Informal Science Learning, Teacher Identity, and Politics

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Race, Politics, and Teacher Identity: Reflecting on Professional Learning and Practice

Abstract

This paper makes the claim that politics critically shape teacher identity in science education. Nationally, there is growing income/economic disparity and continued institutionalized racism at the same time as there continues to be a push for STEM initiatives and reproduction of meritocratic ideals within science education. The aforementioned political, economic and social structures greatly shape public schools, which in turn shape and reinforce teachers’ perceptions of students, goals of teaching and identities as teachers. This paper focuses on educators, in the context of schooling in a large, urban district, who articulate their definitions of science, informal science education and science teaching and learning.

This piece will address and analyze what teachers’ descriptions of and dialogues about teaching reveal about their politics in relation to identities? In what ways do teacher responses reflect a politicized understanding of history, power, and social relations within the institution of schooling? An analysis of interviews show that teachers articulate a range of political analysis from direct, latent or unquestioned connections of knowledge production to curriculum, pedagogy, and schooling. Interviews also show that teachers primarily disconnect between politics of knowledge, their own pedagogy and purposes of schooling. An unconnected and apolitical understanding of schooling and science education in society leave open . The varied nature of their responses indicate a lack to purposeful and engaged conversation regarding political issues in universities and within schools. This is a problem because unquestioned assumptions remain, students receive instruction from uncritical educators and are thus not inspired to be critical themselves in schooling and in life.

Additionally this piece will draw from scholars using dialectical analysis regarding science and society (Lewontin and Levins, 2007; Skordoulis, 2008) and scholars addressing discourses with identity and ideology (Gee, 2008; Nasir et al. 2013; Avraamidou, 2014). Gee (2008),among other scholars suggests an approach to discourse analysis that conceptualizes language in its social contexts. These approaches allow an examination of the teaching context, teaching practice and identity, integrating what teacher articulations reveal about the intersections of the three.

Findings from semi-structured interviews reveal that the way in which teachers perceive and connect political and social structures to students’ lives play a crucial role in their pedagogical and political practice. Teacher perceptions of student learning were overwhelmingly disconnected from reflections around structural issues shaping education, such as high stakes testing. Focusing on this piece, we can gather perspective into teachers’ historically and socially constructed ideologies to shed light on their practices and politics. This work suggest a need to revitalize spaces to sharpen political engagement in teacher education and professional development as a way of shaping teachers’ identities and practice (Gee, 2008; Nasir et al. 2013; Avraamidou, 2014).

Author

• Atasi Das, The Graduate Center, CUNY