Engaging Underrepresented Minorities in STEAM Through Indigenous Stories

Abstract

In this article, the authors report on a case study where we engaged underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) by retelling indigenous stories from the South Pacific. In this study, the authors taught the students how to retell two existing Indigenous stories through coding in Scratch. First, we conducted a pre-exposure test of the student's perceptions of STEAM subjects using a child-friendly Likert scale from an adapted version of an existing survey instrument. The students were taught how to retell indigenous stories using Scratch for the following seven weeks. After the completion of the lessons, the students were given the same survey to assess any changes in perceptions of STEAM subjects. We incorporated two additional questions to assess interest in additional lessons and future careers in STEAM. The key findings were a positive change in perceptions of STEAM subjects. We also asked the classroom teachers to reflect on the experience, and they reported high levels of engagement and interest in STEAM.

Full text

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Engaging Underrepresented Minorities in STEAM Through Indigenous
Stories
Allan Fowler, University of Auckland Contact email – allan.fowler@auckland.ac.nz
Angus Campbell, University of Auckland
Ruth Lemon, University of Auckland
Yasmin Dullabh, University of Auckland
Abstract
In this article, the authors report on a case study where we engaged underrepresented minorities in Science,
Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) by retelling indigenous stories from the South Pacific. In
this study, the authors taught the students how to retell two existing Indigenous stories through coding in Scratch. First,
we conducted a pre-exposure test of the student's perceptions of STEAM subjects using a child-friendly Likert scale
from an adapted version of an existing survey instrument. The students were taught how to retell indigenous stories
using Scratch for the following seven weeks. After the completion of the lessons, the students were given the same
survey to assess any changes in perceptions of STEAM subjects. We incorporated two additional questions to assess
interest in additional lessons and future careers in STEAM. The key findings were a positive change in perceptions of
STEAM subjects. We also asked the classroom teachers to reflect on the experience, and they reported high levels of
engagement and interest in STEAM.
Key Words Underrepresented minorities, Indigenous stories, STEAM Education, Computational Thinking, Scratch
1. INTRODUCTION
The participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM or STEAM subjects has garnered considerable interest (Chen et al.,
2017; Fowler & Cusack, 2011; Kafai, 2006; May & Chubin, 2003). In the context of this paper and the two schools we
worked with, we are referring to Māori and Sāmoan students, when we speak of underrepresented minorities. While many
students from underrepresented minorities demonstrate an interest in STEM subjects at an early age, that interest dissipates
when decisions are made about careers or further study (Kniveton, 2004). Structural and social issues influence these
decisions and strongly influence career choice (Seligman et al., 1991). Given the social, economic, and cultural advantages
STEM graduates enjoy, the underrepresentation of minorities in STEM subjects perpetuates inequalities, including those
which potentially violate the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi (Kēpa & Manu'atu, 2011).
Due to the lack of Māori engaging in STEM subjects focusing on underrepresented minorities in STEAM is necessary
regarding social justice and equity. The benefit of increasing representation and the skill sets of underrepresented minorities
will increase representation and products and services that represent the diversity of Aotearoa, New Zealand. The other
benefit of increasing representation is that future generations will identify with the success of role models they can identify
with and feel empowered to follow them.
With the increased growth in STEM careers, the demand for qualified staff has also increased (Hurtado et al., 2010).
However, the rise of this vital sector has not addressed a major issue of representation of underrepresented minorities by
gender, ethnicity, or family income. Not only does this represent an equity or equality issue, but it also potentially creates
product or service homogeneity. Improving gender and cultural diversity in the workplace can impact product diversity and
representation (Ferrini-Mundy, 2013; Nelson, 2014; Tsui, 2007).
Many young students from underrepresented minorities demonstrate an interest in STEM at an early age. However, this, for
several reasons, dissipates when decisions about careers or further study are made. Some of the core reasons identified in the
literature can be categorised as internal or external causes. External factors can influence internal causes such as
self-confidence and perceptions of ability but strongly influence career choices (Bandura, 1994; Barron & Gravert, 2022;
Basow & Howe, 1980; Hackett & Betz, 1995). The external causes can be categorised as social or environmental. The social
factors influencing these decisions are family, peers, teachers, and school counsellors (Si’ilata, 2014; Webber, 2024). The
environmental factors include the location (the availability of STEM programs) and access to libraries, museums, or
connectivity and curriculum.
To address these challenges, the authors developed a series of modules connecting to the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry
of Education, 2017) to engage students in STEAM/STEM subjects and investigate the effectiveness of the modules in
engaging students.

