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Marginalized discourses and pedagogies: Constructively confronting science for all
... The kinds of school-based science practices have led to an overwhelming number of students believing that science is a body of knowledge which consists of events, facts, and theories existing``out there'' (Cobern, 1996), that science is static rather than dynamic (Yager, 1990), that only the very brightest of people can do science (Lemke, 1990), that science does not connect with their personal lives Barton, 1998), and that once they ful®ll their scholastic requirements, they will be``done'' with science for the rest of their lives (Kahle & Meece, 1994). These kinds of views of science have contributed to low achievement levels in school science, low attitudes toward science and science careers, and low numbers of women and people of color entering the sciences as career choices in the United States (Kahle & Meece, 1994). ...
... This particular case study involving Miguel was part of a larger ethnographic study of homeless families and science education (Barton, 1998). For the case study presented in this paper, data generation included participant observation of Miguel along with his family in afterschool science and at home and interviews with Miguel and his wife over the course of 9 months. ...
... Whether inadvertent or deliberate it has created this inequality and skewed vision of whose science we are teaching. In assessing the stage, actors, and script, many agree that they can all be changed and re-written to include those previously excluded (Atwater, 1996;Barton & Osborne, 1998;Rodriguez, 1998). We can reframe our point of reference of science in order to make it more inclusive. ...
In this paper we begin a discussion around the need for science educators to understand the relationship between cultural and socioeconomic issues and the science education of inner-city students. We refer to the works of critical scholars in science, education, and sociology in order to help us deconstruct the relationship between sociopolitical agendas and the lack of opportunity in science education for students from lower socioeconomic inner-city enclaves. Through our ethnographic case study of a homeless family in a major metropolitan area in the Northeast, we frame our analysis through the pedagogical questions of representation of science through culture, socioeconomic status, and ''culture capital.'' We use this analysis to raise questions for further research on the significance of understanding, accessing, and critiquing the ''culture of power'' in science education. fl 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 871-889, 2000
... Within the past 5 years, influential evolutionary biologists have embraced perspectives generated by these critiques and used them to question foundational assumptions and recast central theories in sexual selection research. This history makes sexual selection an excellent case study with which to teach NOS, examine the presentation of NOS in a CCE framework, and potentially enhance inclusive science education (Barton & Osborne, 1998). ...
... This recognition is significant to science education in general and the diversity and enculturation of scientists. Science education researchers recognize that a transformation in pedagogy, learning objectives, and science content is needed to make science education more inclusive (Barton, 1998;Barton & Osborne, 1998;Bianchini, Cavazos, & Helms, 2000;Brickhouse, 1994;Capobianco, 2007;Mayberry, Welling, Phillips, Radeloff, & Rees, 1999;Richmond, Howes, Kurth, & Hazelwood, 1998;Rosser, 1990Rosser, , 1997Roychoudhury, Tippins, & Nichols, 1995). Connecting science to social issues and a value-laden view of science is critical to creating an inclusive culture in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines and encouraging diversity among practicing scientists. ...
The nature of science (NOS) as described by education scholars is a critical component of scientific literacy and includes both rational and social aspects taught best in an explicit and reflective manner. NOS is frequently tied to a critical contextual empiricism (CCE) framework for knowledge production. Central to CCE is that objectivity is attained only with an integration of the rational and social within a diverse community of scholars that is open to criticism. The field of sexual selection theory is ripe with opportunities to present NOS in an explicit and reflective context that promotes the understanding of knowledge production as simultaneously social and rational. We examined the presentation of sexual selection theory in college evolutionary biology textbooks to evaluate the extent to which textbooks demonstrate uptake of change in the field and use socially driven critique to present science as both social and rational. All of the textbooks incorporated new research in the field and some provided context about how and why the field has changed but not to the degree warranted by the rich literature available. We provide recommendations for the integration of NOS and social embeddedness of science, and posit that a portrayal of science as both social and rational has the potential to promote more inclusive science teaching and a more accurate representation of science.
... Based on the assumption that all students can learn science as describe by the national standards documents, there is a clear assumption that students with learning disabilities can and will be included in regular science classrooms (Mead, 1997) unless there is compelling reason to place the student in a more restricted environment. Barton and Osborne (2001) refer to teaching in the interface, which they define as the 24 intersection of the domains of science with the real-life worlds of children, especially children of urban poverty. They, along with many others (Blosser & Helgeson, 1990;Bybee, 2002;Westby & Torres-Velasquez, 2000), suggest that in addition to understanding the nature of scientific knowledge, it is also important to make visible how science relates to society. ...
