Short answer
Designers must move beyond surface-level intentions and actively interrogate their creations for potential to perpetuate harm or exclusion, especially concerning cultural and societal power dynamics.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- Journal of Research in Science Teaching (2023)
- Method
- Naturalistic observation and qualitative analysis
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Even with good intentions, STEM curricula and teaching strategies can unintentionally reinforce societal oppressions, leading to the exclusion of certain student groups. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Journal of Research in Science Teaching. Using Naturalistic observation and qualitative analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers must move beyond surface-level intentions and actively interrogate their creations for potential to perpetuate harm or exclusion, especially concerning cultural and societal power dynamics.
STEM curriculum design can inadvertently perpetuate oppression, impacting student inclusion.
Even with good intentions, STEM curricula and teaching strategies can unintentionally reinforce societal oppressions, leading to the exclusion of certain student groups.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching · 2023
Key Findings
- 01STEM teaching practices and curriculum can inadvertently perpetuate oppression.
- 02Whiteness is maintained as the dominant discourse in science learning.
- 03Teachers need to actively reflect on their practices to promote equity and inclusion.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers must move beyond surface-level intentions and actively interrogate their creations for potential to perpetuate harm or exclusion, especially concerning cultural and societal power dynamics.
How to apply
When designing educational tools or curricula, consider the diverse backgrounds of potential users and how the design might be interpreted or experienced differently by various groups.
Project actions
- 01When designing a product for a specific user group, consider if your design might unintentionally disadvantage or alienate any subgroups within that population.
- 02Think about the cultural context and potential biases embedded in your design choices, even if they seem neutral.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Focuses on a critical, often overlooked aspect of design: the perpetuation of social issues.
- +Provides a qualitative depth into classroom dynamics.
Limitations
It's hard to predict all the ways a design might be perceived negatively by different people. My design might be perceived differently by students from various cultural backgrounds.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is strengthened by using multiple data sources (observations, curriculum, interviews) and a theoretical framework. Reliability might be a concern due to the subjective nature of thematic analysis and the focus on a single teacher.
Think critically
How can designers proactively identify and dismantle potential oppressive elements within their designs, rather than reactively addressing them after harm has occurred?
Design Principles
"Design for equity by actively deconstructing potential biases within the design and its implementation."
This highlights the critical need for designers and educators to consider the psychological and social impacts of their design choices. Understanding how design can perpetuate bias is crucial for creating equitable and inclusive learning environments.
What This Means for Your Design
Just because you mean well when designing something for school, it doesn't automatically mean it's fair for everyone. Your design might accidentally make some students feel left out because of how it's taught or what it assumes.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this insight to justify the need for user research that specifically probes for potential negative social or psychological impacts of your design, beyond just usability.
- 2.In your evaluation, consider if your design inadvertently reinforces stereotypes or excludes certain user groups.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights that design intentions alone are insufficient; designs, particularly educational ones, must be critically examined for their potential to perpetuate societal oppressions and exclude user groups. My design process will incorporate an analysis of potential biases and a focus on inclusive user experiences to mitigate such risks.
Source
Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Good intentions are not enough: A case study uncovering perpetuation of internalized and interpersonal oppression in middle school<scp>STEM</scp>classrooms
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about stem curriculum design can inadvertently perpetuate oppression, impacting student inclusion?
- Designers must move beyond surface-level intentions and actively interrogate their creations for potential to perpetuate harm or exclusion, especially concerning cultural and societal power dynamics. Evidence: Journal of Research in Science Teaching (2023).
- Why does "STEM curriculum design can inadvertently perpetuate oppression, impacting student inclusion." matter for design?
- This highlights the critical need for designers and educators to consider the psychological and social impacts of their design choices. Understanding how design can perpetuate bias is crucial for creating equitable and inclusive learning environments.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers must move beyond surface-level intentions and actively interrogate their creations for potential to perpetuate harm or exclusion, especially concerning cultural and societal power dynamics.
- What were the main findings?
- STEM teaching practices and curriculum can inadvertently perpetuate oppression.. Whiteness is maintained as the dominant discourse in science learning.. Teachers need to actively reflect on their practices to promote equity and inclusion.
- What research method was used?
- Naturalistic observation and qualitative analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing educational tools or curricula, consider the diverse backgrounds of potential users and how the design might be interpreted or experienced differently by various groups.
- What are the limitations?
- Focus on a single teacher and specific curricula may limit generalizability.