- 2805 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322
- Dr. Suárez (he/him/his/él) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State ... moreDr. Suárez (he/him/his/él) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University. He received his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the Dept of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University. His research interests include: queer studies in education, curriculum studies, demography of sexuality, inequality, pathways to STEM recruitment and persistence, and quantitative research methods.edit
This study seeks to understand the daily violence endured by queer youth. We use Queer Battle Fatigue, Ahmed's cultural politics of emotion, and STEM identity theories to make meaning of youth's experience. We draw from audio recordings... more
This study seeks to understand the daily violence endured by queer youth. We use Queer Battle Fatigue, Ahmed's cultural politics of emotion, and STEM identity theories to make meaning of youth's experience. We draw from audio recordings and transcriptions of 15 queer youth over the course of a summer and fall LGBTQ þ maker camp in a rural town in the Intermountain Western part of the United States. Findings show that the maker camp environment provided queer campers casual conversations about microaggressions and violence endured at school. In this context, STEM served as a cover (concealed goals) in three ways: emotion, validation/advice, and safety. This particular environment provided them recognition and validation of both their STEM and queer identities, allowing the group to be able to casually mention these instances of violence they had endured.
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The present study explores demographics, pre-university characteristics and multi-year (2003-2013) tracking of a census of 53,077 students who initially declared a STEM major upon entering a research university in the United States... more
The present study explores demographics, pre-university characteristics and multi-year (2003-2013) tracking of a census of 53,077 students who initially declared a STEM major upon entering a research university in the United States Southwest and seeks to predict graduation with a STEM and non-STEM degree. Guided by QuantCrit theory, we use multilevel models to determine factors that predicted persistence in any major and factors that predicted persistence in STEM. We also use marginal effects to explore the intersection of ethnicity, gender, and first-generation status. Results highlight the disparity that exist amongst Black students and their White counterparts with regards to persistence in any major. We also highlight the gap between first-generation White and Black first-generation females and their Asian and International counterparts with regards to persistence in STEM. Implications for future research and practitioners suggest further attention needs to be paid to Black first-generation students in STEM.
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Purpose-This study aims to examine how gender variation in trans identities shape exposure to bias and discrimination. The authors then examine how trans identities intersect with race/ethnicity, education and social class to shape... more
Purpose-This study aims to examine how gender variation in trans identities shape exposure to bias and discrimination. The authors then examine how trans identities intersect with race/ethnicity, education and social class to shape exposure risk to bias, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach-The authors use data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey with 24,391 trans-identified respondents. To account for the nested nature of trans people in state contexts, the authors use two-level logistic multilevel models. The authors are guided by Puwar's bodies out of place as the theoretical grounding for this study. Findings-The authors find significant differences in how trans women and men experience discrimination. The authors also find differences in race, education and social class. Finally, the presence of anti-discrimination policies presents mixed results. Originality/value-The authors' analysis reveals important differences in trans workers' exposure to discrimination based on gender identity, social class, race/ethnicity and policy context, and draws upon a rich and large data set.
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Background: Visibility of the transgender community has increased, particularly in the media. Trans teachers face a challenge, as their professional roles are both public and private. In an effort to seek personal and professional... more
Background: Visibility of the transgender community has increased, particularly in the
media. Trans teachers face a challenge, as their professional roles are both public and private.
In an effort to seek personal and professional support, trans teachers have turned to
social media outlets. Additionally, current research does not always encompass intersectional
experiences of trans BIPOC teachers.
Aim: This paper presents an autohistoria-teorıa, or autoethnographical case study account of
the author’s experience coming out in the workplace as a trans teacher in Texas.
Methods: Guided by Slavin et al. multicultural model of the stress process coupled with
intersectionality, this paper attempts to describe how a trans teacher of color navigates the
workplace. The data for this study are a collection of all of the author’s social media posts
from 2005 to 2015.
Results: Findings reveal that allies provided some support, and that this trans teacher used
deflection as a coping strategy in posts.
Conclusion: The results suggest that administrative and peer support can impact transgender
workers’ mental well-being. In this paper, autohistoria-teorıa is used as a powerful
way for a trans BIPOC teacher’s narrative to be told, which contributed to cultural healing.
media. Trans teachers face a challenge, as their professional roles are both public and private.
In an effort to seek personal and professional support, trans teachers have turned to
social media outlets. Additionally, current research does not always encompass intersectional
experiences of trans BIPOC teachers.
Aim: This paper presents an autohistoria-teorıa, or autoethnographical case study account of
the author’s experience coming out in the workplace as a trans teacher in Texas.
