Identity development and intersections of disability, race, and STEM: Illuminating perspectives on equity

In this commentary, I discuss the impetus for the study to examine the effect on connectedness to STEM and equitable outcomes in STEM participation for students who are deaf/hard of hearing, and representative of other marginalized identities. Maggie Renken et al.’s theoretical perspective on identity development, intersectionality, and STEM, provide context for understanding barriers and considering practices for supporting development of a STEM identity and pursuit of STEM-related careers. Attention to identity formation and social components of identity formation are key to the study’s significance. I expound upon an extension of the focus on students’ identity development to include an underlying attention to equity and the redressing of systemic oppressions that have prevented access to STEM in the past. I will suggest deepening of the analysis to go beyond an understanding of the utility of identity formation to unearth systemic barriers that are residually evident in the socially influenced development process and in the professional world of STEM.