Affordances and Constraints of Using Sense-Making Moments/Episodes for Fostering Equitable Disciplinary Responsiveness in Science Teaching

• In Event: Equity in Elementary Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Problem. There are many inequities regarding how students’ ideas and ways of knowing are (not) taken up in scientific sense-making. Our goal is to identify how teachers can open-up classroom spaces that can foster diverse sense-making and support traditionally minoritized children in developing agency and identity.
Design. Sixteen elementary teachers in urban and suburban school districts throughout the upper Midwest participated in this study by video-recording science lessons in their classrooms and participating in semi-structured interviews about their students’ sense-making during those lessons. After multiple rounds of open-coding interview transcripts and close iterative analyses of video moments, our team collaboratively identified how to define a sense-making moment, and what moves seemed to open up space for equitable sense-making. We refer to these moves as equitable disciplinary responsiveness (Authors, 2021a).
Analysis & Findings. Our analysis of sense-making moments found that each teacher’s interactions indicated a range of sense-making moments. However, when students’ responses did not align with the teachers’ storyline, responses were often subtly rejected or abandoned - which is problematic for diverse sense-making and identity formation. Most importantly, several teachers interpreted shutting-down sense-making interactions as productive and opening-up interactions as unproductive or confusing (Authors, 2021). Analysis of sense-making episodes can be helpful to identify how interactions embody and sustain inequities in the classroom, including as a tool in teacher preparation. They also point to the importance of working with in-service teachers in identifying and fostering equitable interactions. Nonetheless, this approach does not illustrate teachers’ relational work outside of science teaching nor does it provide information about teachers’ equity ideas or students’ responses.
Contribution/Significance. Conducting research and working with teachers is critical to promote equitable and disciplinary responsiveness for elementary children. NARST members will be interested in approaches to promoting equity including affordances/constraints of identifying (in)equitable and disciplinary responsiveness through sense-making moments.

Authors

• Christina V. Schwarz, Michigan State University

• Christa Haverly, Northwestern University

• Melissa Braaten, University of Colorado - Boulder