A Thematic Review of STEM Education for Disadvantaged Students

Abstract

The present study proposed to thematically examine the studies on STEM education for disadvantaged students. International and national well-known databases (e.g., ERIC, PROQUEST Dissertations and Theses Global, ULAKBIM, Scopus, YOK-National Theses Center, and Google Scholar) were searched by means of keyword patterns (pattern 1: STEM education and disadvantaged students; pattern 2: STEM education and nondominant students; pattern 3: STEM education and underrepresented students). Then, the inclusion (e.g., STEM education for disadvantaged students, STEM careers/plans and their reasons) and exclusion (e.g., racial microaggressions in STEM education) criteria were applied. Thus, a total of 37 studies were appearant for the thematic review. Afterwards, the studies were analyzed in regard to the matrix (i.e., aims, methodologies, disadvantaged groups, intervention programmes, conclusions, and implications). The findings showed that such factors as socio-economic status, gender, ethnic/racial minority, and learning gap/disability influenced the disadvantaged students' STEM careers. Therefore, future studies should cultivate these factors as moderator variables to drive disadvantaged students to the STEM careers and develop their potential competencies of STEM fields.