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Middle years students' engagement with science in rural and urban communities in Australia: Exploring science capital, place-based knowledges and familial relationships
Stahl, Garth Scholes, Laura McDonald, Sarah Lunn, Jo
Stahl, Garth
Scholes, Laura
McDonald, Sarah
Lunn, Jo
Abstract
This paper explores how geographies of place and familial relationships influence the formation of ‘science capital’ and a ‘science identity’, which are widely considered influential to sustained engagement in the sciences. Drawing on interviews with 45 Year 8 students from two diverse locales in Australia, we analyse science-related forms of cultural and social capital with a focus on place-based knowledges which may help explain differential patterns of engagement among young people. First, the paper recounts recent theoretical and empirical work on science capital and science identity, extending this scholarship by considering the role of family and place in science knowledge acquisition. Second, we present the study concentrating on student lifeworlds and familial relationships as identity resources, exploring the differences in terms of place. To conclude, we critique the data with attention to implications for teachers’ pedagogy, considering the role of ‘science capital pedagogies’ and a ‘Funds of Knowledge’ approach to science education.
Keywords
Place-based knowledges, science capital, science knowledge, familial relationships, science identity, lifeworlds
Date
2019
Type
Journal article
Journal
Pedagogy Culture and Society
Book
Volume
Issue
Page Range
1-18
Article Number
ACU Department
Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education (ILSTE)
Faculty of Education and Arts
Non-faculty
Faculty of Education and Arts
Non-faculty
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled