ERIC Number: EJ1287290
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Mar
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8326
EISSN: N/A
Reviving the Orchard: Visions of Reclaiming Science Education for Nicaragua
Science Education, v105 n2 p384-405 Mar 2021
Educators involved in the improvement of science instruction need to explore how science education could better align with the needs and interests of specific communities, especially in areas of Central America where local knowledge has been expunged from schools. In this paper, I draw upon Culturally Sustaining and Revitalizing Pedagogies to explore a single community's visions for science education and how these visions may be used as pathways for restoring relevant science education practices. To do this study, a case study approach was used to collect 150 h of science lesson observations at three schools in a small Nicaraguan community and interview 18 science teachers and community members. Many of these teachers and community members provided detailed accounts of local science knowledge or methods of teaching science that had been replaced with Westernized curriculum and pedagogies to the detriment of learning and their community. Results indicate two overarching visions: (1) a vision for reviving Scholar Orchards and (2) a vision for learning science with community resources. These findings highlight the need to partner with local teachers and community members when designing, implementing, and evaluating science education because they possess sophisticated visions for making science more relevant, sustaining, and revitalizing within their community context.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Science Education, Educational Needs, Culturally Relevant Education, Science Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Community Attitudes, Knowledge Level, Teaching Methods, Educational Change, Community Resources, Cooperative Planning
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Nicaragua
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A