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Identity Play: Middle School Youths' Provisional Self-Making in Horizon-Expanding STEM Spaces

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Title: Identity Play: Middle School Youths' Provisional Self-Making in Horizon-Expanding STEM Spaces
Language: English
Authors: Heidi B. Carlone (ORCID 0000-0002-6801-0876), Alison K. Mercier (ORCID 0000-0002-8789-2341)
Source: Science Education. 2026 110(3):780-802.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contract Number: 1657194
2241814
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Self Concept, STEM Education, Creative Activities, Play, Discovery Learning
DOI: 10.1002/sce.70047
ISSN: 0036-8326
1098-237X
Abstract: This study introduces identity play as an analytic construct for science education to explore improvisational dimensions of middle school students' STEM identity development in multiple out-of-school learning experiences focused on environmental problem-solving. Tracking identity affiliations across time scales (weeks and years), we observed playful, unpredictable, nonlinear, and dynamic narratives of self. Their identities did not progress stably or incrementally, prompting our theorizing about identity play. Identity play refers to the exploratory process of trying out various narratives and performances of provisional selves in novel, low-stakes, horizon-expanding activities. Using grounded theory methodology with interview and video data, we asked: What are generative spaces for identity play? How do youth engage in identity play within those spaces? With illustrative cases of three youths' participation, we identified three types of spaces that encouraged identity play: not-like-me, like-me, and let-me-see spaces. The cases demonstrated how youth shifted their perceptions and performances of self in contexts that acknowledged and celebrated the exploration of new identities, where curiosity and enjoyment organized aims and previously unthinkable identities became plausible. STEM identity play complements the construct of identity work; it illuminates under-explored facets of identity development, such as identity discovery, reinvention, and expansion. This reframing broadens what counts as learning in identity development and reflects the expansive, plural nature of science identities. This research offers promising strategies for designing experiences that nurture these processes. Notably, identity play thrives in horizon-expanding contexts that prioritize exploration over correctness and recognition, encourage buffered risk-taking, and offer multiple interest hooks and pathways.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502204
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Identity Play: Middle School Youths' Provisional Self-Making in Horizon-Expanding STEM Spaces
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heidi+B%2E+Carlone%22">Heidi B. Carlone</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6801-0876">0000-0002-6801-0876</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alison+K%2E+Mercier%22">Alison K. Mercier</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8789-2341">0000-0002-8789-2341</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Science+Education%22"><i>Science Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 110(3):780-802.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 23
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+Education%22">STEM Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Creative+Activities%22">Creative Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Play%22">Play</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discovery+Learning%22">Discovery Learning</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1002/sce.70047
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  Data: 0036-8326<br />1098-237X
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: This study introduces identity play as an analytic construct for science education to explore improvisational dimensions of middle school students' STEM identity development in multiple out-of-school learning experiences focused on environmental problem-solving. Tracking identity affiliations across time scales (weeks and years), we observed playful, unpredictable, nonlinear, and dynamic narratives of self. Their identities did not progress stably or incrementally, prompting our theorizing about identity play. Identity play refers to the exploratory process of trying out various narratives and performances of provisional selves in novel, low-stakes, horizon-expanding activities. Using grounded theory methodology with interview and video data, we asked: What are generative spaces for identity play? How do youth engage in identity play within those spaces? With illustrative cases of three youths' participation, we identified three types of spaces that encouraged identity play: not-like-me, like-me, and let-me-see spaces. The cases demonstrated how youth shifted their perceptions and performances of self in contexts that acknowledged and celebrated the exploration of new identities, where curiosity and enjoyment organized aims and previously unthinkable identities became plausible. STEM identity play complements the construct of identity work; it illuminates under-explored facets of identity development, such as identity discovery, reinvention, and expansion. This reframing broadens what counts as learning in identity development and reflects the expansive, plural nature of science identities. This research offers promising strategies for designing experiences that nurture these processes. Notably, identity play thrives in horizon-expanding contexts that prioritize exploration over correctness and recognition, encourage buffered risk-taking, and offer multiple interest hooks and pathways.
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