Methods: Guided by Slavin et al. multicultural model of the stress process coupled with
intersectionality, this paper attempts to describe how a trans teacher of color navigates the
workplace. The data for this study are a collection of all of the author’s social media posts
from 2005 to 2015.
Results: Findings reveal that allies provided some support, and that this trans teacher used
deflection as a coping strategy in posts.
Conclusion: The results suggest that administrative and peer support can impact transgender
workers’ mental well-being. In this paper, autohistoria-teorıa is used as a powerful
way for a trans BIPOC teacher’s narrative to be told, which contributed to cultural healing.
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Given the current political and social climate, teaching children about sexual orientation and gender identity is more important than ever. The present literature review seeks to address the following questions: How are LGBTIQ + topics... more
Given the current political and social climate, teaching children about sexual orientation and gender identity is more important than ever. The present literature review seeks to address the following questions: How are LGBTIQ + topics addressed in practitioner literature and in what content areas are these topics most prevalent? How prevalent are LGBTIQ + topics in practitioner literature before 2015, prior to the publication of Miller’s Queer Literacy Framework (QLF)? How prevalent are these topics after QLF’s publication in 2015? The search for LGBTIQ+ topics in the journals led to a total of 74 articles which were then coded by three independent researchers. To explore the prevalence of LGBTIQ+ topics in articles published in journals most accessible to PreK-12 classroom teachers, the 13 top practitioner journals across all major content areas (i.e., English/Language Arts, social studies, mathematics, and science) and grade levels were selected. These results produce two salient conclusions. First, LGBTIQ+ themes are present in articles published over the years. Second, individuals included under the LGBTIQ+ umbrella are silenced. There is evidence of the use of the QLF before and after 2015, indicating that LGBTIQ+ topics were addressed. Implications for teacher education and suggestions for future research are included.
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The present study used 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data to determine the impact of school organizational factors on secondary STEM teacher retention in the post-NCLB era. Researchers utilized teacher and principal... more
The present study used 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data to determine the impact of school organizational factors on secondary STEM teacher retention in the post-NCLB era. Researchers utilized teacher and principal instruments from the SASS to measure the retention of grades 9–12 STEM teachers (n = 920). Due to the nested nature of teachers within schools and based on previous retention research, multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the proportion of variance in STEM teacher retention across schools. The study focused on identifying the proportion of variance in STEM teacher retention that was attributable to school differences, as well as the effect of school climate on STEM teacher retention, controlling for teacher and principal characteristics. The study’s most important finding was that having a principal who majored in a STEM subject had a positive and significant effect on the retention of secondary STEM teachers.
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North Carolina voted into law legislation known as the Privacy Facilities and Security Act, commonly known as HB2 or the anti-transgender “bathroom bill.” We use Pinar’s (1975a, 1975b, 2012) currere methodology as a brief exercise in... more
North Carolina voted into law legislation known as the Privacy Facilities and Security Act, commonly known as HB2 or the anti-transgender “bathroom bill.” We use Pinar’s (1975a, 1975b, 2012) currere methodology as a brief exercise in decon- structing this bathroom bill and others similar to it. In this short piece, we go through each moment: the regressive, progressive, analytical, and synthetical. Historical, social, and biological aspects of the bill are discussed and critically analyzed to outline a pathway to a synthetical moment that includes cultural reconceptualization, social justice, and equal- ity for disenfranchised groups such as transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming people.
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Based on an intensive semester-long study of designing and implementing curriculum-based Maker activities in 6 classes, this paper presents themes derived from a qualitative analysis of experience data using the framework of Activity... more
Based on an intensive semester-long study of designing and implementing curriculum-based Maker activities in 6 classes, this paper presents themes derived from a qualitative analysis of experience data using the framework of Activity Theory. Insights generated contribute to the understanding of the integration of Making into elementary schools at a systemic level.
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This research saliently deconstructs the philosophical writing of a white, privileged male by five diverse academic peers by using a methodology of deconstruction to analyze the initial author’s writing. Their reflects on his nascent... more
This research saliently deconstructs the philosophical writing of a white, privileged male by five diverse academic peers by using a methodology of deconstruction to analyze the initial author’s writing. Their reflects on his nascent perspectives address the stages of racism, mea culpa, the relationship between privilege, oppression, and classism, a feminist perspective, binary, and intersectionality. Further analysis connote for the need to deconstruct privilege in a literary context and to develop an autoethnography to fully delve into privilege beyond a superficial and neglectful narrative.
