Bridging Culture and Science Education: Implications for Research and Practice

Izzah Mardhiya Mohammad Isa, Muhammad Abd Hadi Bunyamin, Fatin Aliah Phang

Abstract


Since the 19th century, many studies have claimed the importance of integrating culture in science education, grasping everyone’s experience and background. However, from 2012 to 2015, many recent works within these years describe how standardized curricula have marginalized cultural-based education. Scholars then re-emphasized the role of bridging funds of knowledge (FOK) as a conceptual framework to counter the deficit of marginalized groups and advance social justice in science education. However, up to this point, the extent and pattern of the growing body of literature on cultural-science integration is still less explored. Hence, in this review, we sought new and current inquiries that connect FOK or cultures with science education reform discourse to identify and understand the current trends of the integration phenomena by doing a systematic literature review. After constantly comparing the articles, we found three trends of the integration, which are (1) cultural-based lesson plan for equity in science educational opportunities, (2) effectiveness of integrating culture in science education, and (3) cultural-based science education as a voice of multidimensional perspectives. We hope that this review of research could reshape the future direction of research on equity and social justice issues in education and reshape the practice of education, particularly science education.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.21.10.20


Keywords


funds of knowledge; marginalized groups; culturally relevant pedagogy; culturally responsive teaching; social justice

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aikenhead, G. S., & Jegede, O. J. (1999). Cross-cultural science education: A cognitive explanation of a cultural phenomenon. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(3), 269–287. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(199903)36:3<269::AID-TEA3>3.0.CO;2-T

Aikenhead, G. S. (1996). Science education: Border crossing into the subculture of science. Studies in Science Education, 27(1), 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057269608560077

Albrecht, N., & Upadhyay, B. (2020). Two Somali fathers’ views of science: What should my children learn in science? Education and Urban Society, 52(7), 1133–1154. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124519894975

Albrecht, Nancy, & Upadhyay, B. (2018). What do refugee mothers want in urban US school science: Learning from the perceptions of science of three Somali mothers. Urban Review, 50(4), 604–629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-018-0458-9

Aronson, B., & Laughter, J. (2016). The theory and practice of culturally relevant education: A synthesis of research across content areas. Review of Educational Research, 86(1), 163–206. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315582066

Avery, L. M. (2013). Rural science education: Valuing local knowledge. Theory into Practice, 52(1), 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2013.743769

Brown, J. C., & Crippen, K. J. (2017). The knowledge and practices of high school science teachers in pursuit of cultural responsiveness. Science Education, 101(1), 99-133. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21250

Cole, M. (1996). A once and future discipline. Harvard University Press.

Esteban-Guitart, M., Lalueza, J. L., Zhang-Yu, C., & Llopart, M. (2019). Sustaining students’ cultures and identities. A qualitative study based on the funds of knowledge and identity approaches. Sustainability, 11, Article 3400. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123400

Fortney, B. S., Morrison, D., Rodriguez, A. J., & Upadhyay, B. (2019). Equity in science teacher education: Toward an expanded definition. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 14(2), 259–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019-09943-w

Gay, G. (2015). The what, why, and how of culturally responsive teaching: International mandates, challenges, and opportunities. Multicultural Education Review, 7(3), 123-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2015.1072079

Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research and practice (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press.

Gusenbauer, M., & Haddaway, N. (2019). Which Academic search systems are suitable for systematic reviews or meta?analyses? Evaluating retrieval qualities of Google Scholar, PubMed and 26 other resources. Research Synthesis Methods, 11(2), 181-217 . https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1378

Hogg, L. (2016). Applying funds of knowledge theory in a New Zealand high school: New directions for pedagogical practice. Teachers and Curriculum, 16(1), 49-55. https://doi.org/10.15663/tandc.v16i1.108

Hogg, L. (2011). Funds of knowledge: An investigation of coherence within the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(3), 666–677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.11.005

Hutchison, K., Paatsch, L., & Cloonan, A. (2020). Reshaping home–school connections in the digital age: Challenges for teachers and parents. E-Learning and Digital Media, 17(2), 167–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753019899527

Johnson, E. J., & Newcomer, S. N. (2020). Funds of knowledge mentors: Partnering with Latinx youth to incite dispositional shifts in teacher preparation. Journal of Latinos and Education, 19(4), 368–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2018.1531761

Kadmayana, K., Halim, A., Mustafa, M., & Ilyas, S. (2021). Impact of contextual teaching learning model to science process skills and scientific attitudes of students. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 7(3), 375. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v7i3.714

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: A.k.a. the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751

Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From the achievement gap to the education debt: Understanding achievement in U.S. Schools. Educational Researcher, 35(7), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x035007003

Lee, H., Lee, H., & Zeidler, D. L. (2020). Examining tensions in the socioscientific issues classroom: Students’ border crossings into a new culture of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(5), 672-694. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21600

Llopart, M., & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2018). Funds of knowledge in 21st century societies: Inclusive educational practices for under-represented students. A literature review. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 50(2), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2016.1247913

Milner IV, R. H. (2013). Start where you are, but don’t stay there: Understanding diversity, opportunity gaps, and teaching in today's classrooms. Harvard Education Press.

