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Inviting Humanism into STEM Teacher Preparation Using Inclusive Science Communication and Critical Pedagogy and Praxis
Citation:
Canfield, Katherine AND R. Wrenn. Inviting Humanism into STEM Teacher Preparation Using Inclusive Science Communication and Critical Pedagogy and Praxis. Inviting Humanism into STEM Teacher Preparation Using Inclusive Science Communication and Critical Pedagogy and Praxis, NA, RI, September 23, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
As pandemics, misinformation campaigns, technology, and globalism pervade society, focus on context-based student-centered education has diminished. This has had a disproportionate impact on inclusive education in STEM, contributing to lack of diverse representation in STEM careers. Deprofessionalization, standardized curriculum, and emphasis on high stakes testing has dehumanized the classroom and distanced learners and educators from each other. This has negatively impacted sense of belonging for learners, relational investment and commitment of all involved, and the confidence of learners in their academic and social success. Contemporary research in the fields of education and science communication identifies approaches to become more inclusive of, responsive to, and representative of learning communities. Bringing these areas of academic research and praxis together provides a synergistic set of tenets and approaches to bring humanism into the STEM classroom.
Description:
Contemporary research in the fields of education and science communication calls for approaches that are more inclusive of, responsive to, and representative of learning communities. Uniting these areas of academic research and praxis provides synergistic approaches to incorporate humanism into the STEM classroom. We center humanism to better consider how the positionality and identities of educators and students jointly shape STEM education. Current training of educators and communicators in the United States does not adequately prepare teachers to apply an inclusive approach in their classrooms, and makes it difficult for communicators to reach their diverse audiences . Based on our experience as practitioners and academic researchers, we see teacher preparation and ongoing training as a way to tackle this challenge in STEM education. We provide recommendations of how critical pedagogy and inclusive science communication can address these shortcomings. Inclusive science communication calls for embracing diverse ways of knowing, meaningful engagement with communities, and integrating the research and practice of STEM and science communication. We argue for using the key tenets of inclusive science communication (intentionality, reciprocity, and reflexivity) as a frame to improve teachers’ cultural responsiveness to their students and environments. Recommendations include intentional framing of curriculum to align with students’ lived experiences, asset-based teaching inviting students to contribute to curriculum, and ongoing professional development focused on critical pedagogy. Documenting existing shortcomings and providing ways to improve teacher preparation is a starting point in more young people seeing themselves belonging - and improving representation - in STEM careers.