Cultural-Pedagogical-Content Knowledge: A Framework for Equitable Science Teaching

• In Event: Bringing Science to Life through Innovative Science Intervention for Chemistry and Physics High School Students

Abstract

Objective: This paper introduces a Cultural-Content-Pedagogical Knowledge (CCPK) framework, an expansion of Shulman’s (1986) pedagogical content knowledge that integrates cultural knowledge as essential for equitable science instruction. Despite decades of reform efforts, science education continues to underserve culturally diverse students by relying on decontextualized curricula and rigid assessment tasks that emphasize rote memorization and abstract reasoning. These practices often disconnect science from students’ lived experiences, limiting engagement and contributing to persistent gaps in participation and achievement among historically marginalized groups.

Theoretical Framework: The Cultural-Content-Pedagogical Knowledge (CCPK) framework conceptualizes how teachers can meaningfully integrate cultural relevance with pedagogical expertise and disciplinary rigor to promote equitable science teaching. It builds on Shulman’s (1986) model of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) along with culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), to include students’ cultural resources and lived experiences as essential for effective instruction. Structurally, CCPK is a three-domain framework composed of:
Cultural Knowledge: Teachers’ understanding of students’ backgrounds, languages, social histories, and community practices. This includes recognizing how students make sense of science through local, familial, or cultural contexts.


Pedagogical Knowledge: Instructional strategies that are inquiry-based, student-centered, and responsive to diverse learners. This includes scaffolding, eliciting student thinking, and formative assessment tailored to students’ ways of knowing.


Content Knowledge: Deep understanding of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This domain emphasizes the adaptability of scientific knowledge to culturally grounded phenomena.
The power of the CCPK framework lies in the intersections of these domains, where teachers plan and enact lessons that are culturally responsive, pedagogically effective, and conceptually rigorous.

Methods: This theoretical paper employs conceptual synthesis to advance the CCPK framework. It draws on existing literature and illustrative cases from professional learning communities to demonstrate how teachers operationalize the framework in practice. Examples will be given to show how teachers coordinate the three domains to develop instruction that reflects both the rigor of disciplinary science and the cultural realities of their students.

Data Source: Illustrative examples show teachers enacting CCPK in practice. One physics lesson situates kinematic concepts in students’ local traffic systems, engaging them in discourse around motion and safety that connects directly to their communities. Another example features students designing microphones to investigate sound waves, leveraging their familiarity with sound technologies and engaging in hands-on inquiry that deepens conceptual understanding. These cases demonstrate how teachers implement and adapt resources using their CCPK to support student engagement and promote identity development in science, particularly for those who have been marginalized in traditional classrooms.

Scholarly Significance: This theoretical contribution addresses a critical gap in science education by providing a structured model for enacting culture-based approaches that do not compromise disciplinary rigor. It responds to teachers’ frequent calls for concrete frameworks and examples of how to integrate students’ cultural knowledge into science instruction. This framework holds significant implications for teacher education, curriculum design, and educational policy. It highlights the need for sustained professional development that equips teachers with the tools and dispositions to implement culture-based approaches effectively.

Author

• Clausell Mathis, Michigan State University