured interviews with undergraduate engineering majors ( N = 16) at three U.S. universities was analyzed qualitatively using the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework. The analysis showed that these students’ STEM identities emphasized personal attributes such as work ethic and a desire to make a positive difference in the world as well as relationships with peers in engineering. A number of potential identity gaps which might present barriers to forming a STEM identity were also evident in the data. These results underscore the importance of a communicative (interactive and relational) perspective in understanding students’ development and expression of STEM identities.
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- PAR ID:
- 10295904
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Language and Social Psychology
- ISSN:
- 0261-927X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 0261927X2110306
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X211030674