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2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study aims to investigate the impact of an intervention to increase perceptions and persistence in STEM/STEAM
subjects, with researchers positioned as insider/outsider. Allan Fowler and Angus Campbell are Senior Lecturers in the
Faculty of Creative Art and Industries. Ruth Lemon, as Māori educator, Yasmin Dullabh is a Bachelor of Design student in
the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries.
How effective are the modules at engaging underrepresented minorities in STEAM?
To what degree do the modules affect the perceptions and persistence of STEAM?
How effective were the modules for the teachers?
3. LITERATURE REVIEW
The existing literature relevant to this study includes existing research into computational thinking, the use of block-based
systems (like Scratch) to introduce your students to programming/coding, and how indigenous stories have been used to
engage students in STEM/STEAM.
3.1. Computational Thinking
Seminal author on computational thinking (CT) Jeannette Wing (2012) highlights that with the ubiquity of computers and
computing, computational thinking will be a fundamental skill used by everyone in the world by the middle of the 21st
Century. Wing (2006) notes the following characteristics of CT:
Conceptualising, not programming.
Fundamental, not rote skill.
A way that humans, not computers, think.
Complements and combines mathematical and engineering thinking.
Ideas, not artifacts.
For everyone, everywhere (p. 35).
Six years later, Suchi Grover and Roy Pea (2013) explore the state of CT in K–12 education. They note that there has been
significant work on defining the concept of and developing tools for CT (Grover & Pea: 42). However, they note that there is
still work to do in considering how CT can be situated socio-culturally, how computing can be used to teach other subjects,
and how gender biases of computing can be overcome. An Expert Advisory Panel was set up in 2020, with the goal of
providing an independent source of expertise to the Ministry of Education on improving teaching, learning and assessment in
the Technology learning area (Royal Society Te Apārangi, 2021). Our study was designed to address these needs.
3.2. Block-based systems for learning programming/coding
Diana Pérez-Marín et al. (2020) explore how computational learning can be improved using a methodology based on
metaphors and Scratch to improve computer programming skills in primary education children. Their study is not focused on
changing students' perceptions of STEAM but was inspirational in using metaphors like stories to develop CT. In addition,
building on the work of Jesús Moreno-León et al. (2015) and LeChen Zhang and Jalal Nouri (2019), Pérez- Marín et al.
(2020) found that "Scratch is useful for... improving students' CT" (p. 9). This led to our choice of Scratch as the medium of
learning within the modules in this study (See Lemon et al., 2023 for a related study focusing on Tangible User Inputs or
TUIs and their role in teaching programming with young children). Yauney and Bartholomew (2023) found that introducing
computer science (or coding) into the classroom was beneficial, as students perceived the topic as being fun and provided
potential employment prospects.
3.3. Indigenous stories in STEM/STEAM
Qingna Jin (2021) undertook a systemic literature review of how indigenous students were supported in science and STEM
education in 24 international studies. "All the programs had reported positive outcomes with Indigenous students' science
learning, understanding of their own cultures and traditions, and the complementarity of Western science and Indigenous
knowledge."
(Jin, 2021:1). This study was design to expand on the existing literature on using indigenous storytelling to engage students
in STEM (Lemon et al., 2023; Moeke-Maxwell et al., 2020). However, in this study, the authors sought to incorporate the
intervention in a classroom environment
Hon (2015) curated Eye Hand Mind: Seeking, Making, and Understanding at the FADA Gallery in Johannesburg in
collaboration with Africa Meets Africa (AmA). The exhibition practically explores how "learning departs from what is

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known" (Hon, 2015.). Showcasing the work of master artists and craftspeople, the exhibition presents a "unique art
skills-based learning methodology, which integrates the subject’s Visual arts, History and Mathematics within the
requirements of the national CAPS curriculum." (Hon, 2015). This methodology enables high school students to learn
abstract mathematical concepts of geometry with their eyes, hands and minds as they copy the styles of familiar southern
African weaving and beadwork from art Masters within their communities. AmA's approach supports students towards
higher education through a STEAM-based approach accessible to the students but also ensures that indigenous knowledge
endures. A similar STEM-Art-based approach focused on indigenous storytelling to support Native American students
practically learning robotics is documented in a chapter by Tzou et al. (2020). Zhang (2021) also explores how indigenous
digital storytelling can activate students' development of self-representation and decolonial learning in library maker spaces
in Canada. All these projects evidence the efficacy of indigenous storytelling and creative making as effective ways to
support STEAM subjects' learning for underrepresented minorities.
4. METHODOLOGY
4.1. Population
To determine if these modules would improve interest and participation in STEAM, the authors recruited two Primary
Schools in Auckland, New Zealand. Due to the focus of the study, a convenience sampling method was used. The authors
obtained ethics approval from the University of Auckland Human Ethics Committee (Approval # UAHPEC23858). We then
met with the school administration and classroom teachers to discuss how to implement this trial in the classroom. With the
teachers' help, we could trial the intervention in five classrooms (N=124).
4.2. Data Collection
The authors and the teaching team co-developed a series of modules based on the New Zealand curriculum framework to
engage students and address the challenges of the lack of engagement in STEAM subjects. The first two modules engaged
the students in retelling indigenous stories in Scratch (Resnick et al., 2009) to improve literacy and numeracy. The third
module involved the students imagining their future using Minecraft Education Edition (Microsoft, 2023). The third module
was developed to help students improve literacy through retelling indigenous storied. The students used laptops to create the
code to incorporate the technology aspects.
The modules engaged the students in aspects of science (navigation), technology (design to meet a need), engineering
(structures), and mathematics (coordinates, calculating, and distances). The students also created sounds, modified sprites,
and incorporated music into their stories.
In the first module, students were asked to retell how Nukutawhiti re-discovers Aotearoa using Scratch. The second story
involved students retelling a story from Samoa, where a mother and son drowned in the ocean. The story was provided by
one of the classroom teachers who is originally from Samoa. In both projects, the students were given the sprites and then
taught to code each part of the story. Finally, students were asked to design what their school would look like in one hundred
years, and this time, they used Minecraft Education (Microsoft, 2023).
To understand how effective the modules were at improving perceptions of STEAM subjects, we used a survey instrument to
evaluate changes in the students' perceptions. We developed pre- exposure and post-exposure instruments to help measure
these changes. The pre-exposure survey instrument was administered on the first day before the delivery of the curriculum
content, and the post-exposure survey instrument was administered on the last day. From our experience in the field, we
found that younger participants struggle to understand a Likert scale or how to indicate their responses accurately. Therefore,
we developed a survey instrument using a child-friendly Likert scale (Smileyometer) (Read & MacFarlane, 2006) for the
students to complete (Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Smileyometer (Read & MacFarlane, 2006)

