"Bring it on": Explaining persistence in science at the intersection of identity and epistemology

TL;DR

This case study explores how a student's identity and epistemological beliefs about science can foster persistence and enthusiasm, highlighting the role of supportive teaching in transforming disengaged students into science leaders.

Contribution

It demonstrates how aligning student identity with epistemological views and supportive teaching can promote persistence in science among underrepresented students.

Findings

Student's love of challenges increased engagement

Supportive teaching fostered self-directed learning

Identity-epistemology alignment boosted persistence

Abstract

Research has documented a sharp decline in students' interest and persistence in science, starting in middle school, particularly among students from underrepresented populations. In working to address this problem, we can learn a great deal from positive examples of students getting excited about science, especially students who were previously disengaged. In this paper, we present a case study of Estevan, an 8th grade student who came into Ms. K's science class with a reputation as a potential "problem student," but left as a leader of the class, even making plans to pursue a career in science. Through analysis of interviews and classroom interactions, we show how Estevan's love of science can be partially explained by an alignment between his identity as a lover of challenges and his epistemology of science as involving the challenge of figuring things out for yourself. This alignment was possible in part because it was supported by his caring teacher, who attended to his ideas and constantly challenged him and the rest of her students to figure things out for themselves instead of just "giving them the answers."