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Abstract We propose a conceptual framework for STEM education that is centered around justice for minoritized groups. Justice‐centered STEM education engages all students in multiple STEM subjects, including data science and computer science, to explain and design solutions to societal challenges disproportionately impacting minoritized groups. We articulate the affordances of justice‐centered STEM education for one minoritized student group that has been traditionally denied meaningful STEM learning: multilingual learners (MLs). Justice‐centered STEM education with MLs leverages the assets they bring to STEM learning, including their transnational experiences and knowledge as well as their rich repertoire of meaning‐making resources. In this position paper, we propose our conceptual framework to chart a new research agenda on justice‐centered STEM education to address societal challenges with all students, especially MLs. Our conceptual framework incorporates four interrelated components by leveraging the convergence of multiple STEM disciplines to promote justice‐centered STEM education with MLs: (a) societal challenges in science education, (b) justice‐centered data science education, (c) justice‐centered computer science education, and (d) justice‐centered engineering education. The article illustrates our conceptual framework using the case of the COVID‐19 pandemic, which has presented an unprecedented societal challenge but also an unprecedented opportunity to cultivate MLs' assets toward promoting justice in STEM education. Finally, we describe how our conceptual framework establishes the foundation for a new research agenda that addresses increasingly complex, prevalent, and intractable societal challenges disproportionately impacting minoritized groups. We also consider broader issues pertinent to our conceptual framework, including the social and emotional impacts of societal challenges; the growth of science denial and misinformation; and factors associated with politics, ideology, and religion. Justice‐centered STEM education contributes to solving societal challenges that K‐12 students currently face while preparing them to shape a more just society.
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Towards a Framework for Justice-Oriented Data Science Education in K-12 Schools
Data science is increasingly relevant to daily life and has garnered significant attention in education. While data science education has been traditionally focused on technical training, justice considerations are increasingly brought up given growing concerns over fairness and justice in data science. This paper introduces a framework for justice-oriented data science education that comprises five areas grounded in a broad range of literature. To explore and refine the framework in authentic contexts, we applied it to discourse data from one participatory design workshop with teachers. Analysis demonstrated the presence of this framework’s areas and their rich connections in teachers’ thinking. The framework offers educators a tool to integrate data science, justice issues, and disciplinary content in K-12 classrooms.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2101413
- PAR ID:
- 10517618
- Publisher / Repository:
- AERA 2023 Annual Conference
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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