Research Article
Desiring a career in STEM-related fields: How middle school girls articulate and negotiate identities-in-practice in science
Edna Tan,
Angela Calabrese Barton,
Hosun Kang,
Tara O'Neill,
Corresponding Author
Edna Tan
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina
Correspondence to: E. Tan; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAngela Calabrese Barton
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
Search for more papers by this authorHosun Kang
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
Search for more papers by this authorEdna Tan,
Angela Calabrese Barton,
Hosun Kang,
Tara O'Neill,
Corresponding Author
Edna Tan
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina
Correspondence to: E. Tan; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAngela Calabrese Barton
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
Search for more papers by this authorHosun Kang
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The underrepresentation of non-White students and girls in STEM fields is an ongoing problem that is well documented. In K-12 science education, girls, and especially non-White girls, often do not identify with science regardless of test scores. In this study, we examine the narrated and embodied identities-in-practice of non-White, middle school girls who articulate future career goals in STEM-related fields. For these girls who desire an STEM-related career, we examine the relationships between their narrated and embodied identities-in-practice. Drawing on interview and ethnographic data in both school and after school science contexts, we examine how STEM-career minded middle school girls articulate and negotiate a path for themselves through their narratives and actions. We present four types of relationships between girls' narrated and embodied identities-in-practice, each with a representative case study: (1) partial overlaps, (2) significant overlaps, (3) contrasting, and (4) transformative. The implications of these relationships with regard to both hurdles and support structures that are needed to equip and empower girls in pursuit of their STEM trajectories are discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50: 1143–1179, 2013
Supporting Information
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher's web-site.
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| tea21123-sm-0001-SuppFig-S1.tif68.3 KB | Figure S1. Significant/complete overlaps between Meg's narrated and embodied identities. |
| tea21123-sm-0001-SuppFig-S2.tif151.9 KB | Figure S2. Partial overlaps between Jana's narrated and embodied identities. |
| tea21123-sm-0001-SuppFig-S3.tif62.9 KB | Figure S3. Eunice's contrasting narrated and embodied identities-in-practice. |
| tea21123-sm-0001-SuppFig-S4.tif110.4 KB | Figure S4. Transformative relationships between Kay's narrated and embodied identities-in-practice. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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