... A constructivist perspective necessitates that student engagement in the learning process is essential if students are to succeed in science, especially with the current atmosphere of standards and accountability. Yet, special needs students often have little motivation to learn science in that they often see limited relevance between schooling and the reality of their lives (Barton & Osborne, 2001;Wolk, 2003). The challenge for teacher practice is to change methodologies in order to respond to the increasing academic diversity in classrooms in a manner which supports learning for all students. ...
In early 2006, the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) conducted a national field-test of a new GEMS space science curriculum package developed for use with middle school students. During this field-test we modified a subset of the curriculum materials for use by students with special needs, to be delivered via computer. These computer-based modules were implemented in a subset of the field-test classrooms, and LHS collected pre- and post-test data for each unit. We analyzed the data to determine if students in the classrooms using the modified materials scored differently than students in the larger assessment data base. We disaggregated the date to specifically measure the impact on students with special needs. Our results suggest that many students, not just those with special needs, demonstrate greater achievement gains using materials modified using the principles of best practice for special needs students.
... Based on the assumption that all students can learn science as describe by the national standards documents, there is a clear assumption that students with learning disabilities can and will be included in regular science classrooms (Mead, 1997) unless there is compelling reason to place the student in a more restricted environment. Barton and Osborne (2001) refer to teaching in the interface, which they define as the 38 intersection of the domains of science with the real-life worlds of children, especially children of urban poverty. They, along with many others (Blosser & Helgeson, 1990;Bybee, 2002;Westby & Torres-Velasquez, 2000), suggest that in addition to understanding the nature of scientific knowledge, it is also important to make visible how science relates to society. ...
... A constructivist perspective necessitates that student engagement in the learning process is essential if students are to succeed in science, especially with the current atmosphere of standards and accountability. Yet, special needs students often have little motivation to learn science in that they often see limited relevance between schooling and the reality of their lives (Barton & Osborne, 2001;Wolk, 2003). The challenge for teacher practice is to change methodologies in order to respond to the increasing academic diversity in classrooms in a manner which supports learning for all students. ...
The purpose of this study was to explore technology as a tool for increasing student achievement within the middle school science classroom and specifically to support the learning of special needs students. Utilizing field-test curriculum from the Lawrence Hall of Science's Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) Space Science Curriculum Sequence, software modules were designed to mediate instruction in specific problem areas which special needs students, especially those with learning disabilities, face in learning science. Participants in this research were middle school students who were classified as receiving special education services, but were enrolled in regular education science classes. Students in the control classrooms participated in an activity-oriented field-test curriculum which was common to all students within a particular class. Students in the modified treatment group received modified instructional activities which were mediated by a computer and utilized best practices. Regular education students using unmodified curriculum showed an 8% average gain from pre- to post-test whereas special education students showed a 7% decrease. On the other hand, regular education students using the modified curriculum averaged a 9% gain in their pre- to post-test scores whereas special education students averaged a 7% gain. Gains in students' pretest to posttest scores were notably higher for the special education students who used computer-mediated instructional approaches designed utilizing best practices. In addition, the proportion of special needs students who provided more scientifically accurate and extended responses was much greater among those who used the modified materials. Most importantly, special needs students in this study who used the modified materials demonstrated more conceptual growth than did the special education students in using the unmodified materials. The major finding of this work is that most special education students demonstrated substantial gains in learning the content using the modified curriculum. Moreover, students using modified curriculum not only increased in the frequency of their responses, but also increased in the quality of their responses to a particular prompt. In addition, responses from special education students in the modified curriculum group were consistently within the range of responses found among the general education population, who also increased.
... To change classroom discourse is to change the rules of power as well. There is another growing body of knowledge, which argues for promoting culturally sensitive pedagogy (Calabrese Barton, and Osborne 1998;Michaels and O'Connor 1990;Rodriguez 2001aRodriguez , 2001bShi-xu 2005) and confronting teacher beliefs through a variety of strategies to expose and make shifts in hegemonic practices (Arellano et al. 2001;Ladson-Billings 1999;Rodriguez 1998;Yerrick and Hoving 2003). Science teachers have been particularly narrow in their views regarding successful participation in science class and their control over discourse has even been noted to discourage and short circuit the development and use of data driven arguments; a valued part of scientific work (Carlsen 1993(Carlsen , 1988Kuhn 1993). ...
... Many researchers and teacher educators are actively engaged in confronting and changing hegemonic practices in science education (Calabrese Barton , 2001; Calabrese Barton and Osborne 1998;Chinn 2002;Gee 2005;Lee 2001;Lee andFradd 1996, 1998;McGinn and Roth 1999;Michaels and O'Connor 1990;Rodriguez 2001b;Rodriguez, Zozakiewicz, and Yerrick 2008;Roth 1996;Roth and Lee 2002;Tobin 2005;Tobin and McRobbie 1996;Warren et al. 2001) and are pointing to other ways students can represent their acquired scientific knowledge in ways other than standardized tests reveal. Some have approached this solution by transforming practices of a few teachers and engaging students as agents of change in other classrooms, while others have used direct parent involvement to broaden the discussion of what children can do. ...
