Queers Queering STEM : Reimagining Inclusive STEM Education

ABSTRACT

Grounded in queer theory, this study explores the intersections of queerness and STEM trajectories through the lived experiences of three queer adults with postgraduate degrees in STEM and contributes their insights for queering STEM education. We used artifacts, in‐depth semi‐structured interviews, and a focus group to identify aspects of STEM education that constrained or supported participants' trajectories and to offer strategies for queering STEM educational spaces. We analyzed verbatim transcripts with both inductive and deductive approaches to identify key categories related to challenges and opportunities for queering STEM education. The findings highlight the importance of transforming (a) the culture of STEM, (b) the image of STEM, (c) the curriculum and pedagogies, and (d) the teacher‐student relationships, to challenge dominant norms and reconfigure STEM education as a site of disruption and alternative knowledge‐making. The study underscores the significance of lived experience as a legitimate source of theory by centering queer voices as knowledge producers, offering a transformative reimagining of STEM education through a queer lens.