Supporting Indigenous Students in Science and STEM Education: A Systematic Review

Qingna Jin

doi:10.3390/educsci11090555

Abstract

There are a growing number of education programs in science and STEM education with the aim of improving educational outcomes for Indigenous students who have long been underrepresented in current education systems. The aim of this study is to systematically review empirical research from 2011 to 2020 that reported programs to support Indigenous students in science and STEM education. A total of 24 studies were included in this review. These programs involved student participants from all K to 12 grade levels and occurred in both formal and informal contexts. Most of the programs employed multifaced approaches, and cultural relevance and scientific inquiry practice were the two main features of the programs. All the programs had reported positive outcomes in relation to Indigenous students’ science learning, understanding of their own cultures and traditions, and/or the complementarity of Western science and Indigenous knowledge.

Highlights

Quality education for all students, and in particular improving the educational outcomes for Indigenous students, has been a focus in many countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada [1,2,3,4,5]
The primary research question guiding this review was: In K to 12 science and STEM education, which program practices does the published literature suggest are linked with positive educational outcomes for Indigenous students? To address this question, this review identified intended program practices and outcomes reported in the published literature, which led to the identification of two supporting research questions: (1) In K to 12 science and STEM education, what efforts and practices have been implemented to support Indigenous students? And (2) what outcomes and associated findings have been reported in programs?
The first set of terms identified studies focused on Indigenous students (i.e., Indigenous OR native OR aboriginal OR first nations) and the second set narrowed the scope to studies in the areas of science and STEM education

Summary

Introduction

Quality education for all students, and in particular improving the educational outcomes for Indigenous students, has been a focus in many countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada [1,2,3,4,5]. Because science and STEM education focus mostly Western science knowledge to the exclusion of other ways of knowing, Indigenous worldviews are usually undermined in Indigenous students’ science and STEM learning experiences, which has created tension between traditional Indigenous knowledge and school science [6]. One possible way to provide Indigenous students with access to science learning without comprising their cultural identity is making science programs aligned with their traditional knowledge and everyday experiences [6]. With the aim to support educational success for Indigenous students, there are a growing number of educational programs that engage Indigenous children and youth in STEM education by integrating Indigenous knowledge with Western science to make the programs culturally responsive and relevant [7]

Objectives

Methods

Results