Multiculturalism in Science Research
Teachers use multiculturalism to interest and involve college students from diverse backgrounds in learning. Scientific research is one area in which multiculturalism is particularly relevant. Traditional science education has often clashed with the interests of students from diverse backgrounds and discourages them from pursuing scientific research. The diversity of modern schools makes multiculturalism a valid issue in the science classroom.
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Applying Science to Real Life
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Applicability is a key tenet of the multicultural approach to science education. Researchers Jegede and Aikenhead at The Open University of Hong Kong point out that students who are not from the dominant culture may experience a disconnect between the realities of their lives and science. For example, traditional knowledge that they are taught at home may contradict what is taught in school. Students who conduct research that connects to their daily lives and involves their knowledge of the world engage more readily with what they are learning. In "Science Motivation in the Multicultural Classroom," educators Sanfeliz and Stalzer also note the importance for encouraging diversity of focusing on instructional methods that include rather than alienate students. For example, the suggest that Hispanic students tend to prefer working in groups, which reinforces the value of cooperation over competition. The use of such methods show students how their traditional values can align with the practice of science.
Different Perspectives
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Multiculturalism begins by recognizing the legitimacy of multiple cultural views. Students may approach science and scientific research from different perspectives depending on their cultural backgrounds, and teachers must remain sensitive to those differences. For example, students who view the natural world as a spiritual entity may reject the western idea that nature is something to be overcome. Incorporating scientific learning into existing cultural perspectives helps students construct meaningful understandings.The diverse classroom acknowledges multiple approaches to the same question and considers why scientific research tends to take the approach that it does without diminishing scientific understandings of the world.
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Culture Clashes
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As Cobern and Loving point out, traditional cultural views often conflict with scientific perspectives with the result that the cultural views are forced to "compete" with science and subsequently are diminished. The authors provide the example of how native myths about tidal cycles stand at odds with scientific explanations of the tides. Discussing how traditional views support or clash with the results of scientific research becomes important to understanding different ways to look at the world, allowing students to view scientific research as being one of those perspectives.
Incorporating Cultural Knowledge
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Cobern and Loving go on to add that science need not preclude other views. Rather, multicultural scientific research can originate from understanding how differences arise between scientific and traditional knowledge. The researchers provide the example of a fifth-grade teacher whose students identify how Native-American beliefs about nature support or conflict with what scientific research has shown. Students discuss the purposes of the different types of knowledge. Activities such as these acknowledge traditional knowledge and how it can contribute to a deeper understanding of the purposes of scientific research.
Changing Ideas about Scientists
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Encouraging diverse students to engage in scientific research also requires depicting science as a field available to people from different backgrounds, not just the stereotypical white male scientist. For example, Shibasaburo Kitasato of Japan was instrumental in discovering the bacteria that causes tetanus and the bubonic plague, and Robert Lim of Singapore initiated research into the biochemisty of pain. Lack of respect for and knowledge of non-European cultures often lead to their contributions being marginalized and to proper credit being given to their findings. Emphasizing the contributions of many cultural groups and people from different backgrounds portrays science as an intellectual discipline to which the whole of humanity has contributed.
Research Outside the Classroom
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The benefits of multiculturalism extend beyond the classroom and into the scientific research community. As Harding points out, the exclusion of racial minorities and women from scientific topics has led to the marginalization of discussion and research about issues of interest to these groups. For example, she notes that science has had relatively little to do, until recently, with environmental concerns and social justice.
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References
- Archive: "What is Multicultural Education and How Is It Relevant to Science Instruction?
- The Science Teacher: Science Motivation in the Multicultural Classroom
- The Open University of Hong Kong: Transcending Cultural Borders: Implications for Science Teaching
- New Horizons for Learning: Multicultural Science Education: Myths, Legends and Moon Phases
- "The Racial Economy of Science: Toward a Democratic Future"; Sandra Harding; 1993
Resources
- Photo Credit Female university student smiling and carrying some notebooks image by Christopher Meder from Fotolia.com
