Abstract
Trends show an underrepresentation of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) in STEM and STEM careers. It is necessary that all students with any STEM interest be afforded the opportunity to have these interests nurtured to pursue a STEM career. As BIPOC student populations in K-12 classrooms increase, science education must be tailored for students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide a way to reach BIPOC students, but it is not enough. The NGSS are not a curriculum, so it is up to educators to plan and teach curriculum that is culturally relevant. However, science and science curriculum are heavily influenced by whiteness, colonization, Western epistemologies, and the absence of BIPOC science practices and knowledge. In order for BIPOC students to be interested in STEM careers, their attitude, participation, and interest in these areas must be nurtured by decolonizing science education.
This research was guided by decolonial methodology and utilized mixed-methods practices that resulted in participants who completed pre and post surveys in addition to a voluntary interview with the researcher to reflect on how a decolonized science unit may have influenced their attitude, participation, and interest in STEM.
Conclusions Reached
The findings from this study reveal that BIPOC participants’ attitude, participation, and interest in STEM were positively influenced by a decolonized science unit. BIPOC participants found connections between their culture and the decolonized curriculum to view STEM as a possible career choice.