What's a makerspace for?: Investigating the integration of makerspaces into schools and communities

Abstract

This poster describes and analyses a series of Makerspace observations and interviews, conducted in four public middle schools in East Palo Alto, California, USA. Our research team used Critical Pedagogy and Sociocultural Theories as frameworks for interpreting data. Focusing primarily on cultural aspects, we summarize four uses of Makerspaces and five tensions that result from their inception in schools. The poster includes practical recommendations for implementing and integrating Maker curricula to local communities and formal learning settings.