Date of Award
Fall 2022
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Christine Lotter
Abstract
The U.S. Education system is founded on a Eurocentric focus of curriculum, and students of color are not achieving as high as white students on the National Assessment for Education Progress in science. This research aims to repay the education debt owed to students of color by decolonizing science curriculum through the implementation of lessons centered around socioscientific issues grounded in social justice. An action research study was implemented in which 9 th grade Biology students participated in three instructional units centered on social justice issues. Data was collected through surveys, focus group interviews, student work, and journal reflections from students. After participating in all three units, students were better able to define social justice concerns and identify the role of science in identifying issues of social justice. Students also shifted in their ability to identify issues of equality and the needs of communities based on their studies. Finally, students reported that they were engaged and interested in studying from this perspective. These findings indicate the benefits of instruction from a social justice perspective. This study also shares recommendations for incorporating social justice issues into the socioscientific framework.
Rights
© 2022, Stephanie Marilyn Bailey
Recommended Citation
Bailey, S. M.(2022). The Use of Social Justice Socioscientific Issues in Secondary Biology Classes: An Action Research. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7096