Broadening STEM participation: an intersectional approach to promoting minoritised students’ inclusion
Kanella Marosi examines the systemic marginalization of LGBTQIA+ individuals (hereafter referred to as queer) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and professional environments, and argues for the urgent need to reimagine STEM through inclusive and justice-centered frameworks. Rather than treating queer lives as exceptions to be accommodated, Marosi positions them as central to transforming what STEM education is, does, and can become.
Grounded in queer theory and intersectionality, the dissertation interrogates how power operates through normative assumptions embedded in science and education. Queer theory is used to challenge binary constructions of gender and sexuality and to disrupt dominant norms, while intersectionality highlights how interlocking systems of oppression—including cisheteronormativity, racism, ableism, classism, and patriarchy—shape lived experiences and access to STEM. Together, these frameworks support a research agenda that centers lived experience, resists assimilation, and seeks systemic transformation.
The dissertation consists of five articles. The first presents a systematic review of 24 empirical studies on queer individuals in STEM learning and working environments, revealing persistent patterns of exclusion, harassment, and professional marginalization. The second article is a multiple case study of three queer individuals, using life-history interviews to examine how dominant cultural models in science shape science identity trajectories. The third article foregrounds queer perspectives on transforming STEM education through changes in culture, curriculum, pedagogy, and relationships. The fourth article develops a teacher training course focused on diversity, inclusion, and social justice in STEM, translating theory into practice. The fifth article analyzes instructional materials created by participating teachers, identifying both promising practices and ongoing challenges.
Overall, this dissertation contributes theoretical, empirical, and practical tools for advancing more inclusive and liberatory STEM education.