This ethnographic study examines how lower-track rural African American students make sense of their position in school and what role school science discourse plays in their micro-cultural identity formation. The objectives of the study are to determine the science discourse's role in (1) determining access to knowledge, (2) affecting lower-track students' perceptions of school, and (3) perpetuating lower-track science students' identity. The constraints identified with lower-track science classroom discourse are strong hegemonic factors in determining students' behaviors, beliefs, and social and academic positions in the school hierarchy. Other school discourse practices involving disciplinary measures and counselor recommended tracking round out a strong arsenal to maintain students' perceived place in school. Implications for rethinking science classroom discourse are discussed.
... Gendered actions and interactions are based on societal views and perceptions around what constitutes femininity and masculinity (Lorber & Farrell, 1991). The conceptions of gender and the actions that confirm and sustain them influence and interact with one's identity (Barton & Osborne, 2001;Ridgeway & Kricheli-Katz, 2013). Furthermore, common gendered perceptions or stereotypes exist around science. ...
Attending and presenting at academic conferences is an essential aspect of the doctoral journey. Academic conferences offer opportunities for PhD students to present their research, network with other researchers, and learn about the newest developments in their field. This small-scale, qualitative study explored conference experiences of nine female Chinese PhD students, four studying in China and five in New Zealand. Comparing their experiences-both at conferences and in their doctoral programs generally-provides a comparative glimpse into the ongoing gender bias faced by women in academia. Findings from semi-structured interviews indicated that domestic Chinese students faced more obstacles of a 'glass ceiling', gender-biased behaviors, and more limited support from their supervisors than their counterparts studying in New Zealand. Chinese students studying in New Zealand still faced similar gendered expectations in regard to family responsibilities, however they reported stronger support systems from supervisors and universities. Future research is needed as universities in both countries work to mitigate gender inequities in STEM fields.
... Consistent with this, researchers have found that the formal education system does not create spaces where multiple perspectives of knowing and showing science can emerge and hence, does not foster diversity (Barton and Osborne 2001). Narrowly defined and acknowledged science identities in turn do not appeal to a broad range of students coming from diverse living situations, entering the formal education system equipped with their own set of knowledge, cognitive skills and beliefs of how the world works (Bell et al., 2009;Jordan 2010). ...
Several studies have investigated the way learners connect with science, re-emphasising persisting inequalities in science learning. This article combines the concept of intersectionality with the theoretical lens of science learning ecologies to focus on inequalities in connecting with science: Which factors influence the formation of a positive science attitude of young learners and how does the social background of young learners influence their opportunities of connecting with science, focusing on the intersections of class and gender? Based on a quantitative survey among 1,486 visitors of non-formal science education offers aged between 8 and 21, we analyze important factors for the development of a positive science attitude and investigate structural inequalities. The intersectional perspective was implemented in the sampling, survey design as well as its analysis. Using composite indicators of age and gender as well as gender and educational capital, we avoid a homogenisation of broadly defined groups. The results highlight that the development of a highly positive science attitude–as identified in a stepwise logistic regression model–is linked to supportive social environments, intrinsic motivation, science learning in school as well as regular engagement in arts-based learning, and self-directed science learning. The learning ecology perspective illustrates the influence of school on science attitudes in general. From an intersectional perspective, however, our findings demonstrate that the persistence of an androcentric and classist concept of science is not compatible with every learning ecology; male learners from educationally affluent backgrounds are most likely to enjoy science learning and see how science relates to their everyday realities. In turn, however, not only female learners with lower educational capital but also male learners with lower educational capital might find it more difficult to connect with science. The intersectional approach unveiled the multiple ways educational capital and gender shape individual learning ecologies. More equitable science learning spaces and offers have to adapt to a diversity of needs and preferences in order to make science activities enjoyable for all.
... We viewed this rejection of negative environments as a form of resistance and as an expression of empowerment and agency as they quietly worked within their spheres of influence. In their goals to positively affect the STEM landscape, they redefined science and resignified what it means to be a women of color scientist (Calabrese Barton & Osborne, 2001) by embracing and engaging in social justice work to "transform science into a vehicle for social change" (Tran et al., 2011, p. 38). Participants refused to be constrained by identities ascribed to them and actively participated in outreach efforts, hoping to inspire the next generation of scientists. ...
