STEM Rocks Research Collective: Building and Sustaining a Collaborative, Equity-Focused Scholarly Community

Abstract

Here, we outline the stories of a collective of innovation-focused STEM education professionals engaged in a STEM collective across thirteen institutions of higher education. Using focus group interviews, faculty share how collaboration began and sustains, the affordances and challenges of collaboration across universities and professional fields, support systems through professional organizations and scholarship, and contributions made to the national landscape of STEM education. Guidance is presented on establishing STEM collaborations that are mutually beneficial to faculty, institutions, and the educational community.

Keywords

• STEM collaboration
• university faculty
• research collective
• equity
• innovation
• scholarly community