Making Space in the Curriculum: Examining Purpose in a Middle School Makerspace

Thesis advisor: Katherine McNeillGaining popular recognition in the U.S. with the advent of the first White House Maker Faire in 2014, makerspaces have become an increasingly popular feature of the K-12 educational landscape. While makerspaces have been subject to critique related to the lack of inclusivity within the broader predominantly white and male ‘maker culture’, they have also been recognized for their potential to include and attract students that have been historically underrepresented in the STEM fields, specifically female, African-American and Latinx students (Halverson & Sheridan, 2014; Kafai et al., 2014; Vossoughi, et al., 2016). However, despite their popularity and the growing body of empirical evidence documenting their use in the K-12 context, there are many topics that warrant further exploration, from teachers’ experiences with making, to the processes involved in their long term success or failure, and issues related to leadership, professional development and teacher expertise (Haron & Hughes, 2018). Responding to the need for greater understanding of these issues, this exploratory case study examines the organizational and curricular role of an established middle school makerspace through observations, student surveys, and individual interviews with teachers and school leaders. Findings of this study revealed themes related to (a) discrepancies between participants’ aspirational ideals and the practical reality of their experiences; (b) the important role of flexibility and rigidity within the curriculum and school structures; and (c) the mutually influential relationships that exist between materials, identity, expertise and participation. Each of these themes held specific consequences for equity and inclusion. The findings of this study highlight the critical importance of attending to equity in the implementation of maker learning environments and the central role that school structures, materials and perceptions play in addressing historical inequities in making and STEAM. This study concludes with recommendations for researchers, teachers and school leaders that place equity at the center of plans for school-based making and directions for future research.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction