Abstract
Angela Chapman and Allan Feldman (2016) conducted a study that aimed to exam how a group of diverse urban high school students were affected by the participation in a contextually based authentic science experience. The analysis of all data led the authors to conclude that the experience of authentic science positively influenced the science identity of students and promoted a shift in perceptions from stereotypical to more diverse views of scientists. For the purpose of this forum paper, we concentrated on the unexpected results of Hispanic students in the IAS instrument. In the authors’ interpretation, Hispanic students were classified as non science identities because they do not feel recognized as a particular kind of student in that school, being possibly more marginalized than other students. We tried to expand the discussion bringing the contribution of a sociocultural approach of science construction and of science identity to enrich some of the issues involved. Our concise analysis does not allow conclusions about the Hispanic students’ results, but we believe it helped to understand sociocultural problems involved in their science identity and to reveal the inequality in science production as one of these problems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barton, A. C. (1998). Teaching science with homeless children: pedagogy, representation, and identity. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 35(4), 379–394. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(199804).
Braga, M., Guerra, A., & Reis, J. C. (2013). History of science, physics and art: A complex approach in Brazilian syllabuses. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 8, 725–736. doi:10.1007/s11422-012-9460-9.
Burke, P. (2008). O que é História Cultural?. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar.
Burke, P. (2012). Um História Social do Conhecimento 2: da Enciclopédia à Wikipedia. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar.
Carlone, H., & Johnson, A. (2007). Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color: Science identity as an analytic lens. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(8), 1187–1218. doi:10.1002/tea.20237.
Chapman, A., & Feldman, A. (2016). Cultivation of science identity through authentic science in an urban high school classroom. Cultural Studies of Science Education. doi:10.1007/s11422-015-9723-3.
Chen, X. (2009). Students who study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in postsecondary education. Stats in Brief. NCES 2009-161. National Center for Educational Statistic.
Gee, P. (2000). Identity as an analytic lens for research in education. Review of Research in Education, 25, 99–125.
Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Lemke, J. L. (2001). Articulating communities: Sociocultural perspectives on science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(3), 296–316. doi:10.1002/1098-2736(200103)38:3<296::AID-TEA1007>3.0.CO;2-R.
Pimentel, J. (2010). Qué es la Historia Cultural de la Ciencia. ARBOR Ciencia, Pensamiento y Cultura, 743, 417–424.
Walls, L. (2012). Third grade African American students’ views of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(1), 1–37. doi:10.1002/tea.20450.
Walls, L. (2016). Equitable research: A bridge too far? Cultural Studies of Science Education. doi:10.1007/s11422-016-9770-4.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Lead Editor: F. Rezende.
This review essay addresses issues raised in Angela Chapman and Allan Feldman’s paper entitled Cultivation of science identity through authentic science in an urban high school classroom. doi:10.1007/s11422-015-9723-3.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guerra, A., Rezende, F. Sociocultural influences on science and on science identities. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 12, 505–511 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-016-9771-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-016-9771-3