Life Histories of Indigenous STEM Graduate Students from Chile: A Culturally Coexistent Learning Approach of Academic and Ethnic Identities

Although Indigenous students require unique institutional support, studies about their inclusion processes in higher education remain scarce. Particularly, little is known about the elements influencing their decisions to choose a STEM field, which is relevant due to their impact on technological and scientific development and their motivations to continue in such programs. Drawing on the academic trajectories of 24 Chilean Indigenous graduates, this research analyzes their decision-making process for pursuing and remaining in this field. The results indicate the key role of culturally coexistent learning as learning two cultures, modern scientific/academic and ethnic/Indigenous in both formal and informal education.