Asian American women occupy a paradoxical space within the context of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, simultaneously overrepresented as Asian Americans and underrepresented as women. For Asian American female doctoral students, the complex layering and weaving of these intersections involves the constant negotiation of science, racial, and gendered identities. This study explored how the intersections of science, race, and gender shaped their student experiences. We positioned these frameworks not only as mutually constitutive systems but also emphasize science as an epistemology, which informs conceptions of knowledge, the practice of inquiry, and who has epistemic authority. As a qualitative study, we utilized intersectionality theory to explore identity development in the context of STEM environments and grounded theory methods in our analysis. We interviewed 23 women who self‐identified as Asian Americans and were either currently in a doctoral program or were within 5 years of earning their degrees in STEM fields.
Examining the intersections of science, race, and gender for Asian American female doctoral students in STEM allows a richer, more nuanced exploration of science as it is currently defined and understood and permits the conceptual critique of science to remake STEM environments into more inclusive spaces
... Responding to the call to integrate social epistemologies into the science classroom (Allchin, 1999;Allchin, 2014;Duschl & Osborne, 2002), we adopted Critical Contextual Empiricism (CCE; Borgerson, 2011;Longino, 2002) as a framework for examining interactions in a laboratory setting wherein community-based knowledge production was expected. We utilized CCE because as a social epistemology of science it highlights the influence of community composition in knowledge production and is thus, related to the call to make science education more inclusive (Barton & Osborne, 1998); an important component of scientific literacy (Allchin, 2014;Brickhouse, 1994;Kelly, 2014). ...
Abstract In teaching laboratories, scientific reasoning and argumentation are often taught in concert so students are provided opportunities to formulate a more nuanced understanding of science-as-practice and science as a social epistemology. Given recent calls to attend to the social aspects of science, we used Critical Contextual Empiricism, a social epistemology of science, as a framework for examining what features of a scientific community emerge in the introductory biology lab. In a case study of six graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), we explored how GTAs encouraged epistemic agency that encouraged their student’s efforts at knowledge construction in a community by collecting multiple data sources (e.g. audio recordings, students written work, focus group interviews) over a four-week sequence. Data analysis strategies were inductive, as a series of initial and focused coding were applied to select exchanges garnered from within the lab. Comparative analysis identified common occurrences across each respective case, which then revealed three overarching themes. We intended for GTAs to readily encourage epistemic agency to their students so insights regarding the social nature of knowledge production could be experienced and discussed. When epistemic shifts did occur, GTAs executed discursive moves targeting students’ experimental design practices (e.g. defining the dependent variable). Conversely, student’s efforts were also de-legitimized as GTAs provided specific directives to follow when challenges emerged for students. Finally, GTAs struggled to create a genuine community that modeled exemplary science-as-practice in the lab. Implications discuss how GTAs likely require more targeted support if community-driven learning is going to be successful in these uniquely challenging settings. Finally, working with non-science majors adds an additional layer of importance here given these lab-based experiences are limited and understanding the community’s role in generating scientific knowledge is a key component of being scientifically literate.
... Brown (2004; studied language in school science as an identity-marker within a programme to better assimilate oppressed students into the culture of science. Other researchers have studied how to better accommodate a broader range of identities and discourses within school science (Calabrese Barton and Osborne, 2001; Calabrese Barton, Tan & Rivet, 2008;Barton & Tan, 2010;Basu, 2008;Roth & Barton, 2004;Yerrick & Gilbert, 2011), advocated transformation of the culture of school science, and implying research into the processes of transformation, negotiation of meaning and identity development in school science is needed (Brickhouse, 2001;Lemke, 2001). ...
... Science for All addresses students who are traditionally excluded from science and calls for teachers to teach science to engage all students (Gilbert & Yerrick, 2001). For students like Miguel who are more likely to be culturally and linguistically diverse from their teacher, this is shown by respecting the language and heritage of the student, maintaining high expectations and consistently using the student's fund of knowledge as a resource (Barton & Osborne, 1998;Brisk, Barnhardt, Herrera, & Rochon, 2002;Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992). ...