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After each event, the participants will be provided with a post-exposure survey. The survey instrument includes questions
similar to those in the pre-exposure survey. Further questions were added to measure interest in further lessons and attributes
such as enjoyment and satisfaction. We also asked the teaching team for their feedback on the effectiveness of the modules.
5. RESULTS
Through the survey instruments, the authors could answer the research questions. The findings are presented according to
each research question.
5.1. How effective are the modules at engaging underrepresented minorities in STEAM?
Throughout the sessions, the researchers and the classroom teachers observed high levels of engagement in the modules. The
choice of local stories gave the students something they could relate to.
5.2. How much do the modules affect the perceptions and persistence of STEAM?
A significant improvement in the perceptions of specific STEAM subjects can be seen in the frequency of responses.
Figure 2.
Changes in perceptions of STEAM Subjects

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As detailed in Figure 2, the authors found notable changes in perceptions of Science. In the pre- exposure survey, most
students indicated that Science was 'Meh' (or average). The results show a 57% reduction in the Meh rating between pre- and
post-exposures. Moreover, the responses to the Agree rating improved by 26%, and the Strongly Agree rating improved by
33% (collectively 59%). The authors also observed notable changes in perceptions of Engineering. In the pre- exposure
survey, a majority of the students indicated that Engineering was Meh. However, the post-exposure survey shows a
significant reduction in the Meh rating (31%). Although the Agree rating did drop by 28%, the Strongly Agree rating
improved by 22%. In Mathematics, we observed a slight decrease in the Meh rating (16%) and a significant improvement in
the Strongly Argee rating (41%). However, the Agree rating dropped by 44%.
We were surprised to see no real changes in perceptions of Technology. However, the students appeared to have positive
attitudes toward technology in general. We also did not observe significant changes in perceptions of Art. We noted that in
both Schools, the students were using relatively old Chromebooks, and during the sessions, we observed some latent
dissatisfaction with the reliability of these devices.
Figure 3.
Changes in the persistence of STEAM Subjects
To understand any changes in the persistence of STEAM subjects, we asked the students about their perceptions of careers in
STEAM. We found a significant reduction in the Meh rating and positive improvements in the Strongly Agree rating (Figure
3). We also asked the students if they wanted additional STEAM coding activities. From the results (Figure 4), we can see a
positive trend that the majority of students were interested in more STEAM coding activities.

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Figure 4.
Interest in more STEAM Coding activities
5.3. How effective were the modules for the teachers?
We also surveyed the teachers at the sessions' conclusion, and all expressed an interest in getting further resources. The
teachers all reported strong student engagement and participation.
6. DISCUSSION
This study focused on using Indigenous stories to engage underrepresented minorities in STEAM. Through engaging with the
students in a classroom setting, we evaluated the contribution the modules made to improving participation and perceptions
of STEAM subjects. From the results of this study, the authors conclude that this was a positive experience for the teachers
and the students. The students were deeply engaged in learning subjects they perceived as hard or boring.
Although this study is limited to two schools in one city, the results are encouraging. We hope to extend the study to a
broader population to provide more generalisable results. Furthermore, this study was limited to one school term in one
school year. To achieve and evaluate long-term results, a longitudinal project would be beneficial in providing generalisable
data.
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research was generously supported by the InternetNZ Digital Inclusion grant. This research was conducted under the
auspices of the University of Auckland Human Ethics Committee (UAHPEC23858). The authors thank the teachers and
students at Kōwhai Intermediate School and Te Papapa School for participating in this study.
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