STEM Curriculum Development Grounded in Indigenous Knowledge and Microplastics Research

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Decentering the ethos of decolonial curriculum

Abstract

This study explores the development of place-based STEM curricula that integrate microplastics research with Indigenous knowledge systems in Pacific Island communities. Framing curriculum as a responsibility to future generations, the project centers environmental education as an act of unforgetting—of land, culture, and histories of extraction. Students examine the local impacts of plastic pollution alongside broader systems of climate vulnerability. Through inquiry and community-based learning, they explore circular economies, sustainable alternatives, and Indigenous practices of stewardship. Findings suggest that grounding STEM in cultural and ecological context enhances engagement, scientific literacy, and critical thinking. In a time of increasing politicization, this work positions curriculum as a transformative tool for sustainability, justice, and intergenerational care.

Authors

• Stacy Potes, University of Hawai'i Mānoa

• Pauline W.U. Chinn, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa