STEMMing the tide
Addressing educational inequities and environmental justice through STEM education in Africatown, Alabama
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22436588 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mark Meade, Mark E Meade (University of Alabama at Birmingham, corresponding author), Danielle Haskett Jennings (University of Montevallo), Reggie R Holifield, Reggie Holifield (University of Montevallo), Vincent T Gawronski (0000-0003-2320-472X, Berry College), Roald Hazelhoff (University of Alabama at Birmingham), Louanne C Jacobs (Birmingham VA Medical Center), Desireé R Melonas (0000-0001-9389-125X, University of California, Riverside), Kelly Russell (0000-0002-9159-9201, Troy University), Katherine L Hayden, Katherine Hayden (University of Montevallo) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Discover Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2731-5525 • E-ISSN: 2731-5525 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s44217-026-01187-5 |
| OpenAlex | W7134163639 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
This study evaluated early outcomes of STEMMing the Tide, a place-based STEM education initiative at Mobile County Training School (MCTS) in Africatown, Alabama, a historically Black, under-resourced community impacted by environmental injustice. The program integrated environmental justice themes into culturally responsive science and social studies middle school curricula aligned with state standards. Eight teachers from Mobile County Training School participated in the first two years of the project, reaching a total of 187 students across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Analysis of schoolwide science proficiency scores showed no statistically significant improvements during the study period. Historically, science proficiency scores at MCTS have consistently remained well below both county and state averages, underscoring ongoing academic inequities that persist despite the implementation of the program. Pre- and post-surveys using Likert-scale items assessed changes in participating students’ science identity and civic engagement. Although no significant differences were found between pre- and post-survey means, encouraging trends were noted. Agreement with the statement “I understand how studying science can help people fix problems” rose from 69 to 78%, and awareness of climate change increased from 62 to 86%. Modest gains were also observed in students’ recognition of community issues and collaboration skills. These findings suggest that while academic gains in science proficiency were limited, the program positively influenced students’ environmental awareness and civic perspectives.
Curriculum · Economic Justice · Environmental education · Environmental justice · Social justice · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Indigenous and Place-Based Education · Science Education and Pedagogy
Connecting high school physics experiences, outcome expectations, physics identity, and physics career choice
Response-Shift Bias
Calculating and reporting effect sizes to facilitate cumulative science
Motivational Beliefs, Values, and Goals
Likert scales, levels of measurement and the “laws” of statistics
The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education
Experiences and Perceptions of STEM Subjects, Careers, and Engagement in STEM Activities Among Middle School Students in the Maritime Provinces
Predicting Positive Citizenship from Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Measures of Program Effectiveness Based on Retrospective Pretest Data
Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests
Research–Practice Partnerships in Education
Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice
The Best of Both Worlds
Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |