Science teachers' culturally responsive practices in the context of distance education: a qualitative study

Abstract

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) cultures are rooted in Ways of Knowing science among other forms of teaching and learning through Indigenous, English, Irish, and French (including other European minorities) and subsequent traditional community customs with deep ties to the ocean and the land. Schooling, which has social, cultural, and political implications, may lead to marginalization when it is enforced using standardized values and norms through prescribed science curriculum. Culturally responsive science teaching (CRST) may help build bridges between the classrooms and their surrounding communities to safeguard access to science that is accessible to all students. Practicing CRST is challenging for distance educators as remote communities merge for synchronous online learning. The purpose of this study is to explore how NL science teachers are incorporating CRST in their teaching practices by distance. The research questions include: How are distance educators making science culturally relevant for students regarding their rural homelands and community cultural identities? What challenges do distance science educators face with implementing CRST in the virtual classroom? A grounded theory approach was used to support a growing framework for CRST in the context of distance education resulting in three components: challenges (constraints due to lack of physicality, curriculum, and pedagogy), affordances (a respectful, and safe environment for students online), and applications (inclusion of culturally relevant science projects, and subject matter).