Exploring Teachers' Motivational Supports in Urban Title I Elementary Schools: Integrated STEM Practices for Equitable Learning Experiences

Abstract

Teachers' classroom instructional practices are undergirded by a myriad of psychological factors which contribute to pathways for student success. An exploration of teachers' motivational supports for facilitating students' learning experiences, in urban, Title I elementary schools, through integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can provide better understanding about specific instructional practices related to enhancing student engagement, persistence, and achievement, particularly for historically marginalized students who may face systemic barriers to equitable learning opportunities. Through an integrated theoretical framework (need supportive teaching [NST] and culturally responsive pedagogy [CRP]), this qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study answers two questions: What integrated STEM instructional practices do teachers use in urban, Title I elementary schools? How do teachers provide motivational supports for facilitating integrated STEM instruction in urban, Title I elementary schools? The teachers in this study were enrolled in a federally-funded program to increase teachers' integrated STEM pedagogical content knowledge. A hybrid data analysis process was used to analyze teachers' integrated STEM classroom instruction, yielding key themes: provisions of guidelines and various materials, tactfully posing thought-provoking questions and statements, and encouraging collaborative problem-solving between students. This study enhances understanding of teachers' motivational supports in integrated STEM instructional practices in urban, Title I schools, with research implications.