Trajectories of Black and Latinx Adolescents' Ethnic-Racial Identity and Critical Consciousness Development within STEM Contexts: A Mixed Methods Study

Channing Mathews

The current study proposes a mixed methods longitudinal data collection (annual surveys and in-depth interviews) to investigate the school-based experiences of Black and Latinx youth. Specifically, this work examines how these youth draw upon ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness development to persist in STEM contexts. Leveraging secondary, cross-sectional data (Promoting Equitable and Inclusive STEM Contexts in High School, NSF 2020), alongside longitudinal data collection, this project will extend developmental literature by empirically validating an integrative model of ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness development (Mathews et al., 2020). This work elucidates how these cultural assets work together to support Black and Latinx youth to pursue STEM pathways prior to college matriculation. Further, this work investigates the role of racialized context (i.e., experiences of discrimination and school racial climate) at the start and overall change in ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness development over time. This work also underscores the role of both institutional and individual factors in the positive development of Black and Latinx youth who have been historically marginalized in STEM spaces. These findings will support my research goals to inform secondary school interventions aimed to foster Black and Latinx youth's interest and overall persistence across STEM pathways.

About Channing Mathews

Dr. Mathews is an Assistant Professor Community Area of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her research considers how youth of color draw upon their ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness development as motivators for their STEM based academic engagement and activism. Her work focuses on these processes during adolescence and emerging adulthood, drawing from theoretical and methodological approaches in education, psychology, and African American studies. Dr. Mathews' scholarship has three central foci: 1) integrating ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness factors as dual promoters of positive Black and Latinx adolescent and emerging adult development, 2) examining how both ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness promote STEM orientation, and 3) assessing the complexity of ethnic-racial identity and critical action behaviors (including STEM-based activism) in both Black and Latinx adolescence and adulthood. Her scholarship has been published in several prominent peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal for Research on Adolescence, Child Development, and the American Educational Research Journal with her work cited over 1,100 times, demonstrating significant interdisciplinary impact at the intersection of psychology and education. Beyond her research, Dr. Mathews contributes to community engagement initiatives at UVA, including serving on the Youth and Community Engagement Committee of the Transformative Youth Development and Education (TYDE) program. She is also affiliated with the Center for Community Partnerships and the Virginia Equity Center, reflecting her commitment to applying research insights to real-world contexts.