“I Could See Myself as a Scientist” - The Potential of Out-of-School Time Programs to Influence Girls’ Identities in Science

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

Out-of-school time (OST) programs are examined for their capacity to shape girls’ identities as science learners, with the Coastal Ecology science camp serving as the study context. Participants’ reflections suggest that hands-on engagement in authentic scientific activities strengthens identification with science and increases comfort beyond formal classroom curricula. The study also considers how social interactions support science identity development and discusses wider STEM inequities, including barriers for historically underserved groups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

OST programs and science identity

Coastal Ecology camp and participants' experiences

Mechanisms shaping identity in science

Social interactions and identity development

STEM underrepresentation and implications

“I Could See Myself as a Scientist” The Potential of Out-of-School Time Programs to Inﬂuence Girls’ Identities in Science Kelly Riedinger and Amy Taylor “The activity where we collected organisms was a good inﬂuence ’cause I could see myself as a scientist. I got to do the actual thing.” These words from Celeste, a girl who participated in the Coastal Ecology program at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, are not unique. Other girls who participated in the program offered similar input, suggesting that engaging in science in this out-of-school time (OST) setting enhanced their identity and sense of self as learners of science. OST programs like the Coastal Ecology science camp can positively inﬂuence science identities, particularly for youth from groups historically underserved and underrepresented in science, technology, engineering , and math (STEM) . OST STEM programming gives youth opportunities to learn science outside the formal classroom in such settings as afterschool programs, science camps, outreach programs, internships, and scouting. OST science programs often do not formally assess participants or assign grades. They provide opportunities for authentic, meaningful learning that may be more com- fortable for some youth than school curricula (National Research Council , 2009 ; Rennie , 2007 , 2014) . Further, OST programs may give youth access to resources and to scientiﬁc practices and tools not typically available in classrooms (Luehmann, 2009) . This access may be especially important for youth from underresourced schools. Many programs allow youth to explore science in ways that support their identities. Our study explored how the Coastal Ecology science camp helped participants, speciﬁcally girls, develop science identities. We KELLY RIEDINGER, PhD, is the director of research and evaluation for David Heil & Associates. She formerly was an assistant professor in the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She received her doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a focus on science education from the University of Maryland, College Park. AMY TAYLOR, PhD, is an associate professor in the department of early childhood, elementary, middle, literacy, and special education in the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She received her doctorate in science education from North Carolina State University and was recently awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. also studied how the girls’ social interactions supported their identities as learners of science. Kang, and O’Neill (2013) argue that “while decades have been spent addressing the academic achievement gap between girls and boys, very little time has been spent Underrepresentation in STEM addressing the “science identity gap” (p. 1144) . BuildThe historical underrepresentation of women, people ing strong identities in science among girls may inﬂuof color, and persons with disabilities in STEM has not ence their interest in and motivation to pursue science, abated. A recent report published by the National Sci- their self-efﬁcacy and conﬁdence in science, and their ence Foundation (2013) suggested that, although more ability to persist when presented with challenges. OST girls and people of color are taking science courses and programs that develop positive identities may be particpursuing degrees and careers in ularly relevant during adolescence, areas such as life sciences, notable In order to participate in a signiﬁcant period of identity fordiinscprephyasinccsi, es persischemisttr,y,particanduelarlyngi- science, a girl has to see matduriionng w(Osbohichrneyou&th Dmillonake , c2r0it0ic8a)lneering. White males still domi- herself as the type of course choices that affect their later nate the science and engineering person who knows about, careers (Adams, Gupta, & Cotuworkforce; women of color con- uses, and so

FAQs

How do OST science programs influence girls’ science identities?

Engaging in authentic science activities outside the formal classroom can enhance girls’ sense of self as science learners, strengthening their identity and comfort with science.

What role does hands-on learning in the Coastal Ecology camp play?

Participants describe that collecting organisms and doing real activities strongly influenced how they saw themselves as scientists.

Why are girls’ science identity development and STEM participation considered unequal?

The text points to persistent underrepresentation and barriers such as stereotypes about who can do science, limited access to support and resources, and a lack of mentors and role models, especially for nondominant backgrounds.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley