Science Curriculum in Hawaii, Bridging the Gap between Home and School Cultures

2012

This paper outlined the effectiveness of a culturally responsive science curriculum used in a 2007-2009 US Department of Education project conducted in Hawaii high schools. Instruments were developed to measure students behavior valued by members of the Hawaiian community, perceptions of academic efficacy, and frequency of behaviors conducive to learning in the classroom. Quantitative results indicated that the inclusion of culture was a valuable resource for educators, leading to improved student outcomes, including: a) significantly increasing the frequency of positive, culturally appropriate behavior -which in turn lead to: b) direct increases in students frequency of behaviors conducive to learning; c) direct improvements to students perceptions of the ability to do well in science and; d) indirect, significant increases in student grades.

Science Education, Culturally Responsive, Bridging Cultures, Hawaiian Education, Careers in Science

Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals submitted

Consumers/Families, Professionals

N/A