A simulation was created to emulate two Racial Ethical Sensitivity Test (REST) videos (Brabeck et al., 2000). The REST is a reliable assessment for ethical sensitivity to racial and gender intolerant behaviors in educational settings. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the REST was performed using the Quick-REST survey and an interview protocol. The purpose of this study was to affect science educator ability to recognize instances of racial and gender intolerant behaviors by levering immersive qualities of simulations. The fictitious Hazelton High School virtual environment was created by the researcher and compared with the traditional REST. The study investigated whether computer simulations can influence the ethical sensitivity of preservice and inservice science teachers to racial and gender intolerant behaviors in school settings. The post-test only research design involved 32 third-year science education students enrolled in science education classes at several southeastern universities and 31 science teachers from the same locale, some of which were part of an NSF project. Participant samples were assigned to the video control group or the simulation experimental group. This resulted in four comparison group; preservice video, preservice simulation, inservice video and inservice simulation. Participants experienced two REST scenarios in the appropriate format then responded to Quick-REST survey questions for both scenarios. Additionally, the simulation groups answered in-simulation and post-simulation questions. Nonparametric analysis of the Quick-REST ascertained differences between comparison groups. Cronbach's alpha was calculated for internal consistency. The REST interview protocol was used to analyze recognition of intolerant behaviors in the in-simulation prompts. Post-simulation prompts were analyzed for emergent themes concerning effect of the simulation on responses. The preservice video group had a significantly higher mean rank score than other comparison groups. There were no significant differences across the remaining groups. Qualitative analyses of in-simulation prompts suggest both preservice and inservice participants are unlikely to take action in an intolerant environment. Themes emerged in the post-simulation responses indicated participants viewed the simulation as a reflective, interactive, personal, and organic environment.
... Fine company, indeed. 2 Osborne's (2007) call is significant. While others have argued for alternative theorizations and priorities for science education (e.g., Appelbaum & Clarke, 2001; Calabrese Barton & Osborne, 1998;Kyle, 2001;Lemke, 2001;Weaver, 2001), as the immediate pastpresident of National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Osborne places this call prominently on the mainstream science education research agenda. 3 There is an extensive extant literature in this field. ...
This paper aims to further articulate multicultural science education scholarship. In particular, it explores the notions of borders and border epistemologies as intellectual resources to think again about the challenges of science education in the global world that demand more sophisticated concepts to unravel some of its complexities. It responds in part to Osborne's (2007) call for more “armchair science education” to “develop better theories about our goals and values” (p. 11). Borders and border spaces reconceptualize and extend the view of borders typically presented within the literature as unproblematic lines between cultures and knowledges that need to be crossed. The constructs of border epistemologies introduce to science education the work of cultural theorists, Boaventura de Sousa Santos and Walter Mignolo. Collectively, their scholarship helps to theorize alternative epistemologies from the Global South that argue social and political justice must be premised within epistemological justice. I finish by problematizing some of these ideas for ongoing thinking around multicultural approaches to science education. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed94:428–447, 2010
... Recent times have seen a rise in sociocultural perspectives within science education that are testament to the wholly transforming and increasing complexities of contemporaneity. While some of this scholarship has explored critical, feminist and poststructuralist theories interested in access to scientific knowledge, education and power (see Applebaum & Clarke, 2001; Calabrese Barton & Osborne, 1998), Lemke (2001) suggests that the encounter between normative science education and cultural and linguistic diversity has been a central focus. This growing preoccupation with diversity can be regarded as a consequence of the newly intercivilisational encounters of our rapidly globalising world. ...
In this paper, I utilise key postcolonial perspectives on multiculturalism and boundaries to reconsider some of science education's scholarship on cultural diversity in order to extend the discourses and methodologies of science education. I begin with a brief overview of postcolonialism that argues its ability to offer theoretical insights to help revise science education's philosophical frameworks in the face of the newly intercivilisational encounters of contemporaneity. I then describe the constructs of multiculturalism, and borders and ‘border thinking’ (after Mignolo, 2000) that become useful to develop postcolonial readings as an active methodology of critique able to intervene and develops more revealing interpretations of some of science education's scholarship and differentiated experiences. As the focus of these interventions, I have selected to discuss Cobern and Loving's (2001) ‘Defining “Science” in a Multicultural World: Implications for science education’ and Siegel's (2002) ‘Multiculturalism, Universalism and Science Education: In search of common ground’ from the ongoing discussion on multiculturalism and cultural diversity within the journal Science Education. Finally, I conclude this paper with some general comments regarding postcolonialism and the science education scholarship on cultural diversity.
... without ever seriously considering the more efficacious question of ''Should we work to attain science for all?'' Once the latter question is broached, science educators are then positioned to engage in the critical discourse that should accompany reform efforts (Barton & Osborne, 1998;Kyle, 1998;Lee, 1997). ...
