Identify Negotiations of Reluctant Makers in STEM-rich Makerspaces
Priyanka Parekh · Proceedings. · 2024
Makerspaces are technology-rich environments that foster Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) -rich practices.Making is a cultural learning model founded upon constructionism and beliefs of STEM-mediated social mobility.Acknowledging the complex ways of participation and learning in makerspaces, this paper examines the identity work of four girls aged eleven to fourteen in a tinkering workshop.Using intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989), this paper describes how the girls negotiated identities in relation to coparticipants, others' expectations, and their self-understanding.Despite the commonality of the girls' unwillingness to engage meaningfully in workshop activities and intense negotiations, only some girls negotiated positive identities.Analysis reveals that several factors affected their identity work, including others' participation and perceptions, while robust identities in other domains presented opportunities and challenges.The paper underscores considering social and individual factors influencing engagement in makerspaces to accommodate diverse identities and encourages understanding the implications of seemingly inclusive technology-rich learning environments.