Sociocultural perspectives on science education

In this seminal paper from 2001, the researcher posits sociocultural perspectives as a useful theoretical and methodological lens for examining science education. The paper examines the types of questions that are asked when applying a sociocultural lens to the science classroom and usefully references several different bodies of work within the sociocultural tradition. The research paper discusses the ways in which non-sociocultural perspectives have positioned science and the processes of learning science in ways that privilege dispassionate rationality in a way that may not be easily understood by many. In addition to its relevance for researchers of ISE settings, this paper is salient to the work of ISE educators who seek to teach science to learners by acknowledging and building on the learners’ own experiences, concerns, and communities.