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“That Makes Sense Now!": Bicultural Middle School Students’ Learning in a Culturally Relevant Science Classroom
Abstract
This study describes how culturally relevant pedagogy in a project-based science class improved student engagement and comprehension. We focus on bicultural students exploring cultural objects and household inventions with family members, connecting scientific concepts to their families’ funds of knowledge. We use a multiple-case study design to explore six middle school bicultural students’ experiences with culturally relevant activities. Findings describe bidirectional knowledge transfer between the home and the classroom in a way that engaged students, affirmed their home cultures, and facilitated subject matter learning.
... This study explored CLD students' writing experiences in an invention-based learning (IBL) science classroom, to understand how students perceived writing as supportive of their science learning. IBL is a type of project-based learning pedagogy emphasizing collaboration and the invention process, as a means of building understanding [22]. IBL is inherently hands-on and oriented to problem solving, and it also aims to foster student interest [22][23][24]. ...
... IBL is a type of project-based learning pedagogy emphasizing collaboration and the invention process, as a means of building understanding [22]. IBL is inherently hands-on and oriented to problem solving, and it also aims to foster student interest [22][23][24]. Through IBL teachers facilitate learning engagements where students use scientific knowledge, practice thinking processes, design, invent, and come to understand for themselves how to apply science in the wider world [22][23][24]. ...
... IBL is inherently hands-on and oriented to problem solving, and it also aims to foster student interest [22][23][24]. Through IBL teachers facilitate learning engagements where students use scientific knowledge, practice thinking processes, design, invent, and come to understand for themselves how to apply science in the wider world [22][23][24]. As both IBL and writing are distinctive but effective pedagogical methods to engage students in learning and developing science literacy, teachers can use them together to meet the needs of diverse students by providing creative and supportive opportunities for them to apply knowledge in practice [22][23][24][25]. ...
Science education has shifted towards emphasizing science literacy rather than simply memorizing facts. Studies have shown that incorporating writing in science education engages students in higher-order thinking, fosters critical reasoning skills, and deepens subject matter comprehension. However, writing can be particularly challenging for CLD (culturally and linguistically diverse) students due to content-specific vocabulary and distinctive grammatical patterns. This case study explores six CLD students’ experiences with writing in a seventh-grade science classroom in the northeastern United States that used invention-based learning (IBL). By incorporating hands-on invention processes, IBL facilitates problem-solving and student-centered learning. The study shows how a writing-to-learn approach in science education can simultaneously support CLD students in developing a scientific understanding of abstract concepts and address the need for science literacy skills. The implications of this study suggest that teachers should integrate writing-to-learn strategies into their science instruction to promote deeper understanding and improve science literacy. By supporting students through productive struggles with writing and providing opportunities to practice scientific language, teachers can help students develop critical thinking skills and better comprehension of scientific concepts. In addition, by connecting hands-on experiences with writing tasks, educators can make science more accessible and engaging for students, particularly those from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
... Ten articles were identified in this category [Alvaré, 2017;Atwater et al., 2013;Borgerding, 2017;Brown et al., 2016;Brown, 2017;Brown & Crippen, 2017;Kim, et al., 2021;Mavuru & Ramnarain, 2017;Razfar & Nasir, 2019;Tolbert et al., 2019]. There was considerable overlap with the studies in this sample which used the funds of knowledge approach which will be considered separately in the next Section (6.3). ...
... Ten articles were identified in this category [Alvaré, 2017;Borgerding, 2017;Brown, 2017;Brown & Crippen, 2017;Kim, et al., 2021;Llopart & Esteban-Guitart, 2017;Mavuru & Ramnarain, 2017;Razfar & Nasir, 2019;Stahl et al., 2021;Tolbert et al., 2019]. As mentioned in the previous section, there was considerable overlap between the articles using culturally responsive teaching and those using the funds of knowledge approach. ...
This paper presents a literature review of science teaching approaches that seek to support equity in science classrooms, focusing on marginalization based on (i) race/ethnicity, (ii) social class/socioeconomic background, and (iii) religion. Considered were approaches that science teachers can use in science classes in secondary schools. They were analyzed and discussed against the backdrop of critical pedagogy by Paulo Freire and the educational theory by Hannah Arendt, which constitutes a novelty in science education research. The review used meta interpretation combined with systematic searches in the ERIC database. It is, thus, limited to works published in English. A total of 930 articles (2013–2021) were identified out of which 64 were fully analyzed. The analysis shows that most approaches strive to provide more equal access to the existing science knowledge and structures of the community. This corresponds to the introduction to the “old world” in a conservative interpretation of Arendt's term. I argue that in addition, it is necessary to employ a more radical interpretation of the “old world” as fundamentally plural which is done in translanguaging and grappling with racism. Further, the transformative nature of science education needs to be strengthened in terms of Freire's critical pedagogy and Arendt's concept of natality. This means allowing students to become aware of oppressive structures to induce change. Only youth participatory science, youth participatory action research, and grappling with racism explicitly aim for this. This shows that nuanced perspectives on equity in science education are needed.
