In today’s rapidly evolving economy, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills are essential for full participation and success. However, many students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds and students of color, continue to face unequal access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities and engaging, hands-on experiences. This blog post examines recent research by Discovery Education, which draws on feedback from nearly 1,400 K-12 educators, parents, and students, to explore how engagement can serve as a key driver of equitable STEM education and address persistent disparities. In doing so, this post previews key limitations in the report, such as its lack of disaggregated data by race and income, and assesses the implications of these gaps for educational equity and the development of targeted interventions.
Engagement Is the Engine of Learning
Stakeholder sentiment overwhelmingly showed that student engagement is fundamental to academic success. More than 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents across rural, urban, and suburban schools say engagement is a critical metric for understanding achievement, and nearly all superintendents see it as one of the strongest predictors of success. Likewise, most students report that engaging lessons make school more enjoyable.
This supports what we have long practiced at C-STEM: implementing quality, hands-on STEM learning engages students in ways that create a lasting impact. The Discovery Education report affirms that engagement serves as a critical metric for academic achievement, widely recognized by educators and administrators as a strong predictor of student success. When students connect STEM concepts to real-world problems and engage in hands-on experiences, their curiosity flourishes, and deeper learning follows. However, the report highlights a major challenge: engagement appears differently from student to student, and it is often difficult for educators to recognize or quantify this variation.
Why This Matters for Low-Income Students & Students of Color
Although this year’s report did not analyze findings by race or income, the lack of disaggregated data significantly limits the ability to assess the equity implications of student engagement. More critically, the report’s methodology fails to account for potential differences in engagement across diverse student groups, a major oversight in the research design. Without disaggregated data, it is impossible to determine whether engagement levels and barriers remain consistent across all student populations or whether particular groups, such as students from low-income backgrounds or students of color, face unique challenges. This methodological limitation means that the analysis may inadvertently overlook, underestimate, or even mask systemic inequities rooted in students’ social and economic contexts.
Furthermore, the absence of equity-focused analysis precludes a rigorous evaluation of which targeted interventions are most effective for bridging engagement gaps or achieving equitable outcomes. Despite this gap, the report’s general findings on the significance of engagement can still guide efforts to promote equity in STEM education. Looking forward, research should include disaggregated data and analysis of subgroup differences. Educators and policymakers, in turn, should expand inquiry-based STEM programs in under-resourced schools, offer professional development in culturally responsive practices, and create mentorship opportunities that link marginalized students with STEM professionals who share similar backgrounds. Streamlining these intentional, data-driven strategies will more effectively identify disparities, inform intervention development, and advance equitable educational and career outcomes.
Some interesting data from the report shows how teachers may best be able to keep these students engaged:
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- Perceptions of engagement differ
Students often report being more engaged than teachers perceive them to be. This gap can be especially pronounced in classrooms where students’ cultural backgrounds or problem-solving styles differ from dominant expectations. For example, in a mathematics classroom, a teacher may assume that students who do not volunteer to answer questions aloud are not participating fully. However, a student from a cultural background that emphasizes group harmony over individual assertion may be highly engaged internally, preferring to discuss problem-solving strategies with peers in small groups or to reflect before sharing ideas. In this scenario, the teacher’s perception may not accurately reflect the student’s actual level of engagement. Practicing inclusiveness and awareness of diverse perspectives, such as recognizing and valuing different modes of participation, may help teachers build authentic engagement.
