Strategies for Out-of-School Time STEM Educators Working with Youth Experiencing Diverse Abilities

Authors

Joelle LeMer, Northern Arizona UniversityFollow
Rasha Elsayed, WestEdFollow
Kirsten Daehler, WestEdFollow
Nena Bloom, Northern Arizona UniversityFollow

Abstract

Out-of-school time learning occurs in a variety of settings including formal-learning environments, such as afterschool programs, or informal-learning environments, such as museums or youth clubs. Educators in out-of-school time contexts serve diverse youth populations. Many educators often have limited experience or preparation in how to support STEM learning, particularly with learners experiencing diverse physical and/or sensory abilities, such as mobility, dexterity, vision, or hearing. The purpose of this article is to share research-to-practice strategies for STEM in out-of-school time settings for professionals working with youth experiencing diverse physical and/or sensory abilities. These strategies are derived from a review of available literature coupled with practitioner interviews. A structured literature review identified several barriers to, and supporting ideas for, learning STEM in out-of-school time settings with learners experiencing diverse physical and/or sensory abilities. Six interviews were conducted with a total of nine OST educators from varied settings across the United States to elicit educator reflections about their experiences implementing STEM with diverse abled learners. The interviews were compared to literature findings to derive research-to-practice themes. Themes include (1) understanding the learner, (2) planning for inclusion, (3) attending to curriculum design, and (4) providing out-of-school time educators opportunities for professional learning. Implications for this study include how identified themes and strategies can be useful for the design of out-of-school time STEM programs, curriculum, and professional learning. It is intended that these strategies will result in powerful programs that celebrate diversity and provide equity for all learners.

Recommended Citation

LeMer, Joelle; Elsayed, Rasha; Daehler, Kirsten; and Bloom, Nena (2025) "Strategies for Out-of-School Time STEM Educators Working with Youth Experiencing Diverse Abilities," Journal of Youth Development: Vol. 20: Iss. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://open.clemson.edu/jyd/vol20/iss3/2