CGEST Hosts Workshop on STEM Education Research
CGEST hosted a workshop about the future of research into equity and inclusion research in K-12 settings on November 8th and 9th. The workshop, held at CGEST’s ASU offices in Tempe, was part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). CGEST executive director Kimberly A. Scott and ASU dean of social sciences Elizabeth Wentz are the primary investigators (PIs) for that project, and CGEST postdoctoral researcher Steve Elliott organized the conference. The project studies the NSF portfolio of awards for broadening participation (BP) in science and technology, and the workshop focused in particular on folks who do BP research in K-12 STEM settings.
The workshop participants included 11 researchers from institutions across the western united states. These 11 folks were identified via a social network analysis of the NSF’s BP portfolio. They were identified as researchers who have been particularly effective at receiving NSF awards and working collaboratively. Altogether, they represented Etr. Associates; San Francisco State University; University of California Los Angeles; University of Colorado, Boulder; University of Oregon; University of Montana; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Texas, San Antonio; University of Washington; University of Wyoming; and Western Washington University.
The general aim of the workshop was to discuss the potential for developing the disciplinary infrastructure that professional academics rely on to conduct their work. These include, but aren’t limited to things like professional societies, meetings, and publication venues. While many folks conduct BP STEM Education research, they are scattered across many disciplines, and there are significant limitations on their opportunities to share their work and collaborate across disciplines. For instance, workshop participants included researchers from professional research firms and departments including computer science, education, cognitive science, mathematics, and STEM education. What kinds of infrastructures would BP Education researchers like to have to enable better cross-disciplinary communications, collaborations, and ultimately real-world impacts?
To address that question, the workshop featured two parts. First was a series of sessions in which participants collaborated to identify existing infrastructures and the academic and broader social systems in which participants operated. They also worked to identify how those systems worked, and how they could be revised. Ultimately, the participants began working on letter to colleagues about these topics to be published in a journal or newsletter. Second, Elliott conducted individual interviews with each of the participants, which will be coded and analyzed for an academic manuscript. One initial insight was that participants saw a need for interdisciplinary and regional conferences for which their community partners could attend without incurring the costs of national conferences in expensive cities.
The workshop exemplifies CGEST’s mission in several ways. First, it provided insights into what is increasingly called the science of broadening participation. Especially important were the importance of regional goals and networks, which are often glossed over in meetings or discussions focused on the national scale. Furthermore, the workshop connected researchers who normally don’t interact with each other, enabling new partnerships and projects to form. Many of these partnerships will continue to develop at the 2020 Women of Color STEM Entrepreneurship Conference.
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
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