Intersectionality in Inclusive Science Classrooms: Enhancing Student Performance via Multimedia Teacher Professional Development

Student achievement disparities in inclusive science classrooms are concerning, as knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is increasingly important for upward mobility. When students identify with multiple marginalized sociocultural groups, progress becomes more troubling, as the interplay among these factors is rarely accounted for in quantitative intervention research. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to evaluate performance on measures of science vocabulary and general science knowledge among students with intersectional identities (i.e., students with disabilities from marginalized racial/ethnic groups, n = 33; and students with disabilities from low SES households, n = 167) following teacher participation in a multimedia professional development (PD) process. Using a series of multilevel models, results suggest students who learned from teachers who participated in the multimedia professional development process experienced greater gains than peers with the same intersectional identities in comparison classrooms across all measures. Implications and future directions are discussed.