Decolonizing Science Education Research: Dismantling Academic Power Structures for Educational Solidarity and Social Justice

• In Event: 29.082 - Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: 29.082-10 - Fostering Educational Equality Through Decolonizing Methods and Postcolonial Perspectives

Abstract

Decolonization involves dismantling colonialist epistemologies that frame dominant peoples and cultures as more legitimate and authoritative over others. This study focuses on decolonizing educational research methodologies within science education by deconstructing the typical, positivistic researcher/researched relationship, which is rife with power relations over those “researched,” and dehumanizes participants by rendering them objects to be studied. Decolonization of research methodologies entails working in solidarity with participants towards a common liberation and not researching on participants for the benefit of the dominant. A year-long research endeavor with Latin@ undocumented science students in a Title I high school is presented as an example of utilizing a decolonizing approach: working in solidarity with research participants, as mutual agents for social change.

Author

• Jean Rockford Aguilar-Valdez, Portland State Univeristy