Mary M. Atwater

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM : INFUSION INTO THE MULTICULTURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION RESEARCH AGENDA

This article focuses on (a) theoretical underpinnings of social constructivism and multicultural education and (b) aspects of social constructivism that can provide frameworks for research in multicultural science education. According to the author, multicultural science education is “a field of inquiry with constructs, methodologies, and processes aimed at providing equitable opportunities for all students to learn quality science.” Multicultural science education research continues to be influenced by class, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, and different lifestyles; however, another appropriate epistemology for this area of research is social constructivism. The essence of social constructivism and its implications for multicultural science education research includes an understanding of whatever realities might be constructed by individuals from various cultural groups and how these realities can be reconstituted, if necessary, to include a scientific reality. Hence, multicultural science education should be a field of study in which many science education researchers are generating new knowledge. The author strives to persuade other researchers to expand their research and teaching efforts into multicultural science education, a blending of social constructivism with multicultural science education. This blending is illustrated in the final section of this article.

Beliefs and attitudes of urban primary teachers toward physical science and teaching physical science

Eighteen primary teachers (K-3) from five urban schools in the southeastern part of the United States participated in this study. The purposes of this study were to provide insight into options for inservice education programs dealing with urban teachers and their unique needs and to determine some of the attitudes and beliefs of urban primary school teachers toward physical science and physical science teaching. The results of this study indicated that these elementary teachers realized the importance of hands-on activities. However, they felt a need for a stronger knowledge of chemistry and physics to competently teach elementary physical science using that instructional strategy. There were significantly positive relationships between their attitudes and beliefs about physical science.

Including multicultural education in science education: Definitions, competencies, and activities

ConclusionOverall, too few science teachers are being prepared in this country, and ethnic minority students are rarely enrolling in science teacher education programs. Thus, it is particularly important that multicultural education be included in science teacher education programs. I do not believe that science teacher educators will be able to prepare significantly more minority science teachers in the near future to teach the growing number of minority students in schools. Consequently, science teacher education programs must begin producing multicultural teachers. If we do not, then millions of children will not receive an adequate science education, let alone a good one.

An Examination of Black Science Teacher Educators’ Experiences with Multicultural Education, Equity, and Social Justice

Diversity, multicultural education, equity, and social justice are dominant themes in cultural studies (Hall in Cultural dialogues in cultural studies. Routledge, New York, pp 261–274, 1996; Wallace 1994). Zeichner (Studying teacher education: The report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, pp 737–759, 2005) called for research studies of teacher educators because little research exists on teacher educators since the late 1980s. Thomson et al. (2001) identified essential elements needed in order for critical multiculturalism to be infused in teacher education programs. However, little is known about the commitment and experiences of science teacher educators infusing multicultural education, equity, and social justice into science teacher education programs. This paper examines twenty (20) Black science teacher educators’ teaching experiences as a result of their Blackness and the inclusion of multicultural education, equity, and social justice in their teaching. This qualitative case study of 20 Black science teacher educators found that some of them have attempted and stopped due to student evaluations and the need to gain promotion and tenure. Other participants were able to integrate diversity, multicultural education, equity and social justice in their courses because their colleagues were supportive. Still others continue to struggle with this infusion without the support of their colleagues, and others have stopped The investigators suggest that if science teacher educators are going to prepare science teachers for the twenty first century, then teacher candidates must be challenged to grapple with racial, ethnic, cultural, instructional, and curricular issues and what that must mean to teach science to US students in rural, urban, and suburban school contexts.

Multicultural Science Education and Curriculum Materials

ABSTRACT This article describes multicultural science education and explains the purposes of multicultural science curricula. It also serves as an introductory article for the other multicultural science education activities in this special issue of Science Activities.

The Impact of Beliefs and Actions on the Infusion of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Science Teacher Education

Culturally relevant pedagogy has been the subject of much debate and discussion in teacher education even though K-12 classrooms and college campuses are more diverse. In this chapter, we will further examine how teacher beliefs and actions perpetuate the absence of culturally relevant pedagogy in science teaching in US classrooms. The authors discuss specific teaching beliefs and actions that are necessary to infuse culturally relevant pedagogy into teacher education programs for middle and high school science classrooms and close with examples of culturally relevant teaching practices and recommendations to effectively prepare teachers for multicultural science education.

Administrative Support in Initiating Transformations: A Perspective of an African American Female.

African American females need to develop alliances with White administrators to transform policies and practices to assist these female faculty members in becoming successful and productive professors at predominantly White research universities. Strategies for White administrators and other powerful White faculty members, and African American females are delineated in this article. In addition, illustrations of courses, activities, and programmatic changes in one college are included.

Introduction: Culture, Equity, and Social Justice for Science Teacher Educators

This chapter provides an overview and context for this edited book for science teacher educators. The editors provide a rationale for the book and highlight some of the key aspects of the chapters written by authors who are well versed in issues of culture, equity, and social justice as they relate to the preparation of secondary science teachers.

Dr. Geneva Gay: Multicultural Education for All Disciplines

ABSTRACT This feature is an interview of Professor Geneva Gay, a leader and expert in multicultural education, especially multicultural curriculum. She graciously consented to a telephone interview, which was recorded. The interview was then transcribed by a professional; this feature is the result of that interview.

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