Enhancing science-related social cognitions: effects of an active learning science intervention with high school students

Abstract Educational environments play a critical role in shaping students’ science-related social cognitions, such as identity, social belonging, and intentions to pursue science, which in turn influence future science pursuits and participation. However, traditional educational environments provide students from ethnic-racial underrepresented groups (URGs) in STEM with limited support in science, potentially undermining their science-related social cognitions. Active learning, which encourages student-driven learning activities and promote an inclusive learning culture, can be particularly beneficial to URG students’ science-related social cognitions. The current research adopted a non-randomized quasi-experimental design to examine whether URG high school students’ science-related social cognitions and ethnic-racial stereotypes changed after they participated in a four-week active learning-based geoscience education program. Overall, students who participated in the program showed higher levels of science-based social belonging and intentions to pursue science at the end of the program than at the start of the program. To further validate the program, we compared participants with two distinct comparison groups, one at the beginning and one at the end of the program. By the end of the program, intervention participants reported higher science identity, social belonging, self-efficacy, and intentions to pursue science than comparison participants. No differences emerged between intervention participants and comparison participants at the beginning of the program. The present research underscores the benefits of positive, inclusive educational climates in promoting science success among students from URGs in STEM, with implications for educational policies and programs aimed at improving STEM participation among URG adolescent students.