Page 270 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

244 P.W.U. Chinn and D.D.M. Hana‘ike

social and academic expectations led to measurably higher student satisfaction and
academic outcomes. By expecting success, being an ethnic role model, and provid-
ing challenging opportunities for students to master academic discourses, David
helped students develop identities as successful learners.

Implications for Teacher Education and Professional Development

This paper asked the question: “How does a science teacher become an effective
instructor of underrepresented, low-achieving, racially marginalized students?”
David’s genealogy of learning is a narrative of supportive mentors and partici-
pation in multiple activity systems (Discourses) in which he develops professional
and personal competence. David becomes increasingly agentic, establishing activ-
ity systems that enable students to develop skills and knowledge supportive of
success in school and community. Through this process, David’s expectations that
students engage appropriately in societal, school, and content area Discourses sup-
ported positive shifts in their institutional (I), Discourse (D), and affiliation (A)
identities (Gee 2001). These shifts are seen most clearly in the disruptive student
whose institutional I-identity changed from controlled substance/disruptive thief
to student government representative-school accreditation team member, whose
discourse D-identity changed from poor in science to outstanding in science, and
whose affiliation A-identity changed from potential gang member to private
school student. Finally, David’s study suggests developing a Discourse-identity as
a successful middle-school science student carries over into high-school science
activity systems.
Clearly, teachers need more than a conceptual toolkit to develop knowledge of
effective sociocultural contexts and instructional practices for culturally different
and marginalized students. This case study suggests that pre- and inservice science
teachers would benefit from situated, cross-cultural, and transdisciplinary learning
activities associated with sustained teacher collaboration. Collaborative, culturally
responsive, place-based learning communities led by experienced members with
long-standing, stable relationships support the development of pedagogical con-
tent knowledge that enables teachers to address the discontinuities within and
across home–school activity systems. David is still in contact with students from
his early teaching days who now are parents and business owners.
Nelson (2007) identifies sociocultural factors, that is, disarticulation among
home/school/community activity systems embodied in the lack of minority mentors
and role models as contributing to the underrepresentation of minority Science–
Technology–Engineering–Mathematics (STEM) students. Science teachers such
as David, who identify themselves as members of indigenous groups, are critical
to establishing multilevel activity systems inclusive of science, school, and indig-
enous communities. Historical distrust between indigenous and dominant groups
underscores the importance of preparing science teachers with knowledge and
practices for culturally responsive teaching. A goal of equitable education for all