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Children from underserved, minoritized, and immigrant families have less access to early out-of-school STEM learning opportunities. Playful Learning Landscapes increase the accessibility of early STEM learning in everyday public spaces (e.g., bus stops, grocery stores) by merging principles of guided play and STEM learning goals with local community's values. We used community-based design research to (1) identify Latine families’ funds of knowledge related to play, science, and math learning, and (2) create designs for playful environments merging families’ values and practices with guided play and STEM learning principles. Our design partners were 32 parents, primarily Spanish-speaking immigrant mothers from Mexico, and two directors of a local community organization. The design process consisted of co-design sessions, interviews, inductive thematic analysis, elaboration, playtest and feedback, and iteration. Our findings showed that familismo, heritage representation, and the meaning of community spaces influenced the ways families engaged in STEM learning and the learning environments they desired in their community. Moreover, families’ STEM practices were rooted in everyday experiences of playing cultural games, family food routines, and outdoor activities. Incorporating Latine parents in the design process and leveraging their funds of knowledge resulted in culturally situated designs aligned with playful and STEM learning principles. This study contributes to knowledge of Latine families’ values and practices that can help create home-community connections to strengthen children's learning.
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Elevating the Ways in Which Latina Mothers Perceive, Do, and Envision Early STEM learning
Early STEM learning opportunities aligned with families’ funds of knowledge can produce meaningful learning experiences for children. We investigated Latina mothers’ perceptions and values of STEM learning, STEM-related activities with their children, and the early STEM learning experiences mothers designed for community spaces. In a researchpractice partnership, we conducted seven virtual co-design sessions with 32 caregivers and individual interviews with a subset of 10 mothers. A thematic analysis revealed that Latina mothers’ STEM perceptions were primarily informed by school-based notions, yet they also integrated STEM in everyday, family practices such as cultural games. Mothers valued experiences promoting family unity, intergenerational learning, heritage, active citizenship, and ganas. Finally, Latina mothers’ values and practices informed their vision and design of early STEM learning artifacts in the community. Thus, diverse parents’ contributions in design efforts can serve as a mechanism through which stakeholders connect and enhance children’s learning experiences across contexts.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2005776
- PAR ID:
- 10427554
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 551-558
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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