... The results showed that each participant student required a different amount of content knowledge prior to developing the cognitive ability to transfer that knowledge to real-world situations through a cultural lens. The findings illustrated that knowledge transfer is an "iterative bi-directional process", not one-way [29]. ...
... Current STEM educational research suggests the importance for students to solve real-world problems that are compelling and require the application of knowledge in a meaningful way [8][9][10][11]. Studies also suggest that implementing culturally relevant pedagogy in STEM classrooms can increase student interest in the field [28][29][30][31][32]. The results from this pilot study add to the literature through documenting a positive experience from both the teacher and student populations through a convergence STEM approach with the integration of culturally relevant pedagogy and experiential learning. ...
Convergence education, driven by compelling or complex socio-scientific problems, is an approach to bring cultural relevance into secondary STEM education. National trends show the need to increase the STEM workforce by leveraging educational research and innovative practices within the secondary level to increase student interest prior to graduating high school. We introduced CReST (Culturally Relevant STEM) in a US high school pilot study. Student participants included 276 Chemistry students and 19 World History I students. The study also engaged four (4) high school teachers in chemistry and social studies with the challenge of cultural heritage conservation through the lens of the (physicochemical) life cycle of mural paintings in Europe. Teachers were provided with (1) professional development; (2) a digital curriculum; and (3) modular kits for hands-on learning. The research focused qualitatively on the experiences from the teacher and students as well as quantitatively to assess whether there was an increase in student academic performance. We found a statistically significant gain with respect to Chemistry (4.0%) and World History (13.4%) content. Students and teachers responded with overwhelming positivity in individual and focus-group interviews. This amplifies the further need of convergent educational approaches in high school STEM education to enhance engagement and increase student learning.
... The HomeFun activities were designed to bridge students' home experiences with the school curriculum [17]. Each student engaged in four HomeFun activities with family members (Table 1). ...
Despite the linguistic diversity in the United States, English-only norms persist in educational settings, placing culturally and linguistically diverse students at a disadvantage. Translanguaging, as a linguistic application of culturally relevant practice, utilizes students’ first and second languages to enhance understanding and communication. Guided by core questions and thorough qualitative analysis, this case study delves into middle school emergent bilingual students’ engagement and experiences with translanguaging in the science classroom within a monolingual school setting. Findings indicate that translanguaging positively impacts students’ comprehension and engagement in science learning, facilitating access to content and strengthening home–school connections. However, students’ attitudes toward translanguaging are influenced by the lack of institutional support and societal language ideologies, leading to mixed opinions about its effectiveness and preferences. The study emphasizes the importance of listening to students’ voices and advocating professional support to establish multilingual educational environments to maximize the advantages of translanguaging practices.
... However, there is a misconception that science education should be inherently culture-neutral (Laughter & Adams, 2012). In contrast to this view, Kim et al. (2021) found that culturally relevant pedagogy in a project-based science classroom enhanced student engagement and science understanding. ...
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and competencies of secondary school science teachers in Turkey regarding multicultural education. The study was conducted with the explanatory design of mixed methods. Quantitative data were collected with the Multicultural Competence Perceptions Scale and the Multicultural Education Perceptions Scale to determine science teachers' perceptions and competencies regarding multicultural education, and 204 science teachers with different demographic characteristics participated in the study. According to the analysis, science teachers who were older in terms of age and experience had higher perceptions of multicultural education and competencies than other teachers. In addition, the findings suggest that as teachers gain knowledge about multicultural education, their competencies related to multicultural education can be supported.
... Cultural differences in society also bring new challenges in education. Dialogue and peace in society depend on training individuals dealing with education [43], as well as promoting constructive and cooperative relationships among children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds [44], [45]. ...
The value of multicultural education is acknowledged on a global scale, despite the fact that various barriers prevent its complete implementation. These include cultural, linguistic, religious, economic, difference in physical condition, and ethnic backgrounds. By assessing publishing trends, extracting data on author keyword trends, examining conceptual evolution, and establishing possible future research on this topic using the Scopus database. This study found that publications grew in quantity from 2013 to 2022, decreased in 2015 and 2018 but were not significant, and 2021 was the highest peak with 221 documents. With 111 publications, the United States is the most prolific and co-authored with authors from Canada, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and South Korea. Based on thematic evolution, ‘subspace-clustering’, ‘conversational-system’, ‘aortic-aneurysm’, ‘Bayesian-network-classifier’, are themes or topics that have recently developed. By utilizing these important terms, the study of multicultural education can be examined more thoroughly and more extensive in the future in order to learn new knowledge. In conclusion, this research has the potential to contextualize previous research on the topic and create an evidence-based practice paradigm for future studies grounded in science.