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This paper extends the concept of digital literacy and ap-plies it to Making. Through case descriptions, we contribute an understanding of how children can become or fail to become individuals literate in Making within a formal learning... more
This paper extends the concept of digital literacy and ap-plies it to Making. Through case descriptions, we contribute an understanding of how children can become or fail to become individuals literate in Making within a formal learning context. Our analysis draws from video recordings and other data sources of two 4th grade classrooms in which the students, who had already participated in 1.5 years of more structured ‘makified activities’, engaged in an open-ended, exploration-based, and playful task that was more in line with the spirit of Making. Student teams were classified as ‘high in Making literacy’ and ‘low in Making literacy’, revealing how Making literacy was expressed at the level of skills, mental models, and practices in various ways for different students. Our qualitative analysis demonstrates what burgeoning Making literacy may mean in a public elementary school classroom, paving the way for a vision of a time when Making becomes generalized practice.
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Arredondo, M. & Suarez, M. (2019). System-involved LGBTQ Youth of Color: Ecological Determinants K-12 Schooling. In K. J. Conron & B. D. M. Wilson (Eds.), A Research Agenda to Reduce System Involvement and Promote Positive Outcomes with... more
Arredondo, M. & Suarez, M. (2019). System-involved LGBTQ Youth of Color: Ecological Determinants K-12 Schooling. In K. J. Conron & B. D. M. Wilson (Eds.), A Research Agenda to Reduce System Involvement and Promote Positive Outcomes with LGBTQ Youth of Color Impacted by the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems (pp. 21-26). Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute. Available: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/LGBTQ-Youth-of-Color-July-2019-3.pdf
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Existing research finds that LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Structural racism and LGBTQ stigma likely increase the risk of that LGBTQ youth of color will enter these systems.... more
Existing research finds that LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Structural racism and LGBTQ stigma likely increase the risk of that LGBTQ youth of color will enter these systems. Once in the system, LGBTQ youth of color tend to remain longer and face an elevated risk of discrimination and violence compared to other groups of youth. However, scholars in this collection of working papers find that more research and data are needed to fully understand the experiences and needs of LGBTQ youth of color in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and to prevent harm and promote positive outcomes for youth in the systems. The report also provides recommendations for future research to address the gaps in knowledge.
Research Interests: Criminal Justice, Social Policy, Resilience, Children and Families, Child Development, and 15 moreJuvenile Justice, Social Justice, Child Welfare, LGBT Issues, Social Determinants of Health, Black feminism, Marginalized Identities, Transgender, Intersectionality, Youth, Framing and agenda setting research, Indian Child Welfare Act, Oppression, Marginalization, and Queer People of Color
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Literary scholars and English teachers will recognize the word prolepsis as a term describing the moment in a short story or novel when the reader becomes fully cognizant of past, present, and future events all in one instant. This is a... more
Literary scholars and English teachers will recognize the word prolepsis as a term describing the moment in a short story or novel when the reader becomes fully cognizant of past, present, and future events all in one instant. This is a moment of heightened insight, transcending historical sedimentation. “A proleptic moment is any experience” of a text that shifts the reader/viewer/listener outside of “linear segmentation of time and creates a holistic understanding of the past, present, and future simultaneously” (Slattery, 2013, p. 305). Prolepsis is the moment when all of the events of the narrative coalesce. The proleptic experience may unfold in the opening pages of a novel like the progressive moment of currere, as in Faulkner’s (1929/1990) The Sound and the Fury. Or, perhaps the proleptic experience is a regressive currere or climax at the end of a film or narrative that is self-evident but not comprehended, as in Murder on the Orient Express. As a literary device, often call...