- Perceptions of engagement differ
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- Motivation thrives on relevance
When learning connects to real-world goals and identities, engagement increases. For students of color and those from underserved communities, research has demonstrated that STEM learning anchored in community contexts, exposure to diverse role models, and culturally responsive problem solving can transform educational experiences from routine to highly meaningful (e.g., Campbell et al., 2020; Nasir et al., 2019; Basu & Barton, 2007). At C-STEM, we address these factors by offering strategies such as internships. student competitions, and engagement opportunities with STEM professionals. Internships provide students with direct exposure to STEM workplaces, enabling them to apply classroom concepts in meaningful professional contexts and to develop relevant skills inspired by industry professionals (Litzler et al., 2014). Campus and district STEM competitions introduce students to relevant issues impacting the quality of life that STEM practitioners, particularly those who reflect students’ backgrounds, are working to solve, and they also help attract talent, which counters stereotypes and broadens students’ perceptions of possible STEM career pathways. These approaches are supported by research indicating that opportunities for relational identification and practical engagement increase the likelihood that marginalized students will envision themselves pursuing and succeeding in STEM careers (Carlone & Johnson, 2007; Estrada et al., 2016). It is important that these students see others like them who have succeeded in STEM careers, as such representation both inspires motivation and helps normalize diverse participation in STEM fields.
- Motivation thrives on relevance
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- Hands-on opportunities matter
The report underscores the power of authentic, interactive learning, exactly the kinds of experiences that help demystify STEM and build confidence for all learners. For instance, projects such as building simple circuits in a classroom makerspace or conducting science experiments using everyday materials provide students with tangible, real-world applications of STEM concepts. Importantly, research shows that equitable access to these hands-on opportunities is critical for narrowing achievement gaps, as they foster engagement and self-efficacy among students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds. Without such hands-on opportunities, instruction can feel routine, and disengagement rises, particularly in middle and high school.
- Hands-on opportunities matter
Building Upon This Research
Informed by the evidence that student engagement is a pivotal driver of equitable STEM outcomes, it is essential to draw on these findings to identify concrete steps that schools and leaders can take to address disparities and promote STEM equity:
- Build Shared Definitions of Engagement
Establish clear measures of engagement that go beyond compliance or participation. For example, valuing STEM fundamentals such as persistent problem-solving, creative experimentation, and collaborative inquiry ensures that all students have space to shine, regardless of how engaged they seem in class. - Invest in Professional Learning
Teachers need time, tools, and training to design and implement culturally responsive STEM lessons that connect with students’ lives and future careers. This includes project-based learning, makerspace activities, and community-linked science investigations. - Measure What Matters
Assessment systems should capture deeper learning and sustained engagement, not just test scores. Measures such as student choice in projects, iterative design thinking, and problem justification provide a richer picture of STEM interest and skill development, especially for students who may not fit into traditional assessment molds. - Create Authentic STEM Pathways
As previously mentioned, partnerships with local colleges, STEM employers, and mentors of color can help students see themselves in STEM futures. Combining these with classroom engagement strategies invites learners to explore identities as scientists, engineers, and innovators from a young age.
Looking Ahead
In summary, the Education Insights 2025–2026 report demonstrates that engagement is a driving force behind opportunity in STEM education. Nonetheless, these findings reach their fullest significance only when interpreted through an equity lens, which reveals the pressing need for explicit, targeted strategies to address persistent disparities among historically underserved students. While the report underscores engagement’s importance, a critical analysis of its limitations, particularly the absence of disaggregated data, reveals potential gaps in understanding and addressing inequities. This critique directly extends the earlier analysis of the report’s methodological shortcomings, highlighting how the lack of subgroup-specific data constrains the evaluation of engagement among low-income students and students of color. Integrating this evaluation with established educational equity scholarship demonstrates that recognizing engagement as significant requires accompanying actions to ensure accessibility and relevance for all student populations identified earlier.
Therefore, recommendations must be grounded not only in promoting engagement universally but in adapting such strategies to address the specific barriers previously discussed in relation to marginalized populations. Stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, community leaders, and industry partners, should collaborate to implement evidence-based, equity-oriented approaches, such as disaggregating engagement data, expanding culturally responsive practices, and investing in tailored interventions. By explicitly connecting this critique to earlier analysis and outlining actionable reforms, the effort aligns with broader policy debates aimed at closing systemic gaps in education. Ultimately, synthesizing the report’s insights with a rigorous equity framework is essential for equipping all students to access, participate in, and benefit from high-quality STEM pathways, thereby fostering meaningful systemic change and advancing the broader aim of educational justice.
If engagement truly fuels learning, then equity-centered STEM engagement must fuel the future. Let’s act on it.
