Transforming Science Learning and Student Participation in Sixth Grade Science: A Case Study of a Low-Income, Urban, Racial Minority Classroom

Recent criticisms of the goal of “science for all” with regard to minority students have alluded to the onerous culture of school science characterized by white, middle-class values that eschew personal everyday science experiences and nontraditional funds of knowledge, in addition to alienating science instruction. Using critically-oriented, sociocultural perspectives, this article explores the sixth grade classroom of a male, white, science teacher in an urban school that serves only minority students. Using Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, and Cain's (2001) notion of figured worlds, we look at what learning science looks like in Mr. M's classroom and how he provides the structural support to increase student participation by creating different figured worlds of sixth grade science. In these different figured worlds, we discuss the pedagogical strategies Mr. M uses to purposefully recruit nontraditional funds of knowledge of racial minority and low-income students, thereby positioning them with more authority for participation. Through this case study of Mr. M and the racial minority and low-income students he teaches, we discuss the role science teachers play in urban school science education and the agency and achievement racial minority and low-income students are capable of with appropriate support.

近期针对少数族裔学生的“面向所有人的科学”这一目标的批评，提到了学校科学的繁重文化，其特点是具有白人中产阶级价值观，这种价值观回避个人日常的科学经验和非传统知识储备，此外还使科学教学变得疏离。运用批判性的社会文化视角，本文探究了一所城市学校中一位白人男性科学教师所教的六年级课堂，该校只有少数族裔学生。利用霍兰德、拉希科特、斯金纳和凯恩（2001）的“情境化世界”概念，我们观察在M先生的课堂上学习科学是什么样的，以及他如何通过创造六年级科学的不同情境化世界来提供结构支持以提高学生的参与度。在这些不同的情境化世界中，我们讨论了M先生为有目的地吸收少数族裔和低收入学生的非传统知识储备所使用的教学策略，从而使他们在参与时有更多的权威性。通过对M先生以及他所教的少数族裔和低收入学生的这个案例研究，我们讨论了科学教师在城市学校科学教育中所起的作用，以及少数族裔和低收入学生在适当支持下所具有的能动性和能够取得的成就。