Tensions and Affordances of Transformative Pedagogies in a Multilingual Secondary Science Classroom

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Orienting to Affect, Culture, and Language in Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Reforms in science education require attention to equity that transforms how we invite students to engage with science by valuing the perspectives and resources that students bring to the table, and by contextualizing science instruction in social-justice topics that affect their communities. However, integrating these transformative pedagogies into science instruction can be challenging. This study documents how one monolingual high school science teacher sought to implement transformative pedagogies into her sheltered biology classroom. Findings indicated improved student participation, but also challenges ensuring equitable access and tracking student learning. Implications can inform science teacher educators and researchers as they consider how to best support the majority-monolingual teaching force as they seek to create transformative learning experiences for their multilingual learners.

Author

• Alexis Rutt, James Madison University