The Cultural Roots of STEM: A Synthesis of Non-Western STEM Learning Paradigms

尽管努力促进非正式科学学习（ISL）的包容性，但实现公平仍然具有挑战性。ISL领域的学习者和专业人士主要通过以欧洲为中心或西方的范式来体验科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM），这加强并寻求使历史上主导STEM领域的特权群体的观点和实践正常化。世界观和学习方式不同于STEM规范的学习者/专业人士可能会遭遇排斥、面临困难或被迫同化，这可能会增加他们参与STEM并取得成功的障碍。虽然ISL越来越多地致力于扩大STEM的参与，但如果目前的努力继续围绕主导范式，就无法实现真正的多样性。这个研究综合项目将回顾、总结和解释关于非西方STEM知识、世界观和认识方式的现有研究和知识。它还将提供基于证据的资源，以促进在非正式科学学习（ISL）环境中学习和实践STEM的多种方式。这些资源将提高ISL专业人员对多元化STEM知识系统的认识，扩大对话，并推进研究。该项目由探索博物馆领导，并得到了国家顾问小组的贡献。该项目的首要研究问题是：关于STEM知识系统和认识方式异质性的现有文献的程度、范围和性质是什么？为了回答这个问题，研究小组将遵循以社区参与研究框架为指导的三阶段方法。第一阶段将是一个范围审查，系统地整理和编目关于非西方STEM知识、认识方式和意义构建的现有研究。在第二阶段，项目顾问和选定的社区知识经纪人——来自社区和其他组织的专业人员和/或涉足ISL世界和边缘化有色人种社区的个人——将参加由专业人员协助的咨询活动。本次利益相关者咨询的目标是验证第一阶段的发现，并确定主题和研究问题，以便进一步探索。在此咨询工作的基础上，研究小组将进行一项综合研究，以解决已确定的研究问题。第三阶段将包括两次虚拟便利会议。会议将邀请历史上被边缘化的有色人种、科学博物馆从业人员和项目顾问共同解释和讨论第一阶段和第二阶段的综合结果。第三阶段活动的主要目标是共同确定当前文献中的知识差距，为未来的研究提供信息，并提出基于证据的设计原则和建议，这些原则和建议反映和支持不同的世界观和认识方式。总之，项目将产生以下可交付成果：(1)项目综合结果报告；(2)一个研究议程，确定在ISL中促进本体-认知异质性（多种认识和存在方式）所需的主要研究；(3)社区知情的策略和设计原则，以鼓励探索多元文化STEM知识、认知方式和ISL中的意义构建。该项目将为美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation）扩大STEM学习和职业参与的战略目标做出贡献，为边缘化的有色人种社区和享有特权的、占主导地位的社区提供研究基础和途径，在不损害其文化身份的情况下探索和接受多种认识方式。该综合项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划支持以下项目：(a)促进研究和实践，考虑非正式STEM学习在STEM公平和归属方面的作用；(b)促进个人和教育在STEM方面的成功；(c)促进公众参与科学发现；(d)培养对STEM职业的兴趣；(e)为有效的非正式STEM学习创造和加强理论和经验基础；(f)改善社区活力；及/或(g)加强科学传播和公众对STEM和STEM过程的参与和理解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Despite efforts to foster inclusivity in Informal Science Learning (ISL), achieving equity remains challenging. Learners and professionals in the ISL field predominantly experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through a Eurocentric or Western paradigm, which reinforces and seeks to normalize the perspectives and practices of privileged groups who have historically dominated STEM fields. Learners/professionals with worldviews and ways of learning different from what is presented as normative in STEM may experience exclusion, face difficulties, or be pressured to assimilate, which may add barriers to their engagement and success in STEM. While there is a growing commitment in ISL to broadening participation in STEM, genuine diversity cannot be attained if current efforts continue to revolve around a dominant paradigm. This research synthesis project will review, summarize, and interpret existing research and knowledge on non-Western STEM knowledge, worldviews, and ways of knowing. It will also provide evidence-based resources for promoting diverse ways of learning and doing STEM in Informal Science Learning (ISL) environments. These resources will enhance awareness, expand conversations, and advance research on pluralistic STEM knowledge systems among ISL professionals. This project is led by the Exploratorium with contributions from a national advisory panel.The project's overarching research question is: What are the extent, range, and nature of existing literature on the heterogeneity of STEM knowledge systems and ways of knowing? To answer this question, the research team will follow a three-phase approach guided by a Community Engagement in Research framework. Phase 1 will be a scoping review to systematically collate and catalog existing research on non-Western STEM knowledge, ways of knowing, and sense-making. In Phase 2, project advisors and selected community knowledge brokers--professionals from community-based and other organizations and/or individuals who have a foot in the ISL world and a foot in marginalized communities of color--will participate in a professionally-facilitated consultation exercise. The goal of this stakeholder consultation is to validate the findings from Phase 1 and identify topics and research questions for further exploration. Based on this consultation exercise, the research team will conduct a synthesis study tailored to address the identified research questions. Phase 3 will consist of two virtual facilitated convenings. The convenings will engage members from historically marginalized communities of color, science museum practitioners, and project advisors to collectively interpret and discuss Phase 1 and 2 synthesis results. The main objective of Phase 3 activities is to collectively identify knowledge gaps in the current literature to inform future research and propose evidence-based design principles and recommendations that reflect and support diverse worldviews and ways of knowing. In summary, the project will generate these deliverables: (1) Reports of the project's synthesis findings; (2) A research agenda identifying primary research necessary for the promotion of onto-epistemic heterogeneity [multiple ways of knowing and being] in ISL; and (3) Community-informed strategies, and design principles to encourage exploration of the affordances of multicultural STEM knowledge, ways of knowing, and sense-making in ISL. The project will contribute to the National Science Foundation's strategic goal of broadening participation in STEM learning and careers by providing a research foundation and pathway for both marginalized communities of color and privileged, dominant communities to explore and embrace multiple ways of knowing without compromising their cultural identities. This Synthesis project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which supports projects that: (a) contribute to research and practice that considers informal STEM learning's role in equity and belonging in STEM; (b) promote personal and educational success in STEM; (c) advance public engagement in scientific discovery; (d) foster interest in STEM careers; (e) create and enhance the theoretical and empirical foundations for effective informal STEM learning; (f) improve community vibrancy; and/or (g) enhance science communication and the public's engagement in and understanding of STEM and STEM processes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.