03/06/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Amani Rogers, Expanding Horizons Through Representation: An Improvement Science Study Examining The Impact Of Black Professional Women’s Belonging Stories On Black Girls’ Attitudes Toward STEM."

Candidate: Amani Rogers
Degree: Doctoral Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling STEM
Defense Date: March 19, 2026
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Expanding Horizons Through Representation: An Improvement Science Study Examining The Impact Of Black Professional Women’s Belonging Stories On Black Girls’ Attitudes Toward STEM

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Amie Milkowski, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Tara Goodhue, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
Black girls remain underrepresented in advanced high school mathematics courses despite demonstrating early interest in STEM careers and comparable academic ability. Prior research highlights the role of belonging, representation, and identity in shaping students’ engagement with mathematics and persistence in STEM pathways. Drawing on this literature, this study examines whether exposure to belonging stories from Black female STEM professionals influences Black girls’ attitudes toward STEM. Using an improvement science framework, the study employed a mixed-methods design centered on four one-hour seminar sessions delivered to a Grade 7 cohort in a suburban middle school. Seven Black girls participated in the study. The intervention featured personal narratives from Black female STEM professionals that emphasized struggle, persistence, and the role of mathematics in academic and career trajectories. Quantitative data were collected using pre- and post-surveys measuring STEM attitudes, while qualitative data were gathered through student interviews and career-aspirations artifacts. Although the targeted 10% increase in overall STEM attitudes was not achieved, results revealed a 4.46% increase in attitudes toward mathematics. Qualitative findings indicated meaningful shifts in student behavior, including increased classroom participation, greater persistence with challenging mathematics tasks, and clearer articulation of STEM career aspirations. These findings suggest that mathematics-specific belonging interventions may be a more effective lever than broad STEM approaches for this population. The study underscores the importance of early, targeted, and equity-centered interventions that strengthen Black girls’ relationships with mathematics as a pathway to expanding access to advanced coursework and future STEM opportunities.