“Science for All” is a mantra that has guided science education reform and practice for the past 20 years or so. Unfortunately, after 20 years of “Science for All” guided policy, research, professional development, and curricula African Americans continue to participate in the scientific enterprise in numbers that are staggeringly low. What is more, if current reform efforts were to realize the goal of “Science for All,” it remains uncertain that African American students would be well-served. This article challenges the idea that the type of science education advocated under the “Science for All” movement is good for African American students. It argues that African American students are uniquely situated historically and socially and would benefit greatly from a socially transformative approach to science education curricula designed to help them meet their unique sociohistorical needs. The article compares the curriculum approach presented by current reform against a socially transformative curriculum approach. It concludes with a description of research that could support the curricular approach advocated. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 301–316, 2011
... This study forwards a core line of research pursued recently by feminist scholars-What are the implications of the social construction of school science for girls? (see Barton & Osborne, 1998). In studying girls' participation in a reform-based setting, this study follows recommendations made by Anderson & Helms (2001), who called for more nuanced understandings of the complexities of reform in science education and students' roles within reform-based classrooms in ordinary school contexts. ...
Recent literature in science education suggests that, to transform girls' participation, learning, and identities within school science, we must think about ways to engage girls in different kinds of educational activities that promote broader meanings of science and scientist. This study was designed to examine more deeply this call for a changed science curriculum and its implications for girls' participation, interest, and emerging science identities. In this ethnographic study, I examine the culturally produced meanings of science and scientist in a reform-based physics classroom that used a curriculum called Active Physics, how these meanings reproduced and contested larger sociohistorical (and prototypical) meanings of science and scientist, and the ways girls participated within and against these meanings. The girls in this upper middle class school were mostly concerned with accessing and maintaining a good student identity (rather than connecting to science in any meaningful way) and resisted promoted meanings of science and scientist that they perceived as threatening to their good student identities. Their embrace of the ways school defined success (via grades and college admission) produced a meaning of Active Physics as a way to get credentials on a transcript and ensured their disconnection from real-world, meaningful science and science identities. The story of girls' participation and resistance in Active Physics complicates our quest for gender-fair science and highlights the power of sociohistorical meanings of schooling and science in producing educational subjects. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 392–414, 2004
... This perspective has been utilised to interrogate the role of gender and economic status in science learning. In recent studies focused on girls and students from communities with limited socio-economic resources engagement in science has been fostered in a variety of ways that are not necessarily in alignment with conventional school science practice (Barton 1998; Barton and Osborne 2001;Brickhouse and Potter 2001;Brickhouse et al. 2000). In instances where non-traditional ways of engaging with science have been supported in learning environments the outcome has been significant in terms of the transformation of classroom practices and student participation in school science (Barton 2001; Barton and Tan 2009; Barton et al. 2008;Tan and Barton 2008). ...
Over the past twenty-five years researchers have been concerned with understanding the science student. The need for such
research is still grounded in contemporary issues including providing opportunities for all students to develop scientific
literacy and the failure of school science to connect with student’s lives, interests and personal identities. The research
reported here is unusual in its use of discourse analysis in social psychology to contribute to an understanding of the way
students make meaning in secondary school science. Data constructed for the study was drawn from videotapes of nine consecutive
lessons in a year-seven science classroom in Melbourne, post-lesson video-stimulated interviews with students and the teacher,
classroom observation and the students’ written work. The classroom videotapes were recorded using four cameras and seven
audio tracks by the International Centre for Classroom Research at the University of Melbourne. Student talk within and about
their science lessons was analysed from a discursive perspective. Classroom episodes in which students expressed their sense
of personal identity and agency, knowledge, attitude or emotion in relation to science were identified for detailed analysis
of the function of the discourse used by students, and in particular the way students were positioned by others or positioned
themselves. This article presents the discursive Umwelt or life-space of one middle years science student, Tasha. Her case
is used here to highlight the complex social process of meaning making in science classrooms and the need to attend to local
moral orders of rights and duties in research on student language use, identity and learning in science.
KeywordsPositioning–Social psychology–Discourse analysis–Girls in science–Science classroom practice–Video study–Classroom research
Purpose
This article explores the connection between Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) and Positive School Leadership (PSL) and how both engage with a concept that deeply connects both leadership expressions – trust.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-year, single site case study method examined a district-level equity leader, and her struggles and successes with promoting equity and positive culture throughout a large suburban district in the US.
Findings
Trust, established through regular interactions, allowed the district's leadership equity team to build positive relationships with building leaders. Trust was not only a mitigating factor on the relationships themselves, but also regulated the extent to which equitable practices were discussed and implemented in the district. Trust allowed conflicts to surface and be addressed that led to individual and organizational change.
Research limitations/implications
The case highlights the importance of both CRSL and PSL principals, along with the idea of “soft power” in cultural change, to foster equity in schools. Established trust does not erase the difficulties of enacting CRSL/PSL, but allows the difficulties to be addressed. The authors found that dynamic, iterative, regular interactions over a long period reinforced trust allowed CRPSL to take root in the district.
Originality/value
The authors use a single subject case to argue that the core of empirical work moving forward should draw on an integration of culturally responsive leadership.
