Page 53

TRANSFORMING PEDAGOGY - 53
The preceding examples of pedagogical innovations have implicitly assumed
that many aspects of science learning and teaching do not depend on the cul-
tural backgrounds or identities of either student or teacher, but there are
many
ways in which cultural differences do play an important part. In this section,
Catherine Middlecamp, a chemist at the UW-Madison, tackles the goal of
expanding curricular reform and faculty development so that it becomes sensi-
tive to an even wider array of underrepresented student populations. (Her
sug-
gestions for trouble-shooting appear at the end of the essay.)
How Can We Improve Our Science Teaching?
A Case for Cultural Knowledge
Catherine Middlecamp
Cultural mismatches between faculty and students easily can lead to misunder-
standings and miscommunications. For example, if a traditional or bicultural
Navajo student is asked to dissect a frog, the student may choose not to
return to
the biology laboratory.4 If the lowered eyes of a quiet Hmong student are
mistaken
for lack of interest, the intellectual potential of this student may go untapped.5
If
the different language patterns of an African-American student go unrecognized,
the student and teacher may fail to communicate and both may become discour-
aged.6 Thus, those who can teach with sensitivity towards a variety of cultural
norms for behavior are better equipped to facilitate the learning process
than those
who cannot. With such knowledge in place, teachers can build bridges that
are
respectful of both the culture of students and the culture of science.
Cultural mismatches also can lead to unconscious and consistent biases
against particular groups of students.7 For example, when native English
speakers
listen to those lacking fluency in English, they unknowingly may discourage
those
students' further participation in class activities by their facial expressions
(e.g., a
pained expression of intense concentration, with furrowed brow). They may
never
learn the names of students who have "strange" names. . . . Clearly,
any such
actions are problematic: Students who do not feel respected, connected, or
safe are
less likely to feel motivated to learn.8 These issues are especially troublesome
when a student's participation in class is subtly discouraged, yet linked
to the
course grade.