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Sociology, Education, Literature, Narrative, and 11 moreAutoethnography, Gloria Anzaldua, Insight, Collaborative Autoethnography, Currere, Teacher education and professional development, Literary Science, Melville Moby-Dick, Literary Analysis, Prolepsis, and Life History and Currere
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Research has established that school-related factors are pathways to juvenile delinquency; punitive and exclusionary discipline tactics are associated with increased risk for students. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer... more
Research has established that school-related factors are pathways to juvenile delinquency; punitive and exclusionary discipline tactics are associated with increased risk for students. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students are disproportionately suspended and expelled in comparison with their heterosexual and gender conforming peers (Snapp, & Russell, 2016; Burdge, Hyemingway, & Licona, 2014; Himmlestein & Bruckner, 2011; Snapp, Hoenig, Fields, & Russell, 2015; GLSEN, 2016). Results from the National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey showed that compared to the overall population, transgender/gender nonconforming adults of color were more likely to be physically attacked, be expelled from school, to be disciplined for fighting back against bullies, and to drop out of school (James et al., 2016). Nearly 75% of transgender/gender nonconforming Latinx and Black adult respondents who were “out” or were perceived as transgender, and 90% of American Indian and Alaska Natives, experienced some form of mistreatment while attending K-12 schools - mostly from peers and school faculty (James, et al. 2016). Risk of exclusion, leading to juvenile justice involvement is high. Sixty-one percent of LGBTQ youth in juvenile justice detention facilities reported being expelled or suspended from school the year prior to entering juvenile justice custody, which is far above the occurrence (\u3c8%) among all school-enrolled youth (Sedlac & McPherson, 2010, p. 44)
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This study seeks to understand the daily violence endured by queer youth. We use Queer Battle Fatigue, Ahmed's cultural politics of emotion, and STEM identity theories to make meaning of youth's experience. We draw from... more
This study seeks to understand the daily violence endured by queer youth. We use Queer Battle Fatigue, Ahmed's cultural politics of emotion, and STEM identity theories to make meaning of youth's experience. We draw from audio recordings and transcriptions of 15 queer youth over the course of a summer and fall LGBTQ þ maker camp in a rural town in the Intermountain Western part of the United States. Findings show that the maker camp environment provided queer campers casual conversations about microaggressions and violence endured at school. In this context, STEM served as a cover (concealed goals) in three ways: emotion, validation/advice, and safety. This particular environment provided them recognition and validation of both their STEM and queer identities, allowing the group to be able to casually mention these instances of violence they had endured.
Research Interests:
Given the current political and social climate, teaching children about sexual orientation and gender identity is more important than ever. The present literature review seeks to address the following questions: How are LGBTIQ + topics... more
Given the current political and social climate, teaching children about sexual orientation and gender identity is more important than ever. The present literature review seeks to address the following questions: How are LGBTIQ + topics addressed in practitioner literature and in what content areas are these topics most prevalent? How prevalent are LGBTIQ + topics in practitioner literature before 2015, prior to the publication of Miller’s Queer Literacy Framework (QLF)? How prevalent are these topics after QLF’s publication in 2015? The search for LGBTIQ + topics in the journals led to a total of 74 articles which were then coded by three independent researchers. To explore the prevalence of LGBTIQ + topics in articles published in journals most accessible to PreK-12 classroom teachers, the 13 top practitioner journals across all major content areas (i.e., English/Language Arts, social studies, mathematics, and science) and grade levels were selected. These results produce two salie...
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Research Interests: Criminal Justice, Resilience, Children and Families, Political Science, Child Development, and 15 moreJuvenile Justice, Economic Justice, Child Welfare, LGBT Issues, Black feminism, Marginalized Identities, Intersectionality, Framing and agenda setting research, Indian Child Welfare Act, Equity in Education, Oppression, Marginalization, Queer People of Color, Juvenile, and lgbtq youth of color
This research saliently deconstructs the philosophical writing of a white, privileged male by five diverse academic peers by using a methodology of deconstruction to analyze the initial author’s writing. Their reflects on his nascent... more
This research saliently deconstructs the philosophical writing of a white, privileged male by five diverse academic peers by using a methodology of deconstruction to analyze the initial author’s writing. Their reflects on his nascent perspectives address the stages of racism, mea culpa, the relationship between privilege, oppression, and classism, a feminist perspective, binary, and intersectionality. Further analysis connote for the need to deconstruct privilege in a literary context and to develop an autoethnography to fully delve into privilege beyond a superficial and neglectful narrative.
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The present study explores demographics, pre-college characteristics and multi-year (2003-2013) tracking of a census of 53,077 students who initially declared a STEM major upon entering a research university in Texas and seeks to predict... more
The present study explores demographics, pre-college characteristics and multi-year (2003-2013) tracking of a census of 53,077 students who initially declared a STEM major upon entering a research university in Texas and seeks to predict graduation with a STEM and non-STEM degree. Guided by QuantCrit theory, we use multilevel models to determine factors that predicted persistence in any major and factors that predicted persistence in STEM, as well as use marginal effects to explore the intersection of ethnicity, sex, and first-generation status. Results highlight the disparity that exist amongst Black students and their White counterparts with regards to persistence in any major. We also highlight the gap between first-generation White and Black first-generation females and their Asian and International counterparts with regards to persistence in STEM. Implications for future research and practitioners suggest further attention needs to be paid to Black first-generation students.
