Creating a Culture of Youth as Co-Researchers: The Kickoff of a Year-Long STEM Pipeline Program.

Alicia Boards,Farrah Jacquez,Jody Wells,Kathie Maynard,Lisa Vaughn

doi:10.15695/jstem/v3i1.02

Abstract

STEM pipeline programs often include research experiences for youth, but fewer focus on youth as shared decision-makers or leaders in research efforts. Youth participatory action research (YPAR) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) orientations suggest that the quality and relevance of research will benefit from youth partnership. Because youth do not traditionally have the opportunity to serve in this type of leadership capacity, STEM pipeline programs that wish to elevate the role of youth in research must create a new culture of co-creation that upends the traditional pedagogical models adolescents experience in high school. We present Research Kickoff as a strategy to engage youth as co-researchers from their very first experience in a year-long STEM pipeline program. We designed activities around a framework consisting of six components: content, process, voice, network, engagement, and culture. Each of the six components of our framework are represented in a series of activities that include participatory research processes, inviting collaboration and valuing diverse expertise, and relationship building. To inform future programs interested in engaging youth as co-researchers, we detail the iterative development of Research Kickoff over two cohorts and describe how it serves to engage youth as change agents from the first touch.

Highlights

STEM pipeline programs, or educational pathways to guide students into STEM careers, have been in place in the United States since the 1970’s, but recent efforts tend to focus on the “leaky” areas that leaves some students behind (Schultz et al, 2011)
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey of students in 57 countries found that the overwhelming majority of students appreciated science, but significantly less found science relevant to them personally and only a small minority indicated a desire to pursue a career in science (OECD, 2007)
As we developed activities to meet the objectives of the six components of our conceptual framework, we found that activities tended to fall into three categories: participatory research processes, invitations to collaborate, and relationship building

Summary

Introduction

STEM pipeline programs, or educational pathways to guide students into STEM careers, have been in place in the United States since the 1970’s, but recent efforts tend to focus on the “leaky” areas that leaves some students behind (Schultz et al, 2011). Youth as Co-Researchers - Jacquez al-world problems more deeply and personally This understanding will facilitate their professional entry into STEM fields by providing them with fundamental skills in research methodologies and techniques, foundational knowledge in science and mathematics, and positive attitudes towards research careers in the biomedical sciences. When grounded in shared leadership and decision-making, youth engagement in research through CBPR has the potential to have a major impact on youth through the development of practical skills and community awareness, which leads to action for positive change, with improved educational and health outcomes. STEM pipeline programs that provide high school students with opportunities to design and implement their own research projects have been shown to have positive impacts on youth. HSTA clearly documents the feasibility and potential impact of STEM pipeline programs that use CBPR to engage high school students to conduct research addressing issues in their local community

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion