Enacting Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Science Classroom: Exploring Just Education Practices (Poster 11)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 9:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Division C - Section 1d: Science Poster Session

Abstract

There is a need for research into how science teachers develop culturally appropriate teaching for classrooms in high-need settings. The goal of this study is to explore and document what one science teacher does in this regard. Four tenets of culturally responsive education guide our analysis; in these, the teacher 1) holds high expectations for all students’ learning, 2) values students’ assets and use these assets as resources in instruction, 3) draws upon students’ cultures to strengthen their connections to them, and 4) adopts and supports students in developing a critical stance toward sociopolitical structures and processes. In this paper, we present a case study exploring: In what ways does a teacher enact culturally responsive science teaching in their classroom?

Authors

• Jamie Wallace, American Museum of Natural History

• Elaine Howes, American Museum of Natural History