Page 271 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

18 A Case Study of David, a Native Hawaiian Science Teacher 245

students guides the respectful teaching and learning of indigenous culture ensuring
that “knowledge will continue in a healthy fashion and not [be] adulterated for
personal use.”

Conclusion

David brings his understanding of teaching and learning as relational and collaborative
to program planning and curriculum development. Teachers who have been men-
tored by David tell me they carry on what they have learned and I see them work
with their student teachers as he worked with them. David is a transdisciplinary lit-
eracy expert, helping both students and junior colleagues learn and practice the
skills and knowledge they need to be successful in academic, professional, and
community settings.
David’s administrative experiences and growing knowledge of social systems is
now leading him to consider transitioning into another activity system:

I will always be a student and a teacher. That has to be the central core belief of all teachers.
I have been debating whether I would continue in my studies and get my PhD. If I do, I
believe it would be more in Curriculum & Instruction, and not in Education Administration.
David is considering doctoral studies focused on preparing teachers to work across
culturally diverse activity systems. His assessment of his own formidable set of
skills and experiences, his assessment of his ability to enter new activity systems,
and his ability to draw upon a network of colleagues in the academy suggest the
agentic, networked nature of self, simultaneously a historical product and a creator
of history. If he does that, I know he will not be alone, but accompanied by a host
of mentors, some providing guidance across diverse cultures, places, and generations,
others like me still part of the present.

References

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Aikenhead, G. S., & Ogawa, M. (2007). Indigenous knowledge and science revisited. Cultural
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Bandura, A. (1989, September). Human agency in social cognitive theory. American Psychologist.
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Capper, P., & Williams, B. (2004) Enhancing Evaluation using systems concepts. American
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Change, 5, 99–115.
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Chinn, P. (1999). Multiple worlds/Mismatched meanings: Minority women scientists and engineers.
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