Black STEM Educators' Understanding of the Power in Makerspaces

Background: Informal STEM learning environments, such as makerspaces, serve as access points to industry-aligned STEM education for Black Americans, ultimately positioning them to increase their earning potential and social mobility by pursuing STEM careers. Due to academic achievement gaps, underrepresentation, low exposure, and embedded systemic racism, a large percentage of Black American students do not consider a career in STEM. As STEM career opportunities and salaries increase each year, Black Americans must have access to culturally connected STEM-focused makerspaces. Purpose: This study examined the experiences of Black American STEM educators in STEM makerspaces, focusing on their understanding and implementation of makerspaces to create STEM opportunities for Black American youth. The following research question guided this study: (1) How do Black American educators understand and implement makerspaces to foster STEM opportunities for Black American students? Methods: This qualitative study employed an exploratory approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews, to enable participants to share their backgrounds in STEM education and their experiences working with Black American students in makerspaces. Through purposive sampling, eight STEM educators with experience in makerspaces were recruited for this study. Participants identified as Black American and had at least one year of experience in makerspaces. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: In participant descriptions of culturally connected makerspaces engaging Black American students, three points of conceptual interplay developed as themes: (1) exposure influencing the will and hope, (2) representation influencing self-efficacy, and (3) participation in makerspaces influences student success in STEM. Conclusion: Makerspaces with culturally competent Black American teachers had a positive influence on Black American students' journeys towards STEM fields. The combination of exposure, representation, and hands-on learning affords Black American students the opportunity to build increased self-efficacy, strengthened will, and an expanded skill set, enabling them to remain active, persistent, and effective in the STEM community.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Pertile, Montrey Jaron 1989-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lee, Mimi

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Henderson, Jerrod A.
• McNeil, Sara G.
• Gronseth, Susie

• Culturally competent
• Makerspaces
• Black Americans
• STEM
• Community cultural wealth

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/21059

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/21059