Embracing culture in STEM: A qualitative examination of a culturally relevant informal learning experience

Mathematics and STEM are often viewed as culture-free by students and teachers alike. These types of views can help to alienate students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. However, drawing on students’ funds of knowledge by implementing theories, such as culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), has shown to have positive affective benefits for students. Research has shown mixed results regarding the mathematics- and STEM-related affective benefits of implementing CRP. However, these studies differ in demographics and methods from the current one. Students often form long-lasting attitudes towards mathematics and STEM while they are in the middle-grades. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to qualitatively examine middle-grades students’ interest in and anxiety towards mathematics and STEM. The results demonstrate mixed results regarding how effective program activities were at triggering students’ interest. Additionally, the data indicates the potential for shifting students’ mathematics and STEM-related affective measures. Moreover, the results demonstrate that students’ learning during the program aligned with the tenets of CRP. Therefore, these findings suggest that students’ affective measures can be affected in a short-term informal learning experience. Additionally, the findings suggest that students do not need to participate in long-term programs to learn in a manner consistent with the goals of CRP.