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1. Supporting Near-Peer Women Mentors in Out-of-School Time STEM Programming

   Ju, B; Nacu, D; Erete, S; Pinkard, N (June 2023, Computersupported collaborative learning)

   This study examined the experiences of near-peer women mentors in an out-ofschool time (OST) STEM program for middle school girls of color. 11 mentors reported and reflected upon their overall experiences in interviews. Key findings include that, for example, training is an essential part of mentors’ work; they wish to have more training on pedagogy and more opportunities to bond with other mentors. This study extends the literature on STEM mentoring in OST environments, deepens the understanding of mentors’ experience in STEM programming, and provides important implications for mentor training and OST STEM program design, such as providing opportunities for reflective practices to understand mentor needs, supporting mentors’ non-STEM skill development, involving mentors in working towards the program goal, and fostering community building among women mentors. 

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2. Impact of a Femalized Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Kinesthetic Learning Model on the AEC Career Knowledge, Self-efficacy, and Outcome Expectations of African American Middle School Girls

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--49441  

   Fash, Mercy; Ofori-Boadu, Andrea (October 2024, ASEE Conferences)

   Bandyopadhyay, A; Anderson, E (Ed.)

   Engaging African American middle school girls in out-of-school-time (OST) Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) programs can significantly boost their knowledge and awareness of these traditionally male-dominated fields. This study adopts Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory to assess the impact of a femalized AEC kinesthetic learning model (fAEC-KLM) on the AEC career knowledge, selfefficacy, and outcome expectations (KSO) of African American middle school girls. Fourteen (14) African American middle school girls from Guilford County, NC, participated in pre- and post-intervention interviews, evaluating how the fAEC-KLM model influenced their AEC career knowledge, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations. Inductive thematic analysis of transcribed interviews using NVIVO qualitative software revealed key components of the fAEC-KLM that impacted KSO. Components such as lectures, peer interactions, and kinesthetic/experiential learning interacted with participants’ learning experiences (prior OST educational programs, familial social support, deficient/adequate mathematical pedagogy, and pre-collegiate engineering education). These factors collectively enhanced participants’ AEC career knowledge, bolstered their self-efficacy, and shaped their outcome expectations. The findings highlight the efficacy of targeted AEC activities within the fAEC-KLM in boosting career knowledge, selfefficacy, and outcome expectations, offering critical insights for developing OST programs that encourage African American middle school girls to pursue careers in AEC fields. These results emphasize the need for such initiatives to reduce the gender gap in STEM and AEC professions, contributing to broader efforts to diversify these vital sectors. 

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3. Out-of-school time STEM program: Students’ attitudes toward and career interests in mathematics and science

   https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v8i2.18702  

   Saw, Guan; Swagerty, Brendan; Brewington, Shon; Chang, Chi-Ning; Culbertson, Ryan (February 2019, International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE))

   Internationally, out-of-school time (OST) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs abound. However, rigorous evidence of their impacts on student outcomes is scarce. This study evaluated the relationships between OST STEM program participation and student motivational factors in math and science by analyzing survey and administrative data of 1.017 middle school students who participated in the seven-week, STEM-focused Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) in San Antonio, Texas, from 2015 to 2017. Multiple regression results indicated that the PREP participation was positively associated with students’ attitudes toward math and interests in math-related careers, whereas the effects on students’ attitudes toward science and career interests in science were negligible. No evidence was found to suggest that the associations between PREP participation and student motivational factors in math and science differed by gender, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. 

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4. “It Was Hard, and It Still Is . . .”: Women of Color Navigating HSI STEM Transfer Pathways

   https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221126480  

   Herrera, Felisha A.; Rodriguez-Operana, Victoria C.; Kovats Sánchez, Gabriela; Cerrillos, Aileen; Marquez, Briana (January 2022, AERA Open)

   Women of color (WOC) continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), where they often experience racism and sexism within disciplinary contexts that have historically privileged men and Whiteness. Participant narratives gained through focus-group and follow-up interviews illuminate the racialized and gendered STEM transfer experiences of 21 WOC who attended 2- and 4-year Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Using a multidimensional intersectional approach, we explore the interplay between the complex identity experiences of WOC and the dynamic intersections of their transfer pathways across 2- and 4-year HSIs and within STEM disciplinary contexts. Findings underscore the inequities that continue to pervade STEM and highlight opportunities for transforming disciplinary and institutional cultures, particularly within HSI STEM transfer pathways, where there is great potential for these diverse institutions to support, validate, and benefit from the unique contributions of WOC. 

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5. Youths’ Perceptions of Features of a Museum-Based Youth Development Program That Create a Supportive Community Context: A Qualitative Case Study

   https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558420985462  

   Mroczkowski, Alison_L; Price, C_Aaron; Harris, Natalie_C; Skeeles-Worley, Angela_D (February 2021, Journal of Adolescent Research)

   Supportive community contexts are critical to positive youth development. Out-of-school time (OST) programs serve as supportive community contexts, and participation in OST programs is associated with a host of positive outcomes for youth. Cultural centers, such as museums, have been identified as potentially supportive community contexts for youth. Still, museums have been mostly absent in the broader research discussion of the role of community-based OST programs in promoting positive youth development. The current article presents a qualitative, single-case study of 37 youth between the ages of 13 and 18, the majority of whom identified with racial/ethnic identity groups traditionally underrepresented in OST program participation, in which we examined youths’ perspectives of the features of a museum-based, science-focused, youth development program that they found to be particularly supportive. Five themes emerged, including (a) the program structure, (b) meaningful opportunities and experiences offered by the program, (c) relationships with staff, (d) a positive peer culture, and (e) sense of belonging. The results provide detailed insight into how cultural centers, such as museums, can serve as supportive community contexts for youth development. 

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