... crafts, all culturally adapted in ways that make sense for Vietnamese-descent children that receive schooling in the U.S. (see Chapters 4and 5). The cross-cultural learning opportunities from cultural others, in this sense, might cultivate meaningful learning experiences that allow emergent bilingual learners to navigate their two cultural worlds.Kim et al. (2021) note that the bidirectional transfer enabled by a culturally relevant curriculum might engage bicultural students, reinforce their heritage culture, and promote content learning (in this case, the Vietnamese language and literacy)."That is really from my working experience at the library. At the library, they have story time … The music ...
Urged by the overarching problem of the language shift phenomena (Wong-Fillmore, 1991, 2000) and the lack of research among groups of less commonly taught languages, this ethnographic case study documents how the stakeholders from two Vietnamese language programs engaged in language and cultural socialization practices with respect to curricular designs, pedagogical practices, and associated language ideologies. The two focal programs included a Vietnamese dual-language two-way immersion program and a Vietnamese-as-a-second-language program, both located in a central Texas city. More particularly, drawing upon the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of translanguaging (García, 2009; Williams, 1994) and language ideology (Silverstein, 1979), all unified under the lens of language socialization (Ochs & Schieffelin, 1984), the study addresses the following research questions:
(1) In what ways do the stakeholders socialize emergent bilingual learners (both Vietnamese-descent and non-Vietnamese students) into biculturalism?
(2) In what ways do the stakeholders engage emergent bilingual learners in bilingual and biliteracy practices in Vietnamese and English?
(3) In what ways do the stakeholders’ ideologies of language inform the implementation of the focused programs and classroom practices?
... In these cases, the STEM education system must leverage existing community assets to develop engaging STEM education experiences for their students.Classroom teachers use documented strategies to learn about their students and create bridges between home and classroom cultures that might not be visible to the teacher. In one school with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, a science teacher created a homework assignment asking stu-dents to discuss how the concept of heat transfer connected to practices in the culture of an adult at home(Kim et al., 2021). Students described conversations with their families about Moroccan clay ovens, cooking over fire in Guatemala, ...
Engaged students are emotionally invested in their learning and sustain concentration on one task for long periods of time. They feel compelled to seek new learning opportunities to deepen their understanding. All students should have the opportunity to experience engaging school learning environments. However, falling high school graduation rates in many US states and fewer adolescents enrolling in postsecondary education after high school are evidence of declining student engagement. In the critical Science, Technology , Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, most students have reported low engagement. This article argues that the secondary STEM education system must prioritize student engagement which will result in improved student achievement and persistence in STEM college and career pathways. Existing literature indicates that youth engage deeply with STEM activities when they make meaningful connections to the material through strategies like project-based learning which blur the line between classroom and community. This article proposes systems changes to improve student engagement including new data systems to measure and track student engagement , supporting teachers in transforming their practice, and leveraging STEM community assets to create authentic learning experiences. Examples of these changes are used throughout the article demonstrate new possibilities to improve the student experience in high school STEM education.
This system-level ethnographic study of a strength-based approach to transforming a national invention education program makes visible how program leadership drew on research and their own expertise to shift who and how they served. With data analysis grounded in program reports, documentation, and internal and published research, the program’s developmental trajectory is (re)constructed and (re)presented with contextual details provided by program leadership to bring forward how facets of a strength-based approach informed the overtime transformation. Working in conjunction with program leadership to identify common design elements across new program offerings, this study presents this program’s principles for designing for instruction and considerations for curricular integration of invention education into K-14 educational institutions. Furthermore, how these principles align with a strength-based approach are discussed.
The United States has always been a diverse nation with different races and cultures that impact American classrooms. Offshore teachers who opted to teach in the United States are always challenged to improve the overall academic achievement of their diverse students and must hold the expectation that all students in their classes can be successful despite cultural differences. This study explores the understanding of offshore teachers’ multicultural education and its influence on student academic achievement, the dimensions of multicultural education that contribute to the level of cultural, instructional proficiency, and academic achievement, and the additional types of professional development to support teachers in becoming culturally proficient. The core questions of this study seek to identify the specific data needed to enhance offshore teachers’ multicultural education, the contributions of multicultural education dimensions to academic achievement, and what additional supports are necessary for offshore teachers to become culturally proficient. This phenomenological qualitative study utilizes the sample of offshore teachers in the counties of Maryland. Data are collected through Face-to-face and focus questions, and Dedoose utilization produces three themes. The study reveals that offshore teachers do not have in-depth knowledge of multicultural education, that the degree of importance of multicultural education dimensions varies from each offshore teacher, and additional trainings are necessary for these educators to become culturally and instructionally proficient in teaching people of color.
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