Failure to improve achievement in K‐12 science for racially minoritized students and students living in poverty continues to challenge the inclusionary rhetoric of science for all. Science education researchers, teacher educators, and educators must consider the racialized and classed inequalities that continue to limit students’ opportunities to learn. To achieve this, we must be able to conceptualize sociopolitical pedagogical approaches and learn from empirical examples of science teachers who consciously attend to their students’ realities in empowering rather than deficit‐oriented ways. We argue for the importance of utilizing culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and attending to and theorizing an educator's sociopolitical consciousness and enactments of political clarity in science instruction. Our analysis highlights how an African American male science teacher responds to his middle school students’ realities and identities as African American youth and children growing up contexts with limited economic resources. Through classroom observations and interviews with the teacher, we nuance our understanding of sociopolitical consciousness, the third tenet of CRP, as reliant upon a teacher's political clarity and examine how, through instruction, science teachers can position students and their realities as consonant with knowing and doing science and being scientists.
O artigo apresenta desafios ao ensino de ciências frente à universalização da educação e os enfoques multiculturais nas diferentes áreas das ciências naturais, bem como os encaminhamentos pedagógicos na formação dos professores. O trabalho é parte de um estudo de representação em conceitos científicos na escola primária de Timor-Leste, para tese de doutorado e tem como principal problema, refletir e analisar como modernamente se articulam pedagogicamente as áreas das ciências que são colocadas ao ensino básico em face à convergência aos caminhos multiculturais. Como metodologia utilizou-se de pesquisa bibliográfica em artigos e livros, assim como investigação de caráter qualitativo em loco nas escolas primárias do Timor-Leste e na formação de professores timorenses. Para o entendimento de abordagens culturais no ensino de ciências se recorreu à teoria pós-colonial, a partir dos trabalhos de Edward Said, Frantz Fanon, Homi Bhabha, Arjun Appadurai que situam o universo pós-colonial em frente às concepções eurocêntricas e dos encaminhamentos da teoria no campo do ensino de ciências de Lyn Carter, Aikenhead entre outros. A confluência da pesquisa bibliográfica com a investigação de campo permitiu perceber a diversidade de visões sobre o ensino de ciência que abarca concepções externalistas e internalistas frente aos caminhos ideológicos multiculturais e suas variadas formas de compreender o mundo. A análise dos dados obtidos na pesquisa se deu por meio da confrontação dos achados bibliográficos com o que se verificou na investigação de campo e permitiu o estabelecimento de algumas conclusões. Considerando que os valores culturais refletem uma espécie de opinião étnica sobre a natureza, sem o rigor da ciência clássica, ao admiti-los no corpo dos conhecimentos científicos sem a devida separação destes, corre-se o risco de piorar o ensino de ciências naturais ao mistificar explicações regidas por leis naturais acerca dos mais variados fenômenos físicos e biológicos, fortalecendo as concepções alternativas dos estudantes em detrimento dos conhecimentos científicos que se deseja estabelecer.
https://conference.pixel-online.net/NPSE/files/npse/ed0007/FP/4296-ESM2850-FP-NPSE7.pdf
The underrepresentation of professionals of color across the overall working force in the science and engineering fields continues to be a matter of concern nationwide. In 2008, Hispanics accounted for only 4.9 percent, while Blacks constituted only 3.9 percent of all employed scientists and engineers (National Science Foundation, 2012).
This essay describes an educational initiative that used environmentally themed (green) hip-hop to stimulate learning in an environmental science classroom. Students were then challenged to compose their own green hip-hop and their lyrics demonstrated skills that have thematic consistency around what is called a Critical Ecological Literacy (CEL). An analysis of more than 200 creative pieces collected from eight runs of this curriculum over four years shows that CEL can be used as a guiding concept for the creation of curriculum targeting urban areas and racially diverse learners. Several examples of this student-produced green hip-hop are shared to delineate elements of CEL that can help educators evaluate student learning as well as their own teaching materials.
Marianne Ødegaard er førsteamanuensis i naturfagdidaktikk ved Naturfagsenteret på Universitetet i Oslo hvor hun er forskningsleder. Hun er opptatt av naturfag som et allmenndannende fag, og hvordan blant annet drama kan bidra til dette. Hun er nå involvert i videobasert klasseromsforskning, hvor hun er spesielt interessert i læreres undervisnings- tilbud til elevene.
