Racial hierarchy and masculine space: Participatory in/equity in computational physics classrooms

ABSTRACT

Background and Context

Computing is being integrated into a range of STEM disciplines. Still, computing remains inaccessible to many minoritized groups, especially girls and certain people of color. In this mixed methods study, we investigated racial and gendered patterns of equity and inequity in high school physics classrooms incorporating computational modeling, with an emphasis on group work.

Objective

The objectives of this study were: 1) to document equity patterns in student participation and how they vary based on group composition by race and gender; and 2) to understand how discourses of race and gender influence group interactions.

Method

We used the EQUIP web app (https://www.equip.ninja) to analyze quantitative patterns in student participation. We then identified video of three group sessions and analyzed how discourses of race and gender mediated classroom interactions.

Findings

Data show that racial hierarchies were prominent, with White students dominating group interaction and Black and Latinx students experiencing substantial marginalization. While there was evidence of gender equity in many groups – particularly those with greater proportions of girls – we show how computing and physics were still maintained as masculine spaces.

Implications

Teachers of computing should intentionally structure learning environments to attenuate the impact of White supremacy and patriarchy. More research is also needed on how power operates in computing education at the level of classroom interaction.

KEYWORDS:

• Race
• gender
• equity
• computer science
• STEM education
• mixed methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. For elaboration of this point in the context of computing, see Lewis, Shah, & Falkner (2019) chapter in The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research.

2. The term contribution refers here to a sequence of talk from a single student, regardless of the number of sentences within or content of the sequence.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [1741575].

Notes on contributors

Niral Shah

Niral Shah is an assistant professor of learning sciences and human development at the University of Washington. His research focuses on racial and gender equity in education, with an emphasis on how racial and gender narratives about STEM ability affect students’ identities and participation in classrooms.

Julie A. Christensen

Julie A. Christensen is a doctoral student in the College of Education at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on how teachers learn to enact equitable and responsive instruction in science classrooms.

Nickolaus A. Ortiz

Nickolaus A. Ortiz is an assistant professor of mathematics education in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education at Georgia State University. His research interests are in the overlap of mathematics, identity, and culture, and focus on improving the mathematical learning experiences for Black students.

Ai-Khanh Nguyen

Ai-Khanh Nguyen is a doctoral student in learning sciences and human development at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on the intersection of Vietnamese language/cultural recovery practice and anti-racism, with an emphasis on educator pedagogy.

Sunghwan Byun

Sunghwan Byun is a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University. His research focuses on social interactions in both classrooms and teacher education settings, with the goal of equitable student participation in disciplinary practices.

David Stroupe

David Stroupe is an associate professor of teacher education and science education at Michigan State University. He also serves as the associate director of STEM Teacher Education at the CREATE for STEM Institute at MSU. His research focuses on how teachers and students learn to disrupt epistemic injustice through the negotiation of power, knowledge, and epistemic agency.

Daniel L. Reinholz

Daniel L. Reinholz is an assistant professor of mathematics education at San Diego State University. His research focuses on systemic change in STEM education, with an emphasis on promoting racial and gender justice.