Exploring the Primacy of Cultural Strengths for Purposeful (Agri)cultural STEM Learning in a Mexican Immigrant Community
Year: 2023
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This study examines how the purposes and values Mexican immigrant families bring into a community garden space can serve as cultural strengths and facilitate opportunities for rich STEM learning.Taking place at a school-based community garden in the western US within the context of a long-term community-university partnership, researchers in this study engaged in qualitative ethnographic data collection with 20 gardeners and families over the course of nine months.Utilizing sociocultural perspectives, chiefly CHAT and the notion of a "third space," researchers analyzed semi-structured interviews, field notes of garden walks and community events, and self-documentation materials submitted by participants.Findings include (1) the identification of the concepts distraer ("to distract") and conectar ("to connect") as cultural strengths and the drivers of valued activity in the garden and (2) the effectiveness of these concepts in fostering families' engagement with natural phenomena and STEM practices.
Source: Proceedings.
Authors: Linnea K. Beckett, Samuel Severance, Michelle Hernandez, Alyssa Najera, Juan Pacheco
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4392721169