Biography
Tara Nkrumah, PhD is an Assistant Research Professor in the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology at Arizona State University, United States. Her research agenda centers on equitable teaching practices for anti-oppressive discourse in education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She uses Theatre of the Oppressed to explore culturally relevant/responsive leadership and pedagogy in science education and explores how socio-political discourse flows through popular culture (i.e., entertainment media) to frame the public perception about science education for underrepresented groups in general, Black girls and women in particular, and their access to STEM careers. Her work is published in the International Review of Qualitative Research, Cultural Studies in Science Education, The Science Teacher, Journal of Language and Literacy, Pedagogy of the Oppressed Journal, and Teachers College Record.
Spotlight Presentation
Culturally Responsive Mentor Teacher Professional Development: Hawaiian Girls STEM Camp for Social Change
STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) culturally responsive professional development for summer camp mentor teachers of Hawaiian high school girls and its influence on pedagogy is not well known. The purpose of the study is to explore how mentor teachers, during a week-long residential STEM camp, apply culturally responsive practices while interacting and facilitating discussions with high school girls in Hawaii. Through mixed methods, researchers engage in post-surveys, and focus group interviews with an emphasis on emboldening Hawaiian high school girls in STEM, a study grounded in culturally relevant pedagogy. Results from the five mentor teachers show changes in understandings about the influence of culturally responsive practices on relationship building and dialogue with Hawaiian high school girls from diverse backgrounds. The finding reveals that culturally responsive professional development bolsters teacher skills to merge critical dialogue on STEM content and social barriers for Hawaiian high school girls in STEM education to promote social change. This study demonstrates a link between culturally responsive professional development and teacher ability to cultivate student awareness of barriers for Hawaiian high school girls in STEM education unrelated to insufficient content knowledge that promotes student activism. The implication of this finding suggests that the mentor teacher preparation model utilized at STEM camps for Hawaiian high school girls increases participation and action-oriented outcomes against social inequity.
https://submit.iafor.org/submission/submission61479
