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Science Teachers’ Cultural Beliefs and Diversities: A Sociocultural Perspective to Science Education

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Science Education for Diversity

Part of the book series: Cultural Studies of Science Education ((CSSE,volume 8))

Abstract

Research supports the idea that teachers are crucial change agents for educational reform and that teachers’ beliefs are precursors to change. A growing body of research argues that teachers’ beliefs and practices should be studied within the sociocultural framework of their work thereby showing that the relationship between their beliefs and practices is both complex and context dependent. Clearly, there is a need for further research in this area, especially in understudied contexts such as developing countries, in order to promote effective science education in schools and the professional development of teachers. I argue that if this ‘black box’ of cultural influences on reform implementation is better understood, it may be possible to identify specific aspects of the social and cultural context of educational organisations that act as supports or barriers to pedagogical reform or implementing innovations in science curricula. This chapter is grounded in empirical research and would enable evaluators to properly contextualise their findings and track cultural phenomena as both mediating and outcome variables. The key question for this chapter is to what extent teachers’ cultural beliefs, e.g. religious beliefs, have an impact on their pedagogical beliefs and practices in the classroom? The chapter will introduce the sociocultural perspective to science education, and then will argue theoretically the interplay between cultural beliefs and pedagogical beliefs. Finally, the chapter will present empirical case study to explore in-depth the interplay between teachers’ personal religious beliefs (as a case for their cultural beliefs) and pedagogical beliefs and practices. The chapter will discuss the findings of this case study from sociocultural perspective.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The English translations of the Qur’anic verses are based on Ali (2004).

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  1. Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, St Luke’s Campus, Heavitree Road, EX1 2LU, Exeter, Devon, UK

    Nasser Mansour

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  1. Nasser Mansour
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Correspondence to Nasser Mansour .

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  1. St Luke's Campus, Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, Devon, United Kingdom

    Nasser Mansour

  2. St. Lukes Campus, University of Exeter, Heavitree Road, Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, United Kingdom

    Rupert Wegerif

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Mansour, N. (2013). Science Teachers’ Cultural Beliefs and Diversities: A Sociocultural Perspective to Science Education. In: Mansour, N., Wegerif, R. (eds) Science Education for Diversity. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4563-6_10

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