Graduation Term
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Department of Psychology: School Psychology
Committee Chair
Brea Banks
Committee Member
Gregory Braswell
Committee Member
Dawn McBride
Committee Member
Chris Merrill
Abstract
Research on STEAM education has primarily focused on formal education settings such as schools, with more research needed in informal or non-traditional education settings. As children frequently engage with informal and non-traditional education settings, it is important to understand how we can transmit information in these settings to bolster and further the learning process and increase engagement. STEAM fields have been plagued by racial and gender inequities that have led to these groups being marginalized and excluded (Blair et al., 2017; Eaton et al., 2020; Martin, 2018; Martin & Phillips, 2019; Miller et al., 2018; Newall et al., 2018, Sheffield et al., 2017; Starks & Matthaeus, 2018; Stitt & Happel-Parkins, 2019; Todd & Zvoch, 2019; van der Lee & Ellemers, 2015). Adults are a critical part of the learning process in informal settings, and it is critical that we understand the influence they can have (Fernández García et al., 2019; Lipowska et al., 2016; MacPhee & Prendergast, 2019; Martin & Phillips, 2019; Rice & Alfred, 2014; Spears, 2008; Tenenbaum & Leaper, 2002; Tiedemann, 2000). I sought to explore the impact of Color-Blind Racial Attitudes, Gender-Blind Attitudes, and STEM Gender Beliefs on adult language use in informal STEAM education settings given a child’s race and gender. I hypothesized that adults would use more STEAM language with a White boy than they would with a White girl, Black boy, or Black girl. I also hypothesized that adults with greater gender-blind attitudes would use more STEAM language with boys than girls. Additionally, I hypothesized that adults with greater STEM-bias attitudes would use more STEAM language with boys than with girls. Finally, I hypothesized that adults with greater color-blind racial attitudes would use more STEAM language with White children than with Black children. Child gender moderately predicted the use of some aspects of STEAM language. Additionally, adult color-blind racial attitudes moderately predicted some aspects of STEAM language given a child’s race. Primary hypotheses were not supported, although some marginally significant results were found.
Access Type
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Horton, Alexandra, "Boys Build, Girls Glam: An Examination of Adult Language Use In Informal STEAM Education Settings" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 2132.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2132
Included in
Engineering Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Gender Equity in Education Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Life Sciences Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, School Psychology Commons
