Educators as equity designers: Toward a STEMIdentity Literacy Framework in informal STEM education

Informal STEM education (ISE) holds transformative potential to foster inclusion, belonging, and opportunity for underserved students, with educators playing a pivotal role in realizing this potential. As key agents of change, educators can create learning environments that affirm diverse identities and challenge exclusionary norms. However, this requires developing identity-conscious practices that go beyond content delivery to actively confront systemic inequities. While many educators bring care and commitment to their roles, implicit stereotypes and unexamined biases can unintentionally reinforce exclusion. To address this, our study explores how educators develop and enact STEM identity literacy—defined as the awareness, reflection, and pedagogical strategies needed to support equity and identity development in STEM. We conducted qualitative interviews with N = 8 student educators participating in a year-long ISE program in Germany. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we examined the relationship between educators’ identities, their equity awareness, and their self-reported practices. Findings reveal variation in both equity awareness, ranging from blindness to transformation, and identity-related practices, spanning instinctive, responsive, reflective, and transformative approaches. Generally, higher equity awareness was closely linked to identity-informed practices, showing a more reflected STEM identity literacy. The STEM Identity Literacy Framework developed through this research highlights the need for sustained, reflective professional development that addresses educator identity, systemic inequality, and pedagogical choices. It offers a practical tool for designing professional training aimed at transforming ISE into inclusive spaces where all students can be recognized and empowered as STEM learners.