Theory-Practice Divides and the Persistent Challenges of Embedding Tools for Social Justice in a STEM Urban Teacher Residency Program

Abstract

This study examined how the concept of social justice was operationalized in the university coursework of students enrolled in an urban teacher residency program that aims to diversify the teaching corps and prepare secondary STEM teachers for urban classroom environments. Based on analysis of 39 syllabi and interviews with nine faculty members, we found that challenges in embedding social justice theory with STEM content knowledge were attributable to the lack of a shared definition among program faculty, and external pressures imposed by state teacher credentialing requirements. We conclude with recommendations for practice by suggesting ways that rigorous STEM content knowledge can be combined with locally and historically contextualized social critique and tools for change in order to support teachers in enacting justice-oriented practice in communities.

Sexual and gender minority undergraduates’ relationships and strategies for managing fit in STEM

“…This likewise complements McGee’s work showing that students actively work to create a network that will be supportive for their identities [ 29 ]. This finding also broadens previous work by showing that students’ toolkit of defenses goes beyond trying to fit into the heteronormative climate by changing how others perceive them (e.g., passing) to changing their social network in their STEM microclimate [ 68 ]. This means that these SGM students who persist have likely positioned themselves to succeed by building a support system that will promote their persistence.…”

“…These ways include behavioral reactions or how SGM people react to microaggressions in terms of actions (such as through ignoring the microaggressions or confronting others about them), cognitive reactions or how people think about or make sense of microaggressions (such as through accepting them or becoming resilient in dealing with them), and emotional reactions or the emotions people experience as a result of the microaggressions (such as feeling sad or angry). Research on cultural norms in engineering programs has highlighted the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional efforts required by SGM students to express identity or ‘navigate’ [ 68 ] engineering programs’ heteronormative climate (e.g., passing, living compartmentalized lives, and isolating oneself from engineering peers) which entail a tremendous amount of emotional work and can “limit these students’ opportunities to succeed, relative to their heterosexual peers” [ 7 , p. 1]. Our study focuses on SGM students in STEM and primarily their behavioral reactions, though emotional and cognitive reactions also emerged in our work, in which students employed various strategies to manage identity and cultivate a network of supportive alters.…”

“…The authors additionally found that SGM students mobilized skill development to make themselves indispensable to others, for example, by mastering mapping programs so that they would be valuable group members on teamwork assignments. Finally, Mattheis, Cruz-Ramírez De Arellano, and Yoder used a cognitive queer STEM identity framework to understand how SGM STEM employees “come to understand and name themselves as queer in terms of gender and/or sexuality,” form specific STEM identities, and navigate professional and personal influences on how they express identity in work and school [ 68 , p. 1850]. The authors primarily focused on internal identity work wherein participants compartmentalized aspects of their identity and put less focus on their strategies for mitigating fit, though they do briefly mention behavioral strategies such as being more visible, creating changes in work environments, and seeking out SGM networks as coping mechanisms.…”

Preservice science teachers' sociopolitical consciousness: Analyzing descriptions of culturally relevant science teaching and students

“…They must constantly consider how their beliefs and actions are political and nested within a larger system of culture and power. This can occur when teacher educators are intentional about helping teachers interrogate their own SPC-making them aware of social inequity and oppressive schooling systems (Joseph & Evans, 2018;Liou & Rojas, 2020), and encouraging critique of local and historical contexts (Mattheis et al, 2020). These conversations should not happen in isolation, but must be integrated into every course.…”

Reimagine fire science for the anthropocene

“…In many cases, these differences, in addition to the historical and systematic inequities within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields (e.g. (53,54)) have kept disciplines siloed and some groups excluded (55).…”