Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory to Understand the Sociocultural Context of Informal Science Education in an Urban After-School Club

• In Event: Reframing Informal Science Education in Light of Diversity, Equity, Democracy, and Critical Science Literacy

Abstract

This paper focuses on the ways CHAT (Cultural Historical Activity Theory) can be a tool for understanding the sociocultural contexts of informal science education in an urban, low-income community after school center (Cole & Engestrom, 1993). I describe how CHAT as a theoretical lens and methodological tool is useful for studying the environmental, ecological, economic, and cultural contexts of science education in an out-of-school setting.
In line with CHAT’s focus on studying phenomena in context, I used participant- observation methods to study the ways that Latino and African American youth, ages six to 16, participated in a three-week science activity on urban wall gardening. I captured 1-2 hours of video each day for three weeks and 2 hours of informal interviews. I then worked with a 16 year old girl at the after school program to select portions of video and interviews that best represented youth voices around the goals and activities of the gardening project. This video, along with pictures and text written by the teen girl were organized into a documentary style digital story. I analyzed the data for contextual themes and learning outcomes to show youth sense-making around issues of science identity and their experiences in their ecological environment.
Analysis of the gardening project’s activity system shows that it was mediated in ways that took into account the tools and resources available to the youth in their after school community setting (inexpensive, recyclable planting materials; a wall garden for small, indoor, urban spaces; and digital technologies). The youth were taught how to garden using inexpensive materials so that they would be able to start new indoor gardens at home. These results highlight the inventiveness and strengths the community brings to the activity with the object being inclusiveness and meaningful participation. This is particularly important, given the inequities of science education opportunities in low-income, urban communities (Barton, 2003).
In the course of participating in the urban wall garden project, the youth demonstrated three main social learning outcomes. On a social level, they developed new interpersonal skills through joint mediated activity, particularly as the older teens became group leaders and mentors to the younger participants. The youth also became more critically aware of how their lives intersect with their physical and ecological environment. They learned about the ways plants can improve air quality and about water conservation through self-watering gardens. In their interviews, they also spoke about the beauty of gardens and how gardens can aesthetically improve our environment. As a community group, the youth developed ways to extend their activities beyond the physical walls of the after school center to include members of the broader community.
These outcomes show the potentials of CHAT as a tool for understanding the sociocultural contexts of informal science education by “helping us to illustrate structures, process, patterns and configurations that are usually ignored or invisible” (Roth, Lee, & Hsu, 2009). Educators should understand the resources and contexts of urban learning environments, to make science education more meaningful and engaging for youth.

Author

• Althea Scott Nixon, University of Southern California