The purpose of this study was to hear the voices of college-bound high school students concerning meaning and action in cultural context. Students explain what it means to understand and to succeed in introductory chemistry. The method was ethnographic and interpretive as the researcher took on the role of participant observer in introductory chemistry classes in two Midwestern public high schools during one school year. A focus group of students from each school and the two teachers were interviewed and participated in informal conversations. Field notes and interviews were considered primary data sources. Audiotape transcriptions and written artifacts served as secondary sources. Students explained understanding in at least two ways, one practical and task oriented, while the other definition was theoretical and epistemological. Success associated with the latter understanding was elusive, yet considered more meaningful. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 221–237, 1999
This paper makes use of postcolonial theory to think differently about aspects of cultural diversity within science education. It briefly reviews some of the increasing scholarship on cultural diversity, and then describes the genealogy and selected key themes of postcolonial theory. Postcolonial theory as oppositional or deconstructive reading practice is privileged, and its practical application illustrated by using some of these key ideas to (re)read Gloria Snively and John Corsiglia's (2001) article “Discovering indigenous science: implications for science education” and their rejoinder, from the special issue of Science Education (Vol. 85, pp. 6–34) on multiculturalism and science education. While many would regard the expressed views on diversity, inclusivity, multiculturalism, and sustainability to be just and equitable, postcolonial analysis of the texts reveals subtle and lingering referents that unwittingly work against the very attitudes Snively and Corsiglia (2001) seek to promote. Such postcolonial analyses open up thinking about the material and cultural conditions in which science education is produced, circulated, interpreted, and enacted. They also privilege a unique methodology already prominent in academic inquiry that is yet to be well explored within science education. Finally, I conclude this paper with some general comments regarding postcolonialism and the science education scholarship on cultural diversity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed88:819–836, 2004
An Essay Review ofRestructuring Science Education: The Importance of Theories and Their Development. ( Richard Duschl. 1990. New York: Teachers College Press. 155 pages.) Time for Science Education: How Teaching the History and Philosophy of Pendulum Motion Can Contribute to Science Literacy ( Michael Matthews. 2000. New York: Kluwer Academic. 452 pages.) Teaching and Learning Science: Towards a Personalized Approach ( Derek Hodson. 1998. Philadelphia: Open University Press. 200 pages.) Science Education as/for Sociopolitical Action ( Wolff-Michael Roth & Jacques Désautels. 2002. New York: Peter Lang. 323 pages.) (Post) Modern Science (Education) ( John Weaver, Marla Morris, & Peter Appelbaum, Eds. 2001. New York: Peter Lang. 312 pages.)
This paper reviews the significant sociocultural literatures on science studies, cultural diversity, and sustainability science to develop theoretical perspectives for science education more suitable to the challenges of contemporaneity. While the influences of science studies and cultural diversity are not uncommon within the science education literature on innovation, the difference here is the inclusion of the newer field of sustainability science. These threads are drawn are together to help formulate a view of science education that contributes to the ongoing discussion of what it could be in the 21st century. Finally, a science unit in a preservice teacher education course is then described, which aims to engage, inform, and empower beginning teachers in ways that tackle the challenges of contemporaneity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed92:165–181, 2008
The purpose of this article is to report our findings from a qualitative study intended to develop our understandings of how inner-city mothers perceive science. Using qualitative methodologies, our analysis reveals that the mothers' perceptions can be grouped into four categories: perceptions of science as (a) schoolwork/knowledge, (b) fun projects, (c) a tool for maintaining the home and family, and (d) an untouchable domain. After we present these categories we compare our findings across categories to argue that those mothers who had spent time doing science with their children were more likely to have a more personal, dynamic, and inquiry-based view of science. We also argue that mothers' perceptions of science were more dynamic when they spoke about situations and contexts that were familiar to them, such as food, nutrition, and child care. We conclude the article with a discussion of the implications our findings have for science education reform. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 688–711, 2001
This article is a response to Randy Yerrick and Joseph Johnson’s article “Negotiating White Science in Rural Black America:
A Case for Navigating the Landscape of Teacher Knowledge Domains”. They write about research conducted by Yerrick in which
videos of his teaching practice as a White educator in a predominately Black rural classroom were examined. Their analysis
is framed through Shulman’s (1986) work on “domains of teacher knowledge” and Ladson-Billings’ (1999) critical race theory (CRT). Although we appreciate a framework that attends to issues of power, such as CRT, we see a heavier
emphasis on Shulman’s work in their analysis. We argue that a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework has the potential
to provide a more nuanced analysis of what occurred in Yerrick’s classroom from a critical lens. Thus we examine Yerrick and
Johnson’s work through the five main CRP components (as defined by Brown-Jeffy and Cooper 2011) and ultimately argue that science educators who want to promote equity in their classrooms should engage in continuous critical
reflexivity, aid students in claiming voice, and encourage students to become not only producers of scientific knowledge but
also users and critics of such knowledge.
KeywordsCritical race theory–Culturally relevant pedagogy–Critical multicultural education–Intersectionality–Equity
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