Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 28
Innovations in Culturally Based Science
Education Through Partnerships
and Community
Megan Bang
1,2
, Douglas Medin
3
, Karen Washinawatok
4
,
and Shannon Chapman
5
1
TERC, Cambridge, MA, USA
2
American Indian Center of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, e-mail: megan_bang@terc.edu
3
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
4
Menominee Language and Culture Commission, Keshena, WI, USA
5
Menominee Tribal School, Neopit, WI, USA
Introduction
In what follows we describe a program of educational research aimed at improv-
ing science achievement among Native American children. This ongoing project
builds on previous work but is distinctive in two ways. First, it involves a coali-
tion of community members and teachers developing science curricula. Second, it
represents the cooperative efforts of reservation-based tribal institutions, an urban
tribal institution, and a major research university. On numerous grounds this is an
unlikely combination, so the synergies growing out of this project will repay careful
attention.
Background
Our long-term goal is to improve science learning and school achievement for
Native American children. Student achievement in science education is a well-
rehearsed problem, particularly for those groups of children who have historically
been placed at risk. This problem is particularly acute with Indigenous populations.
The high school graduation rate is at just 51.1% for Native youth (Orfield, Losen,
Wald, & Swans, 2004). Only 6% of the population that does go on to college receives
a bachelor's degree (NSF, 2007; Pavel, Curtin, & Whitener, 1998). Nowhere is the
problem more apparent than in science learning. Over the past 10 years, Native peo-
ple have represented an average 0.63% of the total number of bachelors degrees and
