culture and language in science education: what do we know and what do we need to know?
TRANSCRIPT
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING VOL. 38, NO. 5, PP. 499±501 (2001)
PREFACE
Culture and Language in Science Education: What DoWe Know and What Do We Need to Know?
Okhee Lee
School of Education, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124-2040
Received 3 January 2001; accepted 30 January 2001
As the nation's student population becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse,
science educators are increasingly aware of the need to address equity for these students. The
motivation for this special issue of JRST on language and culture in science education is to
examine what we know and what we need to know to ensure that all students achieve high
academic standards.
The research on culturally and linguistically diverse students in science education
challenges conventional notions of science content, learning, teaching, and assessment (Lee,
1999). The research has led to questions that ask what counts as science, what should be taught,
how science is taught, and how student learning can be assessed in valid and fair ways. As the
`̀ one size ®ts all'' approach from the mainstream perspective is challenged, alternative views of
science and science education are proposed.
Research on diversity and equity stimulates science educators to examine the nature of
science and science education as it has traditionally been de®ned in Western science (Lee, 1999;
Loving, 1997). What counts as science or what should be taught in school science is critically
important because this de®nition determines school science curriculum. Western science, as
traditionally practiced in the science community and taught in school science, is the `̀ high status
knowledge'' to which every student should have access in order to function competently in the
mainstream, in a global economy, and in an information society. There is no equity if students
are not provided with opportunities to learn Western science. At the same time, students from
diverse languages and cultures bring to the science classroom ways of knowing, talking, and
interacting that are sometimes different from those in the mainstream. When disparities abound
between school science and students' cultures, the quality of educational experience suffers if
Western science is imposed on students who do not share its system of meanings, symbols, and
practices.
Equitable instruction and assessment practices for diverse students involve consideration of
their cultural and linguistic experiences in preparing them to function competently in the
ß 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
institutions of power as well as in their homes and communities. Instruction should enable
diverse students to connect their cultural norms with mainstream expectations. Instruction
should also allow diverse students to meet national standards as well as maintain their cultural
and linguistic identities. In addition, assessment practices should maximize opportunities
to demonstrate diverse students' knowledge and abilities in ways compatible with their
backgrounds.
To achieve equitable outcomes with diverse students, teachers need to have both knowledge
of science and understanding of the students' languages and cultures (Lee & Fradd, 1998). It is a
challenge for teachers to integrate science and students' languages and cultures in ways that are
meaningful and relevant for their students. It is particularly challenging when cultural norms for
students' classroom participation and mainstream expectations may be incompatible (Fradd &
Lee, 1999). Because of such differences, teachers may fail to recognize, ignore, or even
disparage the knowledge and experiences that the students bring to the learning process. The
demands placed on teachers are exacerbated by the fact that culturally and linguistically diverse
students are often found in inner-city schools with limited educational resources and low
academic expectations. From early grades on, these students are often tracked into low
performing schools, classrooms, and groups.
The articles in this special issue examine science content, learning, teaching, and
assessment with students from diverse languages and cultures. They illustrate dilemmas that
arise when the nature of science traditionally de®ned as Western science is in con¯ict with
alternative views of science in diverse languages and cultures in instruction (Tippins et al.) and
assessment (Solano-Flores & Nelson-Barber). Tensions also arise between the ways science is
taught in school and alternative views that diverse students bring to the science classroom in
secondary (Yerrick & Gilbert) and post-secondary settings (Lewis & Collins). On the other hand,
when diverse students are provided with equitable opportunities, they capitalize on their
linguistic and cultural resources in ways that may be unrecognized in science classrooms
(Solano-Flores & Nelson-Barber and Warren et al.). These contrasting but potentially
complementary viewsÐdiversity as a barrier to be overcome versus diversity as a potential
asset enriching the resources of learning communitiesÐrun through all these papers, with
varying degrees of emphasis on one side or the other.
This special issue consists of articles, followed by conclusions from Sharon Lynch high-
lighting key themes emerging from this set of papers as well as unique contributions of each
paper. In addition to advancing our research agenda, these papers have implications for other
topics and questions that also need be considered, such as educational policies related to
standards-based and systemic reform, high-stakes testing and accountability, instructional
technology, and school ± community connections. For example, the authors suggest potential
dif®culties and con¯icts when culturally based approaches to instruction and assessment are put
into practice in the context of high-stakes testing and accountability (Solano-Flores & Nelson-
Barber and Warren et al.). To explore the links between research, on one hand, and practice and
policy, on the other, both large-scale and in-depth studies need to be conducted using a range of
research methods. As educational practices and policies on culturally and linguistically diverse
students gain attention, a corresponding research agenda will continue to expand. We hope that
by extending our research knowledge base, this special issue on language and culture in science
education will inform practitioners and policy makers who seek to provide equitable educational
opportunities for all students, including those from diverse languages and cultures.
The editors of this special issue thank the authors of these ®ve articles for advancing our
understanding in this area, as well as express our gratitude to the authors of 17 other manuscripts
submitted for publication consideration. Due to space limitations for this issue, some of these
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papers have been relayed to other issues (see Fusco & Barton in March 2001 and Moje et al. in
April 2001) or are in the revision and resubmission pipeline and may appear in the future. The
editors also acknowledge the constructively critical and thoughtful comments by the reviewers
of the submitted manuscripts. Finally, the editors appreciate the guidance and insights of Andy
Anderson, JRST editor, throughout the process of this special issue.
References
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(2001). Case-based pedagogy as a context for collaborative inquiry in the Philippines. Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, 38, 502±528.
Fradd, S.H., & Lee, O. (1999). Teachers' roles in promoting science inquiry with students
from diverse language backgrounds. Educational Researcher, 28 (6), 4±20, 42.
Gilbert, A., & Yerrick, R. (2001). Same school, separate worlds: A sociocultural study of
identity, resistance, and negotiation in a rural, lower track science classroom. Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, 38, 574±598.
Lee, O. (1999). Equity implications based on the conceptions of science achievement in
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Lee, O., & Fradd, S.H. (1998). Science for all, including students from non-English
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