Family Matters: A Mixed-Methods Study of Everyday Science Talk and STEM Identity Development

Hispanic youths have traditionally been marginalized from participation in STEM careers, though efforts have been made to increase diversity in STEM careers through targeted learning interventions for these students. However, these efforts often do not purposefully address STEM identity formation, which is a construct closely related to career choice in STEM. Building on previous work that highlights the value of “science talk”, we focus on the childhood experiences of Hispanic/Latine college students that have informed the construction of their STEM identity and contributed to their decisions to enroll in STEM programs. We use a mixed methods approach to explore the relationships between experiencing talking with others about science and their sense of recognition and identity in STEM. Our quantitative results suggest that talking about science with close family members is associated with students’ sense of recognition as STEM people but talk with extended family and friends is not significant. Our qualitative results further demonstrate the value of impromptu science talk moments as springboards for supporting STEM recognition and identity, particularly considering the inhibitory role that formal school settings played. These outcomes suggest that facilitating talk moments between children and parents may offer valuable contributions to children’s STEM identity development.