03/06/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Natasha N. Clemons “Advancing STEM Engagement Through Informal STEM Learning: Examining the Impact of a 10th Grade STEM Orientation Program at an Inclusive Specialized STEM High School."

Candidate: Natasha N. Clemons
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling, STEM
Defense Date: March 19, 2026
Time: Noon
Location: Via Zoom 
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Advancing STEM Engagement Through Informal STEM Learning: Examining the Impact of a 10th Grade STEM Orientation Program at an Inclusive Specialized STEM High School

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Katherine King, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Tracy Manousaridis, Ed.D., Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
Across the country, schools have expanded access to advanced STEM courses and improved performance outcomes, yet inequities in STEM participation persist for marginalized students, in part because informal STEM learning (ISL) remains uneven and inconsistently measured. This Dissertation in Practice examined inequitable access to ISL at Shermer High School (SHS; pseudonym), where many students reported limited engagement in interest-driven STEM experiences. Guided by improvement science, the study began with a needs assessment to examine patterns in ISL participation and student-reported STEM engagement. Results showed that 41.9% of ninth- and tenth-grade students reported no recent ISL participation, while baseline STEM identity and interest averaged 2.76 and 2.99 out of 5, respectively. A six-week Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle was then implemented through a school-day STEM Orientation embedded in 10th-grade chemistry. Using an embedded mixed-methods design, pre–post survey data were analyzed with paired-samples t-tests and qualitative artifacts were examined for shifts in students’ positioning in relation to STEM. Findings indicated a statistically significant increase in STEM self-efficacy (t = 2.34, p = .028), while changes in identity, interest, and 21st-century skills were not statistically significant within the study timeframe. Qualitative evidence suggested increased identity sensemaking. Findings contribute to the literature on inclusive STEM high school design and inform recommendations for embedding ISL within credit-bearing STEM courses and institutionalizing STEM engagement as a measurable organizational outcome.