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Purpose This study aims to examine how gender variation in trans identities shape exposure to bias and discrimination. The authors then examine how trans identities intersect with race/ethnicity, education and social class to shape... more
Purpose This study aims to examine how gender variation in trans identities shape exposure to bias and discrimination. The authors then examine how trans identities intersect with race/ethnicity, education and social class to shape exposure risk to bias, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach The authors use data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey with 24,391 trans-identified respondents. To account for the nested nature of trans people in state contexts, the authors use two-level logistic multilevel models. The authors are guided by Puwar’s bodies out of place as the theoretical grounding for this study. Findings The authors find significant differences in how trans women and men experience discrimination. The authors also find differences in race, education and social class. Finally, the presence of anti-discrimination policies presents mixed results. Originality/value The authors’ analysis reveals important differences in trans workers’ exp...
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Visibility of the transgender community has increased, particularly in the media. Trans teachers face a challenge, as their professional roles are both public and private. In an effort to seek pers...
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Abstract Given the increase of gun violence in the United States, teachers are left with the added obligation of helping students process traumatic events. The present study seeks to address the following questions: What are some ways in... more
Abstract Given the increase of gun violence in the United States, teachers are left with the added obligation of helping students process traumatic events. The present study seeks to address the following questions: What are some ways in which students process grief through arts-based methods? What can we observe through photovoice, a community-based method that uses photography, about the perceptions of six LGBTQ + students at a predominantly white institution after the Pulse Massacre? The study consisted of semi-structured focus group interviews with these students, all of whom spent a week creating photos in response to the tragedy. In order to understand the depth of how stories may have oppositional counter-stories, we look to narrative inquiry and find intersectionality and colorblind intersectionality at play. Implications for practice, policy, and research are included.
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This theoretical commentary examines theory driven discussions in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and mathematics fields. Through this examination, the authors articulate particular parallels between... more
This theoretical commentary examines theory driven discussions in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and mathematics fields. Through this examination, the authors articulate particular parallels between spatial encoding strategy theory and units coordination theory. Finally, these parallel are considering pragmatically in the Elementary STEM Teaching Integrating Textiles and Computing Holistically (ESTITCH) curriculum where STEM and social studies topics are explored by elementary students. This commentary concludes with questions and particular directions our mathematics education field can progress when integrating mathematics in STEM fields.
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This article focuses on the ways in which integrated curriculum can improve STEM teaching and learning within rural spaces. Using a design-based research approach, this study focuses on rural teachers' experiences of professional... more
This article focuses on the ways in which integrated curriculum can improve STEM teaching and learning within rural spaces. Using a design-based research approach, this study focuses on rural teachers' experiences of professional learning and development training as they learn to engage computing and maker technologies in their elementary classrooms as tools for teaching students about difficult histories of immigration, migration, and forced relocation across the United States.
The pedagogical beliefs of novice teachers and their coaches throughout a two-year induction program and how those beliefs impact their induction experiences were explored. Mixed methods were used to explore survey responses from novice... more
The pedagogical beliefs of novice teachers and their coaches throughout a two-year induction program and how those beliefs impact their induction experiences were explored. Mixed methods were used to explore survey responses from novice teachers and their supporting coaches. We used t-tests to identify differences in specific beliefs within groups over time and across groups, and multiple linear regressions to identify how respondent beliefs about different aspects of induction predict novice teachers’ program outcomes. We also qualitatively analyzed comments to learn how Candidates and Coaches viewed their induction experience differently. The study identified differences in how novice teachers and their coaches process induction and, more importantly, the need for greater connection across novice teacher learning environments. That is, there needs to be more-coordinated efforts to create vertical professional development for novice teachers. Findings have implications for induction design and structures to help to promote novice teacher development.
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Given the increase of gun violence in the United States, teachers are left with the added obligation of helping students process traumatic events. The present study seeks to address the following questions: What are some ways in which... more
Given the increase of gun violence in the United States, teachers are left with the added obligation of helping students process traumatic events. The present study seeks to address the following questions: What are some ways in which students process grief through arts-based methods?What can we observe through photovoice, a community-based method that uses photography, about the perceptions of six LGBTQ+ students at a predominantly white institution after the Pulse Massacre? The study consisted of semi-structured focus group interviews with these students, all of whom spent a week creating photos in response to the tragedy. In order to understand the depth of how stories may have oppositional counter-stories, we look to narrative inquiry and find intersectionality and colorblind intersectionality at play. Implications for practice, policy, and research are included.