dc.description.abstract | Since the early 1980’s, a push for equitable learning practices has resulted in the creation
of culturally centered pedagogy to counter educational disparities targeting marginalized
populations across disciplines—particularly within the Black/African American community.
More recently, scholarship centering on race in science education, language and culture
integration in science, and justice-centered science pedagogy have been examined and utilized to
address the achievement and opportunity gaps in science across racial/ethnic groups (Larkin,
Maloney, & Perry-Ryder, 2016; Lee & Luykx, 2007; Lynn, 2006; Morales-Doyle, 2017; Nasir &
Hand, 2006; Underwood & Mensah, 2018). With the steady rise in cultural diversity within the
current demographics of the American school system, issues surrounding equity-based
instruction illuminate the need for learning environments to enact practices that are inclusive,
culturally relevant, and understood by teachers across multiple disciplines (Brown, Boda,
Lemmi, & Monroe, 2019; Goldenberg, 2014; Johnson, 2010; Milner, 2014).Within this
qualitative case study, attention is given to teacher epistemology of culture and how one’s
understanding of the concept informs and guides one’s pedagogical practices in middle school
science classrooms. Teachers within this multisite case study reflect on their use of cultural
referents, also noted as “real world connections,” to meet the academic needs of their students.
Drawing from the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, Gloria Ladson-Billings (1992,
2009, 2010, 2014) positions learning at the helm of cultural and social connectedness to reduce
the gaps in achievement which persist among Black students and their peers. Although an
abundance of scholarship surrounds teacher understanding and use of culturally relevant
practices across disciplines (Aronson & Laughter, 2016; Boutte, Kelly-Jackson, & Johnson,
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2010; Johnson, 2010; Morrison, Robbins, & Rose, 2008; Underwood & Mensah, 2018), a dearth
of research exists, specifically examining teachers’ understanding of culture to aide in their
successful enactment of culturally inclusive and relevant pedagogy in the science classroom.
This qualitative multisite case study examined how teacher epistemology of culture
guided their pedagogical practice in middle school science classrooms. Gathering empirical data
from interviews, classroom observations, transcripts and document analysis, presented
opportunities to gain insight into how teachers perceive and utilize cultural components in the
science classroom. The sample of participants included 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade teachers who
taught life, earth, physical science, or a combination of the three science areas. Research suggests
that for teachers to employ instruction from a cultural lens, some knowledge and understanding
of how culture is defined and interpreted is warranted to avoid a cultural mismatch (Gay, 2000;
Howard, 2017; Siwatu & Poloydore, 2010; Stephens, Townsend, Markus, & Phillips, 2012).
Findings from this study showed cultural understandings coupled with various pedagogical
approaches were used by middle school science teachers to bridge student understanding in
science. From a stance embedded in community-based associations, student social and academic
needs, and an array of worldviews, teachers chose specific components within culture to address
science content. Within this study, the following became evident: for teachers to understand how
to enact culture in science education, it was necessary for teachers to understand culture and how
science fit into the lives of their students. Scholarship supports the notion that science and culture
are not static; learning is shaped by our experience and interactions. | en_US |