Please reach out to Tamar Kushnir (tamar.kushnir@duke.edu) with questions about this project.

Science museums are the perfect space for encouraging young children from all backgrounds to build their STEM identity through informal, playful and engaging learning experiences early in their educational and social development. Inclusive and inviting experiences in museums are integral to increasing diversity and representation in STEM.

This project team worked with the Museum of Life and Science in Durham to design and implement a pilot study to broaden and diversify the concept of “science” itself, beyond stereotypical depictions of scientific activities.

Team members refined and implemented a storybook assessment tool for evaluating children’s engagement with stereotypical depictions of science versus non-stereotypical depictions of science. The team also designed parent questionnaires to assess satisfaction with museum and attitudes toward science. 

The ultimate goal was to bolster children’s identity as scientists and increase their motivation to pursue STEM learning opportunities in the museum, in the classroom and beyond.

Learn more about the team’s findings by reading their team profile.

Timing

Fall 2023 – Summer 2024

Outputs

“I do Science!” Shifting Science Identities and Belonging (Team Profile; 2024 Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Virtual Showcase)

Increasing STEM Belonging by Broadening Children’s Perspective of Science (Poster presented at Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase, April 17, 2024)

Increasing STEM Belonging by Broadening Children’s Perspective of Science (Presentation at Carolinas Psychology Conference, Buies Creek, North Carolina, April 13, 2024)

Storybook assessment tool

Research methods presentation at the Museum of Life and Science

This Team in the News

Museum Partnerships Serve as Roots for Growing Kids’ STEM Identity

Image: Members of the Increasing Children’s Sense of Belonging in STEM Fields team at the Museum of Life and Science (Photo: Courtesy of the Increasing Children’s Sense of Belonging in STEM Fields team)