Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Literacy into a Culturally Responsive STEM After-School Program

Abstract

This manuscript shares the implementation of an after-school literacy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program designed for middle grades students to increase their interest in science and mathematics learning. This program was conducted at our local Boys and Girls Club facilities where students learned about four science topics (renewable energy, water cycle, Newton’s laws, and natural disasters). Students participated in culturally responsive reading and writing activities incorporating culturally relevant books, journal writing, hands-on projects, and a culminating science fair presentation on the topic of their choice. The authors determined that using literature, particularly culturally responsive picture books and graphic novels, to bridge the students’ understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts was an important component of this program. The students’ reactions to the program reflect the importance of offering a variety of avenues for students to represent their understanding, and they corroborate the significance of after-school programs to provide opportunities for diverse student populations to participate in culturally responsive programs to promote literacy and interest in STEM disciplines. Introduction There is much research reporting that people of color have been, and continue to be, underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. How do we create opportunities that support middle grades students in becoming interested in a STEM field? Our answer—in an area of the rural southeast where over 40% of the population is nonWhite and 14% of the population lives in poverty (United States Census Bureau, 2019)—was to partner with the local Boys and Girls Club (BGC) to offer an engaging after-school experience for middle grades students integrating mathematics, science, and literacy skills through curriculum and pedagogy grounded in culturally responsive practices. This manuscript reports on the program design and implementation conducted at our local BGC; we present information gleaned from our program and share the perceived effect on students’ interest in learning science and mathematics after participating in this program. 1 Casler-Failing et al.: Integrating Math, Sci, and Lit into a Culturally Responsive Program Published by Digital Commons@Georgia Southern, 2021 Why Culturally Responsive Practices? The past two decades of educational reform efforts in the US brought the implementation of standards-based curriculum with the purpose of improving education. However, these measures have not prompted significant improvement among economically disadvantaged and underserved minority students, as demonstrated in recent national assessments (Hussar & Bailey, 2017). The National Research Council (2012) frames science education as a cultural effort where collaborative work is highly valued and beneficial to students; collaboration strengthens the educational experience by supporting higher-level thinking skills and boosting confidence (Gates, 2018). In addition to the collaborative experience, the implementation of instructional strategies that connect with students’ sociocultural and academic backgrounds and allow assessment via multiple, student-selected modalities effectively engage adolescent learners (Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 2014). For this reason, we designed a literacy in STEM program grounded on culturally responsive pedagogy (Gay 2018; Ladson-Billings, 2014), where the students’ cultures and experiential backgrounds are placed at the center of a curriculum that is inclusive of student choice and collaboration. This program incorporates culturally relevant literature that allowed students to make connections with their lives and with positive role models that sustain their cultural identities frequently “erased through schooling” (Paris & Alim, 2017, p.1), and purposeful, informal writing to help develop students’ “skills in sharing their thoughts” (Fisher & Frey, 2016, p. 122). Organizations such as the BGC provide youth from economically disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds with programs that are developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering, and equitable, which the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), formerly the National Middle School Association (NMSA, 2010) deems essential attributes. Such after-school programs have positively impacted vulnerable youths’ attitudes towards school and academic achievement while also supporting students socially, emotionally, and intellectually (Hirsch, 2011). Additionally, our local BGC partners with area middle schools to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive after-school environment; students attending BGS are provided rich learning opportunities, are engaged in challenging activities, and are supervised by staff that value young adolescents’ contributions to the learning environment (NMSA, 2010). For these reasons, we felt the BGC was the perfect venue for our after-school program. The After-School Program: The Context Our BGC is situated within a city of over 30,000 residents in a county with a population of 80,000. The city is located in the southeastern part of the US and the surrounding communities are classified as rural; the closest urban area is an hour away. The BGC currently provides afterschool programs to nearly 400 children, many of whom are in the middle grades. In September 2018, we met with the Executive Director and the Unit Director (UD) to talk about the institution’s after-school program needs; they stressed the need for collaborators and volunteers to help fulfill the organization’s academic goals. In particular, they were seeking support to address the STEM and literacy skills of their students – an area where they did not have any systematic efforts. Thus, our two organizations decided to partner to design and implement a middle-school-level “Literacy in STEM Program” to respond to their needs. All material expenses (less than $600) were covered by a Service Grant from our university. 2 Current Issues in Middle Level Education, Vol. 26 [2021], Iss. 1, Art. 3 https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol26/iss1/3 DOI: 10.20429/cimle.2021.260103 The UD supported our creation of the program and recruited students to participate in the program, obtained required consent forms from parents and guardians, provided information regarding students’ academic performance at school, and provided a classroom to conduct the program and store materials onsite. Additionally, the UD provided a staff member who served as an assistant throughout the duration of the program. There were six students who completed the program—four male and two female African American children in grades 6-7 with a wide range of reading, writing, and verbal communication skills. At the beginning of the program there were 11 participants; however, due to the nature of the after-school setting at the BGC, students do not attend every day for the same amount of time. Throughout the program some students were either picked up by their parents prior to the program start time, during instruction, or did not attend after the first few sessions. The curriculum design and implementation team are professors at the local university’s College of Education. The team members have a combined total of over 30 years of experience teaching in diverse K-8 settings and are experts in their respective fields—mathematics, literacy, and science education—and were the sole instructors of the curriculum (at least two of us were present at each session); our instruction was assisted by an employee of the BGC. We intentionally used culturally responsive instructional approaches and activities that integrated science and mathematical concepts with literacy skills development. The content was aligned with 6th-8th grade Georgia Science and Mathematics Standards, and middle grades Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects. The program was implemented for ten weeks, with two 90-minute sessions per week. Focusing on four specific topics (see Curriculum section below), students engaged in discussions; presentations; math problem solving; writing assignments; reading picture storybooks and graphic novels relevant to the student population and science concepts; and hands-on science, mathematics, and robotics lab activities. These activities served as a scaffold to the final product: a science fair project and presentation that reflected aspects of the academic content of the program. Culturally Responsive Practices This program was designed as an after-school program to meet the math, science, and literacy academic needs of students who have traditionally been underrepresented in STEM fields. Based on research, we knew it was important to utilize culturally responsive practices that incorporate “the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students” (Gay, 2018, p. 36) to make learning accessible and meaningful to their lived experiences. Such practices are student-centered, set high expectations for students, focus on making connections between home and school, and build on students’ strengths (Ladson-Billings, 2014). The research-informed practices incorporated in this program included: ● learning about students through informal conversations and interest surveys, ● creating lessons that connected content from readings to local data (e.g., well depths, hurricanes), ● incorporating videos that used rap music as a means to engage students and provide information on concepts, ● reading books and graphic novels depicting role models that “looked like them” and were about similarly aged children, 3 Casler-Failing et al.: Integrating Math, Sci, and Lit into a Culturally Responsive Program Published by Digital Commons@Georgia Southern, 2021 ● providing choice of product to demonstrate understanding (e.g., bricolages, written work, pictures/drawi