Mohd Norawi, A., Lilia, H., Kamisah, O., & Lilia Ellany, M. (2017). The integration of fund of knowledge in the hybridization cognitive strategy to enhance secondary students’ understanding of physics optical concepts and remediating their misconceptions. In M. Karpudewan, A. Md Zain, & A. Chandrasegaran (Eds.), Overcoming students’ misconceptions in science: Strategies and perspectives from Malaysia. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3437-4_10

Mohd Norawi, A., Lilia, H., & Kamisah, O. (2015). Integration of funds of knowledge as contextual knowledge. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, 10(2), 129–137. https://www.airitilibrary.com/Publication/alDetailedMesh?docid=20407467-201505-201506220044-201506220044-129-137

Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classroom. Theory Into Practice, 31(2), 132-141. https://education.ucsc.edu/ellisa/pdfs/Moll_Amanti_1992_Funds_of_Knowledge.pdf

Nasri, N., Mohamad Nasri, N., & Abd Talib, M. A. (2021). Developing an inclusive curriculum: Understanding co-creation through cultural lens. International Journal of Inclusive Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1880652

O’Leary, E. S., Shapiro, C., Toma, S., Sayson, H. W., Levis-Fitzgerald, M., Johnson, T., & Sork, V. L. (2020). Creating inclusive classrooms by engaging STEM faculty in culturally responsive teaching workshops. International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1). Article 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00230-7

Pejaner, K. J., & Mistades, V. (2020). Culturally relevant science teaching: A case study of physics teaching practices of the Obo Monuvu Tribe. Science Education International, 31(2), 185-194. https://doi.org/10.33828/sei.v31.i2.8

Rahmawati, Y., Baeti, H. R., Ridwan, A., Suhartono, S., & Rafiuddin, R. (2019). A culturally responsive teaching approach and ethnochemistry integration of Tegal culture for developing chemistry students’ critical thinking skills in acid-based learning. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1402, Article 55050. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1402/5/055050

Soko, I. P., Setiawan, A., & Widodo, A. (2019). Physics teachers’ ability in planning and implementing cultural-based physics learning activities on education and training. Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pembelajaran IPA, 5(2), 169–184. https://doi.org/10.30870/jppi.v5i2.6754

Stapleton, S. R., & Reif, K. (2022). Teaching outside as third space: Toward school science that acknowledges student ecological expertise. Environmental Education Research, 28(9), 1373–1390. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2087862

Suárez, E. (2019). How do we know whether the glass is half full? Reflections on equity, hope, and cycles of violence. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 14(2), 411–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019-09921-2

Suastra, I. (2017). The effectiveness of the local culture-based physics model in developing students ’ creative thinking skills and understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS). In A. G. Abdullah, I. Hamidah, S. Aisyah, A. A. Danuwijaya, G. Yuliani, H. S. H. Munawaroh (Eds.), Ideas for 21 century education-Proceedings of the Asian Education Symposium (pp. 239-242). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315166575-57

Upadhyay, B., Atwood, E., & Tharu, B. (2020). Actions for sociopolitical consciousness in a high school science class: A case study of ninth grade class with predominantly indigenous students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(7), 1119-1147. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21626

Upadhyay, B., Maruyama, G., & Albrecht, N. (2017). Taking an active stance: How urban elementary students connect sociocultural experiences in learning science. International Journal of Science Education, 39(18), 2528–2547. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2017.1392645

Upadhyay, B. (2009). Teaching science for empowerment in an urban classroom: A case study of a Hmong teacher. Equity and Excellence in Education, 42(2), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680902779366

Vélez-Ibáñez, C. G., & Greenberg, J. B. (1992). Formation and transformation of funds of knowledge among U.S.-Mexican households. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 23(4), 313–335. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3195869

Volman, M., & ’t Gilde, J. (2021). The effects of using students’ funds of knowledge on educational outcomes in the social and personal domain. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 28, Article 100472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2020.100472

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Westerman, D. A. (1991). Expert and novice teacher decision making. Journal of Teacher Education, 42(4), 292–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/002248719104200407


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 1694-2116

p-ISSN: 1694-2493