Intellectual Merit: This study explores how African American girls position themselves in relation to science and mathematics and learning and the impact of teachers', counselors' and parents' positionality, if any, on the girls' science and mathematics learning. The guiding hypothesis is that African American girls' positionality is impacted by the attitudes and expectations of parents, teachers, and counselors. Since the enactment of Title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1972, many investigations have sought to understand factors that influence girls' involvement in science and mathematics and their choosing of related careers. However, while progress has been made toward gender equity in science and mathematics, underachievement persists among African American girls. This research seeks to expand beyond documentation of disparities to include how to transform the relationship between adult expectations and girls' self-perceptions. In particular, teachers and counselors often serve as gatekeepers to science and mathematics learning opportunities for African American girls and other socially marginalized students.
This research captures African American girls as they transition from elementary to middle school and deconstructs the concept of positionality and its relationship to science and mathematics learning. In addition, the research utilizes an integrative perspective that focuses simultaneously on students, parents, teachers, and counselors. The researchers anticipate that new knowledge will be generated about student-teacher interactions, parental involvement, and counselor influences on science and mathematics participation among African American girls in high-poverty schools and other underachieving student populations.
Broader Impacts: This project will offer educators and parents the necessary tools for the development of positive positioning that will transform the trajectory for low income African American schoolgirls and other socially marginalized and underachieving student populations. This will translate into more participation of African American girls in science- and mathematics-related careers thus transforming low-income communities and changing the nature of parental involvement in schools.
